The School for Good Mothers: A Novel

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Synopsis
Longlisted for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel and the Carnegie Medal for Excellence | Shortlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize | Selected as One of Barack Obama&’s Favorite Books of the Year! In this New?York?Times bestseller and Today show Read with Jenna Book Club Pick, one lapse in judgment lands a young mother in a dystopian government reform program where custody of her child hangs in the balance, in this &“surreal&” (People), &“remarkable&” (Vogue), and &“infuriatingly timely&” (The New York Times Book Review) debut literary fiction novel.Frida Liu, a hardworking Chinese American mother, is pushed to the edge. She doesn&’t live up to the expectations set by her immigrant parents or her wellness-obsessed husband. Only with Harriet—cherubic and beloved—does she find a measure of fulfillment…until she has a very bad day. In this close-to-future dystopia, the state targets mothers like Frida: mothers who check their phones, let their children walk home alone, or make one parenting error. Because of one mistake, Frida is sent to a government-run institution—a Big Brother–style reform school for &“good mothers,&” where every move is monitored, and even her love is judged. For custody to be returned, she must prove that a flawed mother can be redeemed and learn to be &“good.&” Filled with dark wit and emotional urgency, The School for Good Mothers is an intense, captivating novel that scrutinizes upper-middle-class parenting, systemic surveillance of women, and the violence exacted by both the state and one another. It offers a transgressive exploration of motherhood, resilience, guilt, and the force of love. Using spare, compelling prose, Jessamine Chan crafts an unforgettable, modern classic that resonates with readers of The Handmaid&’s Tale and 1984, while centering a richly drawn woman navigating class, race, and motherhood under the gaze of an unyielding system.
Copyright:
2022

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
Book Size:
336 Pages
ISBN-13:
9781982156145
Related ISBNs:
9781982156138
Publisher:
S&S/37 Ink
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Jessamine Chan
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Literature and Fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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