The School for Good Mothers: ‘Will resonate with fans of Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere’ ELLE

I thought this was a brilliantly provocative read that really packed a punch. I kept thinking throughout how cathartic it must have been for the author to write. To take the ridiculously impossible expectations society places on mothers and form it into a dystopian curriculum. To voice the self-deprecating inner thoughts of every depressed and exhausted mother in the form of an externally enforced mantra. To bring to life the idea that children are essentially all the same and will respond in uniform ways to the ‘right’ parenting methods by making the practice ‘children’ in the story actual robots.It is painful to read but only because it hits the nail on the head about about the way it is painful to parent in this overwhelming era of social media, information overload and divided opinions. It does what all the best dystopias do: imagines current alarming trends being taken to a (thankfully) fictional extreme.The book is a powerful metaphor for the dehumanising experience that mothering can be when we fail to protect ourselves from the barrage of input telling us we are not enough. To trust our instincts but only when our instincts are the right ones. To be unfailingly selfless but also look after our mental health. To ensure we feel only the correct feelings and are impervious to stress.It is a disturbing, triggering and devastating read, and I think that’s the point. It is also thrilling, clever and oh so readable. I will certainly be recommending this book to others.

I really wanted to enjoy this book. I watched it being discussed by Sarah Cox and guests on’Between The Covers’ and thought it would be right up my street.The beginning was strange to me as I wasn’t immediately sure what was happening but then it clicked and I thought we’ll if that’s happening now, this quickly, this early on what in earth is the rest of the book about?The story felt drawn out and repetitive a little from them onwards, and at some points I didn’t feel like the actions or thoughts coming from Frida were realistic to the character I’d previously bought into getting to know?Then very quickly falling back into the book again (making me feel something) I stayed with it one evening into the following day while crying. I could not believe the turn around, it changed my mind again. Maybe because I love children and family I don’t know but I sobbed! And no it wasn’t from relief of it being over.Apart from all this the synopsis says it all really.You’re taken in a journey with Frida like no other you could imagine as it’s not the way the world as we know it works. Harriet (Fridas baby daughter) is taken from her by the authorities when a high court judge deems her an unsuitable mother for leaving her home alone. Harriet goes to live with her father and parter while Frida is literally sent to a school for mothers to learn to be better mothers. Lifelike dolls who respond as programmed are introduced and this is what the story is based around.Bizarre? A little, made me feel though and that is important to me if I’m going to get through a book with a rocky start.

2.5 Stars.Not my normal type of thing to read, but it had been on my radar a while when it came up on my Bookbub for 99p!This book is a bit on the nose with its messaging, but I think the message is an important one - the pressure of perfection that mothers have, the judgement, the complexity. Things get interesting once Frida gets to the school, but they soon get a bit repetitive. The sci-fi elements were a nice touch, both creepy and emotional, but I think the book is a bit too long to sustain the boredom of the school and the monotony of the days.There is some horror in here for sure, with the brainwashing and mantras used at the school. The ending took me by surprise and I liked that there was time for decompression near the end of the book.A good read if you like your heavy-handed feminist dystopias.

If you’re fascinated by the Trad Wives phenomenon, this novel will interest you. Set sometime soon in the future where all those parenting fads have become law this is the tale of one mother’s journey.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 - 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (4.5)𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚 𝐋𝐢𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐭. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 - 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡, 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐲 𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞,𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐠𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠.I really invested into this book. As a mother myself it really opens up the struggles and mistakes we make as struggling mothers but this book puts punishment of that into the unthinkable!I felt sympathy and a range of emotions for the main characters in this story. Some areas of the book were challenging to read but I had to continue the journey of Frida to find out the end result!“𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝.”This book is a mothers worst nightmare all in one. This book was sharp and anxiety-provoking. It had me frustrated, angry and upset all mixed together!I loved that this book went straight into the story. It was very catching from the beginning. I didn’t find this book a slow burner, it flowed and fitted well throughout.

llego hiper maltratado, roto de la portada y las últimas páginas dobladas

Story was very good read, but upsetting to think this could really happen.

I read this book from start to finish in one sitting. Once I’d read the first chapter I was unable to put it down. The series of events that leads this mother to be separated from her daughter Harriet, an 18 month old toddler, the punishment in which she is ordered to endure by the authorities in order to ever see her baby again is absolutely devastating and several times it was beyond difficult to finish reading what she was enduring let alone process it. This is an extremely eye opening experience that certainly deserves to be shared and appreciated as one can undoubtedly determine the outrageous boundaries from which authorities have no regard for, that circumstances are not all the same nor are choices or situations from which others choose from. Individual rights and responsibilities must be taken into consideration when assessing a mothers rights to raising her child and I’ve always been wholeheartedly supportive with the mothers having the custodial time and rights but the courts aren’t always fair in their decisions or handling individual cases such as ensuring these mothers have access to all resources necessary to support their child and themselves while raising them without the financial resources needed and the financial resources they had once available to them when together with the other parent. If her finances are halved or altogether taken away it makes a very stressed and impossibly impoverishing lifestyle and hardships that are compounded by the stress of raising children to her very best ability it is impossible to parent at best levels when extremely stressed beyond belief with financial difficulties or perhaps she is unable to find work having given her whole life to raising children and keeping household responsibilities strictly to her own responsibilities relieving the male of any external factors or pressures enabling him to be focused on only his job career and successes within his career awarding him financial compensation and stability as well as excellent credit and years of experience and participation in career development. She is not currently able to find a job that compensates her equally nor does she have the years of experience because she sacrificed everything for his betterment and her children’s lives by being at home. When the males leave I think it’s deplorable they should be considered for any kind of custodial rights until children are in teens and during academic year no sleeping outside their mothers home nor on weekends until they’ve reached high school levels. All the more, she and her children should be given the same financial compensation that they’ve always been used to and that this man can absolutely afford. Moreover, she should be given promise that he will use visitation while she’s on trainings or in school to ensure she has a career and the opportunities that her husband had solely due to her sacrifice and enabled him to work while she handled all household matters. This is one of these cases in which the male leaves her so extremely ill equipped to find substantial work, financial compensation or even the time the child care and the support system in which he received from her while he was beginning his own career in job force. He wasn’t emotionally or mentally concerned stressed or worried and distracted by raising his newborn, a toddler or any children. He didn’t need to remember or make the doctor dental and all other appointments that are necessary and required by the authorities for children to attend. This was a mother who prior to her husband leaving she had been an exemplary mother and caregiver. Had it not been the case, why 18 months later did this man wait to speak up? Perhaps she made an extremely poor choice yet why hadn’t he been held accountable for being checked out prior to this? Why not order him to provide more financially? To ensure her strength is on children not stressing about finances or shelter or job security? This book will make your heart hurt and your brain philosophize.

Couldn’t even continue reading it . Horrible way to describe motherhood

Very disturbing and difficult read. How one mistake can change so many lives. I still can't help but judge the main character, she is very flawed but does she deserves what happens to her?