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楔泻芯谢邪 褨写械邪谢褜薪懈褏 屑邪褌械褉褨胁
袣芯谢懈褋褜 肖褉褨写邪 屑邪谢邪 胁褋械, 褖芯 褩泄 斜褍谢芯 锌芯褌褉褨斜薪芯 写谢褟 褖邪褋谢懈胁芯谐芯 卸懈褌褌褟. 袗谢械 褉邪锌褌芯屑 褍褋械 锌褨褕谢芯 褕泻械褉械斜械褉褌褜: 褔械褉械蟹 褌褉懈 屑褨褋褟褑褨 锌褨褋谢褟 薪邪褉芯写卸械薪薪褟 写芯薪褜泻懈 褔芯谢芯胁褨泻 锌芯泻懈薪褍胁 肖褉褨写褍 蟹邪褉邪写懈 屑芯谢芯写芯褩 泻芯褏邪薪泻懈, 邪 褔械褉械蟹 褋锌褨谢褜薪褍 芯锌褨泻褍 卸褨薪泻邪 屑褍褋懈谢邪 褉芯蟹褉懈胁邪褌懈褋褟 屑褨卸 锌芯褌褉械斜芯褞 蟹邪褉芯斜谢褟褌懈 泄 锌褨泻谢褍胁邪褌懈褋褟 锌褉芯 谢褞斜褍 袚邪褉褉褨褦褌. 袨写薪芯谐芯 写薪褟 卸褨薪泻邪 蟹邪谢懈褕邪褦 写芯薪褜泻褍 胁写芯屑邪, 邪 褋邪屑邪 褩写械 写芯 芯褎褨褋褍: 褌褍写懈 泄 薪邪蟹邪写. 校褌褨屑 写芯写芯屑褍 薪械 锌芯胁械褉褌邪褦褌褜褋褟 鈥� 芯褎褨褑械褉 锌芯谢褨褑褨褩 胁懈屑邪谐邪褦 薪械谐邪泄薪芯 锌褉懈斜褍褌懈 褍 胁褨写写褨谢芯泻, 斜芯 袚邪褉褉褨褦褌 褌邪屑. 袙褨写褌邪泻 薪械写斜邪谢褍 屑邪褌褨褉, 褟泻邪 蟹邪谢懈褕懈谢邪 写芯薪褜泻褍 斜械蟹 薪邪谐谢褟写褍, 褌懈屑褔邪褋芯胁芯 锌芯蟹斜邪胁谢褟褞褌褜 屑邪褌械褉懈薪褋褜泻懈褏 锌褉邪胁 褨 胁褨写锌褉邪胁谢褟褞褌褜 薪邪 锌械褉械胁懈褏芯胁邪薪薪褟 写芯 褕泻芯谢懈 褨写械邪谢褜薪懈褏 屑邪褌械褉褨胁.
笑械 褉邪蟹褞褔懈泄 褉芯屑邪薪 锌褉芯 屑邪褌械褉懈薪褋褌胁芯, 芦写芯褋泻芯薪邪谢械禄 胁懈褏芯胁邪薪薪褟, 写械褉卸邪胁薪褍 斜褞褉芯泻褉邪褌褨褞 褨 褋褍褋锌褨谢褜薪懈泄 褌懈褋泻, 邪 褖械 锌褉芯 褋懈谢褍 斜械蟹屑械卸薪芯褩 屑邪褌械褉懈薪褋褜泻芯褩 谢褞斜芯胁褨.
笑械 褉邪蟹褞褔懈泄 褉芯屑邪薪 锌褉芯 屑邪褌械褉懈薪褋褌胁芯, 芦写芯褋泻芯薪邪谢械禄 胁懈褏芯胁邪薪薪褟, 写械褉卸邪胁薪褍 斜褞褉芯泻褉邪褌褨褞 褨 褋褍褋锌褨谢褜薪懈泄 褌懈褋泻, 邪 褖械 锌褉芯 褋懈谢褍 斜械蟹屑械卸薪芯褩 屑邪褌械褉懈薪褋褜泻芯褩 谢褞斜芯胁褨.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 4, 2022
8821 people are currently reading
190914 people want to read
About the author
Jessamine Chan
1听book1,279听followersJessamine Chan鈥檚 short stories have appeared in Tin House and Epoch. A former reviews editor at Publishers Weekly, she holds an MFA from Columbia University and a BA from Brown University. Her work has received support from the Elizabeth George Foundation, the Bread Loaf Writers鈥� Conference, the Wurlitzer Foundation, Jentel, the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center, the Anderson Center, VCCA, and Ragdale. She lives in Chicago with her husband and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 16,690 reviews
January 21, 2024
Female dystopian that doesn鈥檛 hold up against the competition
Frida Liu has a very bad parenting day resulting in The State sentencing her to a one-year school to become a better mother. What will the school be like and will Frida be reunited with her daughter?
The School for Good Mothers is Jessamine Chan鈥檚 debut novel, and it was a solid first draft in a very competitive subgenre. This book is intended to be an updated The Handmaid鈥檚 Tale; however, The Handmaid鈥檚 Tale it is not. Most important: the storytelling was off in The School for Good Mothers. The program was one-year long, and it felt like I was reading this book for one year. What happened to chapters with cliff-hanger endings? The prose was like reading a newspaper article, fact-driven, flat, unemotional. However, facts alone don鈥檛 usually make great books. The emotions need to be stirred, and there needs to be some excitement/action, but this book wasn鈥檛 written that way. If I was the editor, I would start with the last two chapters and write something like, 鈥淚f only Gust could have kept it in his pants鈥︹€� then shifted to a flashback. Then, I would flash back to the end of the book with 鈥淢s. Liu. Ms. Liu. Your case is being called.鈥� Each character鈥檚 testimony should have been presented with more flashbacks.
Ms. Chan, this book review brings to mind a quote by Theodore Roosevelt: 鈥淚t is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again鈥ho at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.鈥� In this instance, I am the critic in the cheap seats, but I hope that this review isn鈥檛 seen as a mean barb but an encouragement, an encouragement to shake off the dust and sweat and blood, to pick up your lance and shield once again and continue your journey, because there is a story worthy of telling in this book.
Overall, The School for Good Mothers had good content and messaging buried within the text, but the format didn鈥檛 work and is in need of some heavy editing and rewrites.
*Thanks, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.
2024 Reading Schedule
Jan Middlemarch
Feb The Grapes of Wrath
Mar Oliver Twist
Apr Madame Bovary
May A Clockwork Orange
Jun Possession
Jul The Folk of the Faraway Tree Collection
Aug Crime and Punishment
Sep Heart of Darkness
Oct Moby-Dick
Nov Far From the Madding Crowd
Dec A Tale of Two Cities
Connect With Me!
Frida Liu has a very bad parenting day resulting in The State sentencing her to a one-year school to become a better mother. What will the school be like and will Frida be reunited with her daughter?
The School for Good Mothers is Jessamine Chan鈥檚 debut novel, and it was a solid first draft in a very competitive subgenre. This book is intended to be an updated The Handmaid鈥檚 Tale; however, The Handmaid鈥檚 Tale it is not. Most important: the storytelling was off in The School for Good Mothers. The program was one-year long, and it felt like I was reading this book for one year. What happened to chapters with cliff-hanger endings? The prose was like reading a newspaper article, fact-driven, flat, unemotional. However, facts alone don鈥檛 usually make great books. The emotions need to be stirred, and there needs to be some excitement/action, but this book wasn鈥檛 written that way. If I was the editor, I would start with the last two chapters and write something like, 鈥淚f only Gust could have kept it in his pants鈥︹€� then shifted to a flashback. Then, I would flash back to the end of the book with 鈥淢s. Liu. Ms. Liu. Your case is being called.鈥� Each character鈥檚 testimony should have been presented with more flashbacks.
Ms. Chan, this book review brings to mind a quote by Theodore Roosevelt: 鈥淚t is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again鈥ho at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.鈥� In this instance, I am the critic in the cheap seats, but I hope that this review isn鈥檛 seen as a mean barb but an encouragement, an encouragement to shake off the dust and sweat and blood, to pick up your lance and shield once again and continue your journey, because there is a story worthy of telling in this book.
Overall, The School for Good Mothers had good content and messaging buried within the text, but the format didn鈥檛 work and is in need of some heavy editing and rewrites.
*Thanks, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.
2024 Reading Schedule
Jan Middlemarch
Feb The Grapes of Wrath
Mar Oliver Twist
Apr Madame Bovary
May A Clockwork Orange
Jun Possession
Jul The Folk of the Faraway Tree Collection
Aug Crime and Punishment
Sep Heart of Darkness
Oct Moby-Dick
Nov Far From the Madding Crowd
Dec A Tale of Two Cities
Connect With Me!
March 27, 2022
Loved the premise for this book and immediately felt sympathy for the main character and her struggles as a mother. Though this dystopian school is exaggerated, it exemplifies the way motherhood is scrutinized and dehumanized. You are expected to be 100% perfect all the time or be seen as a terrible human being, thus you have to give up everything and let your whole life revolve around your child. There鈥檚 also some brief, interesting points the book makes with the main character鈥檚 upbringing and the way immigrant parenting styles can be viewed as cold/unfeeling VS the way parenthood 鈥渟hould鈥� be 鈥� I would鈥檝e liked to see this explored further to give a deeper layer to the story, but felt like we only touched the surface. The execution of the book ended up being quite repetitive and didn鈥檛 move the story further, so it felt like there were some missed opportunities for more plot threads, relationship developments, twists, etc.
May 11, 2023
Hurray! Happy book birthday to my 900th review on NG!
Welcome to dystopian new world which turned into worst nightmares of mothers where their children are taken to the reform schools as their motherhood skills are scrutinized by being put under microscope of government. Any wrongdoings, misbehaves, faults are punished by not being able to see your child for a long time!
The story is centered on Frida, whose worst day results with her child鈥檚 taken by reform school. She鈥檚 cheated by her husband and replaced by younger and more attractive version of herself. Being a single mother and handling everything on your own are already stressful enough to handle while she鈥檚 taking care of her daughter. She鈥檚 suffering from sleep deprivation, working too much, exhausted, impatient, lost, sad, depressed.
At her worst day, she makes a big mistake by leaving her toddler all alone for two hours which is reported by her neighbors to the authorities and the very same day she loses her child.
The book focuses on struggle of Frida who tries so hard to prove she was not a bad mother, she just made a mistake when she dealt with her sh*ttiest day.
We learn more about Frida: Her lack of self esteem, her way of dealing with her family and Chinese inheritance, her desires, her postponed dreams, her confusion. But she still loves and cares her daughter so much, doing everything in her power to be good parent for her.
We witness the harsh, strict rules of the reform school: counseling sessions, talking circles, parenting classes. And if she doesn鈥檛 get good scores, she never get a chance to talk to her daughter. She already struggles from limited rights and supervised visitations but the school system is so compelling to create flawless, perfect mothers which is impossible and unrealistic task because humans have tendencies to make mistakes and learn from them. So it seems like a no win situation.
Overall: this is thought provoking, intense and impressively disturbing reading! Frida鈥檚 character and struggles to become a better mother are so easy to empathize. I had a few breaks during my reading and let my mind absorb and think through the situations described in this story! It鈥檚 definitely tense and absolutely provocative!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Simon& Schuster for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
Welcome to dystopian new world which turned into worst nightmares of mothers where their children are taken to the reform schools as their motherhood skills are scrutinized by being put under microscope of government. Any wrongdoings, misbehaves, faults are punished by not being able to see your child for a long time!
The story is centered on Frida, whose worst day results with her child鈥檚 taken by reform school. She鈥檚 cheated by her husband and replaced by younger and more attractive version of herself. Being a single mother and handling everything on your own are already stressful enough to handle while she鈥檚 taking care of her daughter. She鈥檚 suffering from sleep deprivation, working too much, exhausted, impatient, lost, sad, depressed.
At her worst day, she makes a big mistake by leaving her toddler all alone for two hours which is reported by her neighbors to the authorities and the very same day she loses her child.
The book focuses on struggle of Frida who tries so hard to prove she was not a bad mother, she just made a mistake when she dealt with her sh*ttiest day.
We learn more about Frida: Her lack of self esteem, her way of dealing with her family and Chinese inheritance, her desires, her postponed dreams, her confusion. But she still loves and cares her daughter so much, doing everything in her power to be good parent for her.
We witness the harsh, strict rules of the reform school: counseling sessions, talking circles, parenting classes. And if she doesn鈥檛 get good scores, she never get a chance to talk to her daughter. She already struggles from limited rights and supervised visitations but the school system is so compelling to create flawless, perfect mothers which is impossible and unrealistic task because humans have tendencies to make mistakes and learn from them. So it seems like a no win situation.
Overall: this is thought provoking, intense and impressively disturbing reading! Frida鈥檚 character and struggles to become a better mother are so easy to empathize. I had a few breaks during my reading and let my mind absorb and think through the situations described in this story! It鈥檚 definitely tense and absolutely provocative!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Simon& Schuster for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
March 23, 2023
鈥淭he School for Good Mothers鈥� is a dystopian look at the government鈥檚 far reach into child welfare and social services. This story kept me enraged; it鈥檚 a cautionary tale in allowing over-zealous government control.
Frida Liu is an exhausted 39-year-old single mother of an 18-month-old daughter at the start of the novel. Her husband left her while she was pregnant; he took up with an independently wealthy 28-year-old Pilates instructor. Frida had a very bad day. After many nights of insomnia and no support, Frida left her young daughter alone in her apartment for two hours when she went to get a coffee and pick up work papers. She lost track of time, expecting to be gone 30 minutes or less. A do-gooder neighbor reports her, correctly, and she becomes a part of a new governmental system where parents who had parenting infractions are sent to a newly minted rehab school for the training of good parents.
Frida was wrong to leave her daughter alone. Author Molly Young examines the penalty befitting of the crime. Frida was one of the worst offenders who are sent to the facility. Some of the other 鈥渃rimes鈥� evoked anger in me. One mother allowed her child to play alone outside in her gated backyard. One father looked at his phone the second his son fell from a tree. A mother got sent because she allowed her 8-year-old son to walk 4 blocks alone from school. These violations sent parents to a year-long rehab school.
At the school the parents are provided dolls that realistically look like their child. They smell of plastic and require a blue goo to function. The parents are to practice parenting with their dolls. The program is set with unrealistic goals, supervised by women who most likely have never parented a human. One has dogs and thinks parenting animals is comparable to parenting children. Basically, the program is set up for failure. For example, Frida is disciplined for her 鈥渉ostile grip鈥� of a knife as she was cutting up grapes. When Frida is allowed to facetime her daughter, she must stick to a script, only saying 鈥淚 love you鈥� once; otherwise it鈥檚 excessive mothering and manipulation. In fact, there is no way to successfully accomplish the program.
The injustice of the system brings to light society鈥檚 judgements on parenting. I found the story to be terrifying in that I could see how it could happen. Everyone has an opinion, and if this virus has taught us anything, it鈥檚 that we have allowed 鈥渄o-gooders鈥� to be self-appointed sheriffs and tell you how they feel you should be behaving (maskers versus anti-maskers; social distance police versus joyful family reunions鈥�.etc).
Yes, we need social services because children are being neglected and abused. But one鈥檚 definition of neglect differs. This is a true cautionary tale in humanity.
This novel will stay with me for a very long time. Chan exposes our society鈥檚 irrational judgements on parenting.
Frida Liu is an exhausted 39-year-old single mother of an 18-month-old daughter at the start of the novel. Her husband left her while she was pregnant; he took up with an independently wealthy 28-year-old Pilates instructor. Frida had a very bad day. After many nights of insomnia and no support, Frida left her young daughter alone in her apartment for two hours when she went to get a coffee and pick up work papers. She lost track of time, expecting to be gone 30 minutes or less. A do-gooder neighbor reports her, correctly, and she becomes a part of a new governmental system where parents who had parenting infractions are sent to a newly minted rehab school for the training of good parents.
Frida was wrong to leave her daughter alone. Author Molly Young examines the penalty befitting of the crime. Frida was one of the worst offenders who are sent to the facility. Some of the other 鈥渃rimes鈥� evoked anger in me. One mother allowed her child to play alone outside in her gated backyard. One father looked at his phone the second his son fell from a tree. A mother got sent because she allowed her 8-year-old son to walk 4 blocks alone from school. These violations sent parents to a year-long rehab school.
At the school the parents are provided dolls that realistically look like their child. They smell of plastic and require a blue goo to function. The parents are to practice parenting with their dolls. The program is set with unrealistic goals, supervised by women who most likely have never parented a human. One has dogs and thinks parenting animals is comparable to parenting children. Basically, the program is set up for failure. For example, Frida is disciplined for her 鈥渉ostile grip鈥� of a knife as she was cutting up grapes. When Frida is allowed to facetime her daughter, she must stick to a script, only saying 鈥淚 love you鈥� once; otherwise it鈥檚 excessive mothering and manipulation. In fact, there is no way to successfully accomplish the program.
The injustice of the system brings to light society鈥檚 judgements on parenting. I found the story to be terrifying in that I could see how it could happen. Everyone has an opinion, and if this virus has taught us anything, it鈥檚 that we have allowed 鈥渄o-gooders鈥� to be self-appointed sheriffs and tell you how they feel you should be behaving (maskers versus anti-maskers; social distance police versus joyful family reunions鈥�.etc).
Yes, we need social services because children are being neglected and abused. But one鈥檚 definition of neglect differs. This is a true cautionary tale in humanity.
This novel will stay with me for a very long time. Chan exposes our society鈥檚 irrational judgements on parenting.
February 13, 2022
鈥淣ow, repeat after me: I am a bad mother, but I am learning to be good.鈥�Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me an ARC of The School for Good Mothers in exchange for an honest review.
The School for Good Mothers is the story of Frida, a 39-year-old mother of a toddler, Harriet. She struggles with co-parenting after her ex-husband ran off with his mistress. So, at the height of what she will relentlessly think of as her 鈥渧ery bad day,鈥� Frida leaves Harriet alone in an exersaucer in their home. For over two hours. While she goes to get coffee, and runs to the office. When she is somehow caught, Harriet is taken from her and Frida is ultimately sent by the government to the School for a year of re-education with other mothers and fathers.
My first problem with the story in The School for Good Mothers is that what Frida did was, objectively, wrong and dangerous. She could have asked for help or a break from her parents, or her ex, or just hired a babysitter. Frida is painted as an upper-middle class woman who had options that she simply rejected out of pride for appearances鈥� sake. While her punishment was absurd鈥攁 year in a school being trained how to hug and forced to repeat slogans like 鈥淚 am a bad mother, but I am learning to be good鈥濃€攊t was never clear to me that the author actually thought Frida had done something objectively wrong and worthy of some level of punishment.
The larger problem with The School for Good Mothers is that it is slow and rather repetitive, and that it tries to pack so much social commentary into the story that the forest gets lost for the trees. Is the book about the 鈥減erils of 鈥榩erfect鈥� upper-middle class parenting鈥�? Then why are most of the moms not upper-middle class? Is it about the self-judgement and judgement of others involved with parenting, how we often parent in response to how we were parented? Is it about the racism and sexism and general unfairness the author portrays as inherent in the American child protective service system? Then it probably would have been better to show us more of the outside world鈥攈ow these mostly but not exclusively brown and black mothers were selected for the School鈥攁nd make the story closer to real life than this weirdly regressive (鈥淸t]he kitchen is the center, and the mother the heart, of the home鈥�), Kafkaesque system of hopelessness that never feels very realistic. The whole book has an emotional flatness, and the story probably would have been more compelling if told as a first-person narrative.
The School for Good Mothers is an ambitious novel, describing itself as a 鈥減age-turner鈥� about ideas, and a 鈥渕odern literary classic.鈥� In constructing its titular school, you can see the book鈥檚 forerunners, from to to . Unfortunately, the story of this fascist mommy school is far too muddled to live up to its own lofty goals.
December 13, 2022
above all, i love a cool girl book.
but this one would have been cooler if it were shorter.
the concept itself is very harsh and real, but reading it for so long was painful (which is fine) but also somewhat redundant (less fine). it felt like it removed some of the power from it. it felt less thematically stunning for how much time we spent in this not-so-alternate world.
but maybe i'm just a short book stan.
bottom line: good! but i still love to complain.
but this one would have been cooler if it were shorter.
the concept itself is very harsh and real, but reading it for so long was painful (which is fine) but also somewhat redundant (less fine). it felt like it removed some of the power from it. it felt less thematically stunning for how much time we spent in this not-so-alternate world.
but maybe i'm just a short book stan.
bottom line: good! but i still love to complain.
June 4, 2022
Update 鈥� an apology:
I think it was fine for me to say I didn鈥檛 like this book. But I think it was really cruel of me to say 鈥渋t was a waste of time鈥濃€�.
Because it wasn鈥檛. I鈥檓 still thinking about a book that I dislike so it couldn鈥檛 be that big of a waste of time.
Reading other reviews and other points of views have been helpful.
And more importantly a statement like WASTE of TIME Is flipped, it鈥檚 harsh, judging other peoples time, judging my own time, and acting like I鈥檓 a waste and everybody else is a waste of the person who wrote the book is a waste of time 鈥�-
and that鈥檚 just absolutely not true. I am so wrong.
So I apologize.
I don鈥檛 plan to use those words again in any of my reviews.
Trying to grow up here a little bit! Lol
Old ( lazy) immediate emotional reaction when I finished the book)鈥�. not my most mature moments.
One of the worse books I鈥檝e read all year.
I should have trusted my initial gut.
When this book first came out 鈥攔idiculously over advertised 鈥�- I read about 20% and tossed it 鈥斺€�
But then recently- I saw ANOTHER 5 star from a friend鈥�
And I said to myself 鈥� okay 鈥� maybe I just need to commit to the book -to the END鈥�.
so I did.
A complete dystopian waste of time. NOT the type of
FICTION I like to read 鈥�-
No balance
Manipulated outlandish narrative
No redemption
No enjoyment
1.5 stars
I think it was fine for me to say I didn鈥檛 like this book. But I think it was really cruel of me to say 鈥渋t was a waste of time鈥濃€�.
Because it wasn鈥檛. I鈥檓 still thinking about a book that I dislike so it couldn鈥檛 be that big of a waste of time.
Reading other reviews and other points of views have been helpful.
And more importantly a statement like WASTE of TIME Is flipped, it鈥檚 harsh, judging other peoples time, judging my own time, and acting like I鈥檓 a waste and everybody else is a waste of the person who wrote the book is a waste of time 鈥�-
and that鈥檚 just absolutely not true. I am so wrong.
So I apologize.
I don鈥檛 plan to use those words again in any of my reviews.
Trying to grow up here a little bit! Lol
Old ( lazy) immediate emotional reaction when I finished the book)鈥�. not my most mature moments.
One of the worse books I鈥檝e read all year.
I should have trusted my initial gut.
When this book first came out 鈥攔idiculously over advertised 鈥�- I read about 20% and tossed it 鈥斺€�
But then recently- I saw ANOTHER 5 star from a friend鈥�
And I said to myself 鈥� okay 鈥� maybe I just need to commit to the book -to the END鈥�.
so I did.
A complete dystopian waste of time. NOT the type of
FICTION I like to read 鈥�-
No balance
Manipulated outlandish narrative
No redemption
No enjoyment
1.5 stars
October 28, 2021
Gutting and terrifying. Vivid and exquisite. I hate that this book isn鈥檛 out yet 鈥� I want to give it to everyone I know, make them all read it, and then talk about it together forever. There鈥檚 so much to say. What a sharp, anxiety-provoking, superb book. 鈥淯nputdownable鈥� is too faint praise. What a novel.
April 7, 2025
In Jessamine Chan鈥檚 gripping debut, The School for Good Mothers, one slip-up turns Frida Liu from mom to momitored, enrolled in a state-run reeducation program where every maternal instinct is under the microscope. It鈥檚 parenting by punishment, where Big Brother wears a baby monitor and even cutting grapes can raise red flags.
Frida is far from flawless, her life is mom-entarily crumbling. She鈥檚 caught between cultural pressure, a crumbling marriage, and the weight of modern motherhood. But where she shines is in her love for Harriet, her daughter, her raison d鈥檓on. When a single lapse, leaving Harriet home alone for a few hours, is seized by the system, Frida is thrown into a chilling institution designed to re-educate mothers on how to be 鈥済ood.鈥� Spoiler: the test is rigged.
Chan's satirical world feels terrifyingly plausible. The reform school is less of a parent trap and more of a psychological obstacle course, complete with eerily lifelike robotic dolls that require maintenance with blue goo and demand endless patience. Real love doesn鈥檛 compute in this dystopia, not unless it鈥檚 been logged, measured, and sanitized. Parenting becomes performance art, and Frida is punished for everything from knife technique to emotional expression. It's less about learning and more about surveillance cosplay.
The novel's strength lies in its slow-burn horror, not gore, but gut-wrench. Readers are pulled into Frida鈥檚 emotional spiral, watching as the system breaks her down, pixel by pixel. The script she鈥檚 required to follow during video calls with Harriet, including being allowed to say 鈥淚 love you鈥� only once, is soul-crushing. It's mom-umentally cruel.
While the book occasionally stalls in its pacing, some passages linger a bit long without much plot movement, the emotional weight never truly lets up. Chan's language is sharp, her insights scalpel deep. This story cuts to the core of maternal identity, societal expectation, and state control.
In short, The School for Good Mothers is a cautionary tale that puts the 鈥渕om鈥� in 鈥渕onitored,鈥� poking holes in the illusion of perfect parenting and laying bare the absurdities of a system that punishes women for being human.
Rating: 馃嵓 馃嵓 馃嵓 馃嵓 out of 5 baby bottles for a haunting, thought-provoking read that stumbles in pacing but delivers a powerful punch to the gut. Perfect for readers who like their dystopias maternal, emotional, and devastatingly real.
Frida is far from flawless, her life is mom-entarily crumbling. She鈥檚 caught between cultural pressure, a crumbling marriage, and the weight of modern motherhood. But where she shines is in her love for Harriet, her daughter, her raison d鈥檓on. When a single lapse, leaving Harriet home alone for a few hours, is seized by the system, Frida is thrown into a chilling institution designed to re-educate mothers on how to be 鈥済ood.鈥� Spoiler: the test is rigged.
Chan's satirical world feels terrifyingly plausible. The reform school is less of a parent trap and more of a psychological obstacle course, complete with eerily lifelike robotic dolls that require maintenance with blue goo and demand endless patience. Real love doesn鈥檛 compute in this dystopia, not unless it鈥檚 been logged, measured, and sanitized. Parenting becomes performance art, and Frida is punished for everything from knife technique to emotional expression. It's less about learning and more about surveillance cosplay.
The novel's strength lies in its slow-burn horror, not gore, but gut-wrench. Readers are pulled into Frida鈥檚 emotional spiral, watching as the system breaks her down, pixel by pixel. The script she鈥檚 required to follow during video calls with Harriet, including being allowed to say 鈥淚 love you鈥� only once, is soul-crushing. It's mom-umentally cruel.
While the book occasionally stalls in its pacing, some passages linger a bit long without much plot movement, the emotional weight never truly lets up. Chan's language is sharp, her insights scalpel deep. This story cuts to the core of maternal identity, societal expectation, and state control.
In short, The School for Good Mothers is a cautionary tale that puts the 鈥渕om鈥� in 鈥渕onitored,鈥� poking holes in the illusion of perfect parenting and laying bare the absurdities of a system that punishes women for being human.
Rating: 馃嵓 馃嵓 馃嵓 馃嵓 out of 5 baby bottles for a haunting, thought-provoking read that stumbles in pacing but delivers a powerful punch to the gut. Perfect for readers who like their dystopias maternal, emotional, and devastatingly real.
dnf
February 2, 2022
I鈥檓 sorry guys鈥擨鈥檓 bailing out!!
I only got about a third of the way through, but I don鈥檛 think this is the ~vibe~ for me right now. Clearly I鈥檓 not going to be a great resource for why you should or should not read this but some of the feedback from my book club chat was鈥斺€渞epetitive in the middle鈥�, 鈥渟tressful & boring鈥� and just kind of鈥︹€ don鈥檛 know, weird?
There鈥檚 for sure some interesting concepts here, with commentary on the surveillance state, racism, sexism, authoritarianism, etc., so I wouldn鈥檛 completely write it off. But I would definitely exercise caution and maybe read a few *actual* reviews before going in.
*Thanks to Simon & Schuster for an advance review copy!
**For more book talk & reviews, !
January 23, 2022
After leaving her toddler daughter alone for two hours, Frida Liu is deemed to be a bad mother. The court has started a new program for parents that need to be "fixed". Frida along with almost 200 other women are sent to the program to learn how to be a proper mother. She has to complete the program or face losing her child. She has to attend the dumbest classes I have heard of to learn how to properly speak, bathe, care, and feed her child. Frida also has to learn to coexist with other women and all the drama that comes with it.
So let's talk about the fact there are near living dolls in this book, and I will have many nightmares about it for months to come. This would have been a 4-star book, but I hated the main character. Her husband cheats on her then leaves her with a newborn, does she get mad? Nope, she spends most of the time whining about it and wanting him back. Frida had ZERO spine. She just let everyone run all over her like a doormat. It seriously got ridiculous. I was expecting the dolls to revolt at some point, but my dreams were dashed.
So let's talk about the fact there are near living dolls in this book, and I will have many nightmares about it for months to come. This would have been a 4-star book, but I hated the main character. Her husband cheats on her then leaves her with a newborn, does she get mad? Nope, she spends most of the time whining about it and wanting him back. Frida had ZERO spine. She just let everyone run all over her like a doormat. It seriously got ridiculous. I was expecting the dolls to revolt at some point, but my dreams were dashed.
January 6, 2022
So much build up; so much promise. What a crying shame. This dystopian novel is conceptually strong, addressing the invasive nature of facial recognition software and government access to what should be private digital communication, but the execution is abysmal.
I received a review copy from Net Galley and Simon and Schuster.
Frida Liu is a new mother, and she鈥檚 got problems. She has severe postpartum depression, and she鈥檚 home alone with her baby, all day and all night, trying to work from home. She doesn鈥檛 want childcare; she wants to be with her daughter, Harriet, but she鈥檚 overwhelmed. The original plan was for her to be the stay-home mother, with her husband supporting the family, but at the same time Harriet was born, her husband fell for someone else.
One day鈥斺€渏ust one bad day鈥濃€攕he is summoned in to work. She could have brought Harriet with her, or she could have called a sitter, but instead, she leaps into the car, leaving the baby in her bouncy chair at home, all alone. She tells herself she will quickly drop off and pick up info, and then she鈥檒l zip back home, but instead, she allows herself to be caught up in reading and answering emails. Eventually, her phone rings. The caller tells her that her baby has been removed from her home by the police; neighbors were alarmed by the baby鈥檚 nonstop screams. Now, Harriet is going to live with her daddy and that woman, and there鈥檚 not much that Frida can do about it.
At the outset, I think this is a brave scenario for an author to choose. Leaving a baby under the age of two, which some would contend is the very worst age to leave a child unattended, is no small matter, and I am eager to see how Chan will play this. How will she keep me on Frida鈥檚 side in all of this?
Turns out she won鈥檛.
I have seldom seen a less sympathetic protagonist, and clearly, Chan doesn鈥檛 intend for Frida to be a villain. Yet in all of the puling, the whining, the self-pity, Frida鈥檚 prevailing concern isn鈥檛 for her child鈥檚 well-being, it鈥檚 for herself. She needs her baby. She wants her baby. She wants her baby to want her. And so it goes.
But wait, there鈥檚 more. The worst thing of all is that this eighteen-month-old baby is not accurately depicted developmentally. Discussions around the care of Harriet are premised on Harriet鈥檚 ability to understand abstract concepts that no child this age is capable of. At first, I anticipate that it鈥檚 only Frida that holds these expectations and that others鈥攈er ex, or the professionals within the child welfare system鈥攚ill set her straight, but no, they all buy into these assumptions as well. Then I wait to see if there is some aspect of this futuristic, dystopian world that renders children different from those in our real world today; nope! At one point, Harriet bites someone, and Frida tells her to 鈥渁pologize at once!鈥� This is a kid barely old enough to walk. Give me a fucking break!
The plot wanders and Frida wallows; at about the 30% mark I commence skimming. I read the last 25% carefully to be sure there鈥檚 no grand aha, no surprising event that causes all of this to make sense, or at least to mitigate it, but there鈥檚 no redemption to be found. Where are the editors? There are editors, right? How did this wasted trainwreck of a novel end up on Oprah and other prestigious lists and websites? I just don鈥檛 get it.
Not recommended.
I received a review copy from Net Galley and Simon and Schuster.
Frida Liu is a new mother, and she鈥檚 got problems. She has severe postpartum depression, and she鈥檚 home alone with her baby, all day and all night, trying to work from home. She doesn鈥檛 want childcare; she wants to be with her daughter, Harriet, but she鈥檚 overwhelmed. The original plan was for her to be the stay-home mother, with her husband supporting the family, but at the same time Harriet was born, her husband fell for someone else.
One day鈥斺€渏ust one bad day鈥濃€攕he is summoned in to work. She could have brought Harriet with her, or she could have called a sitter, but instead, she leaps into the car, leaving the baby in her bouncy chair at home, all alone. She tells herself she will quickly drop off and pick up info, and then she鈥檒l zip back home, but instead, she allows herself to be caught up in reading and answering emails. Eventually, her phone rings. The caller tells her that her baby has been removed from her home by the police; neighbors were alarmed by the baby鈥檚 nonstop screams. Now, Harriet is going to live with her daddy and that woman, and there鈥檚 not much that Frida can do about it.
At the outset, I think this is a brave scenario for an author to choose. Leaving a baby under the age of two, which some would contend is the very worst age to leave a child unattended, is no small matter, and I am eager to see how Chan will play this. How will she keep me on Frida鈥檚 side in all of this?
Turns out she won鈥檛.
I have seldom seen a less sympathetic protagonist, and clearly, Chan doesn鈥檛 intend for Frida to be a villain. Yet in all of the puling, the whining, the self-pity, Frida鈥檚 prevailing concern isn鈥檛 for her child鈥檚 well-being, it鈥檚 for herself. She needs her baby. She wants her baby. She wants her baby to want her. And so it goes.
But wait, there鈥檚 more. The worst thing of all is that this eighteen-month-old baby is not accurately depicted developmentally. Discussions around the care of Harriet are premised on Harriet鈥檚 ability to understand abstract concepts that no child this age is capable of. At first, I anticipate that it鈥檚 only Frida that holds these expectations and that others鈥攈er ex, or the professionals within the child welfare system鈥攚ill set her straight, but no, they all buy into these assumptions as well. Then I wait to see if there is some aspect of this futuristic, dystopian world that renders children different from those in our real world today; nope! At one point, Harriet bites someone, and Frida tells her to 鈥渁pologize at once!鈥� This is a kid barely old enough to walk. Give me a fucking break!
The plot wanders and Frida wallows; at about the 30% mark I commence skimming. I read the last 25% carefully to be sure there鈥檚 no grand aha, no surprising event that causes all of this to make sense, or at least to mitigate it, but there鈥檚 no redemption to be found. Where are the editors? There are editors, right? How did this wasted trainwreck of a novel end up on Oprah and other prestigious lists and websites? I just don鈥檛 get it.
Not recommended.
September 27, 2022
1.5猸愶笍
Wait. What? No.
I won't say it openly offended me but wow oh WOW did it attempt some serious damage.
This is a case of 'I get it. I live it everyday. You don't have to spoon feed me over exaggerated renditions of misogny and racism to get me to feel something'.
I don't disagree with anything the author was trying to say. But the way it was being said lacked nuance and appeal in my opinion. It was hyperbolic to the upmost degree. It was hard to follow along because the situations were so outlandish. I can get behind that in a lot of circumstances but this book wanted to act like it was realistic and predicting the future. I don't think so. I mean, maybe I'm wrong. I know that society puts an unrealistic and unfathomable expectation on mothers. But the stakes this book put forth were ridiculous to say the least.
I read the whole thing. And YES, I did cry at the end. But that doesn't mean the book is good. It means I was 2 margaritas in and looking for a dramatic movie moment.
Wait. What? No.
I won't say it openly offended me but wow oh WOW did it attempt some serious damage.
This is a case of 'I get it. I live it everyday. You don't have to spoon feed me over exaggerated renditions of misogny and racism to get me to feel something'.
I don't disagree with anything the author was trying to say. But the way it was being said lacked nuance and appeal in my opinion. It was hyperbolic to the upmost degree. It was hard to follow along because the situations were so outlandish. I can get behind that in a lot of circumstances but this book wanted to act like it was realistic and predicting the future. I don't think so. I mean, maybe I'm wrong. I know that society puts an unrealistic and unfathomable expectation on mothers. But the stakes this book put forth were ridiculous to say the least.
I read the whole thing. And YES, I did cry at the end. But that doesn't mean the book is good. It means I was 2 margaritas in and looking for a dramatic movie moment.
February 17, 2022
I was really excited to read this book and had super high hopes going in. It sounded intriguing. The book started off super interesting and then it just got too dark and creepy for me. The surveillance cameras to watch Frida in her home and then the school was just too over the top extreme for me. It was hard to read, especially I think being a mother myself. I was satisfied with the ending however, I had to push myself to finish the book to get there. This one was just not for me.
This book will be published January 4, 2022.
Thank you Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.
This book will be published January 4, 2022.
Thank you Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.
December 28, 2021
I am struggling with how to review this one because the writing and the premise of this book are good, but I didn't enjoy it? I don't know, just hear me out! I was really excited to read Jessamine Chan's debut dystopian novel,
The School for Good Mothers
because I was hearing that it had Handmaid's Tale vibes. In today's current political climate, these types of books are great self reflections on how we need to keep in mind what is happening in our society.
When Frida Liu leaves her daughter Harriet home while running to work, she is contacted by Child Protective Services. Frida is now at the mercy of the government after her daughter was reported to the agency due to Frida's apparent "neglect and abandonment." After being deemed unfit, Frida is being watched by the government, and soon after is enlisted into a program for mothers who need to be taught how to become better mothers. Will Frida live up to the test?
The book sounds really good, right? Well, sadly this book is extremely repetitive and slow, with only the insight from Frida, rather than any world building to how the government has become this authoritative. This book may be dystopian, but it really sounded more of a book about divorced parents. I didn't really resonate with where the book was trying to go. I wish we had more of a bird's eye view of how society was handling this type of controlled government behavior.
However, I did enjoy the social commentary about being Chinese American in Philadelphia and the struggles Frida had with her ex-husband Gust. Frida is a very strong protagonist and I felt for her throughout the book. The School for Good Mothers is dark and emotional, sad and provoking, and most importantly, ended very powerfully. The final chapters really saved this book from being a 2 star read into a 3 star read.
When Frida Liu leaves her daughter Harriet home while running to work, she is contacted by Child Protective Services. Frida is now at the mercy of the government after her daughter was reported to the agency due to Frida's apparent "neglect and abandonment." After being deemed unfit, Frida is being watched by the government, and soon after is enlisted into a program for mothers who need to be taught how to become better mothers. Will Frida live up to the test?
The book sounds really good, right? Well, sadly this book is extremely repetitive and slow, with only the insight from Frida, rather than any world building to how the government has become this authoritative. This book may be dystopian, but it really sounded more of a book about divorced parents. I didn't really resonate with where the book was trying to go. I wish we had more of a bird's eye view of how society was handling this type of controlled government behavior.
However, I did enjoy the social commentary about being Chinese American in Philadelphia and the struggles Frida had with her ex-husband Gust. Frida is a very strong protagonist and I felt for her throughout the book. The School for Good Mothers is dark and emotional, sad and provoking, and most importantly, ended very powerfully. The final chapters really saved this book from being a 2 star read into a 3 star read.
October 10, 2023
Jessamine Chan's disturbing, dystopian novel, , focuses on mother shaming. Frida, a young mother, has what she refers to as a bad day and leaves her daughter, Harriet, in an exercise saucer for two and a half hours while Frida goes out for coffee and to work.
In the state-controlled society, neighbors, friends, and family turn in "bad mothers" who are then sent to prison under the guise of being a school to learn to be a good mother. While imprisoned, the mothers are given dolls that are creepier than anything I have read in horror stories. These dolls emulate children of all ages and also measure the number and types of hugs they receive from the mothers. Lots of data and surveillance are done on the mothers as well as training about kidnappings, pedophiles, stranger danger, car accidents, etc.
I have also been reading and it discussed the criticism Barbara Walters received about being a mother while having a successful career. The word opprobrium was used and I wasn't familiar with it. It means harsh criticism. The point was made that men are rarely referred to as bad fathers while they aggressively pursue their careers but women are expected to reduce or eliminate their career aspirations when they have children.
Dystopian novels are often disturbing because they reflect some realities that are often rationalized or ignored. is not a light read. It is a gut-punching, thought provoking, haunting novel.
In the state-controlled society, neighbors, friends, and family turn in "bad mothers" who are then sent to prison under the guise of being a school to learn to be a good mother. While imprisoned, the mothers are given dolls that are creepier than anything I have read in horror stories. These dolls emulate children of all ages and also measure the number and types of hugs they receive from the mothers. Lots of data and surveillance are done on the mothers as well as training about kidnappings, pedophiles, stranger danger, car accidents, etc.
I have also been reading and it discussed the criticism Barbara Walters received about being a mother while having a successful career. The word opprobrium was used and I wasn't familiar with it. It means harsh criticism. The point was made that men are rarely referred to as bad fathers while they aggressively pursue their careers but women are expected to reduce or eliminate their career aspirations when they have children.
Dystopian novels are often disturbing because they reflect some realities that are often rationalized or ignored. is not a light read. It is a gut-punching, thought provoking, haunting novel.
April 25, 2021
I appreciate the questions and concerns that the author raises about modern day parenting, but the execution is so over the top ridiculous that I can鈥檛 even finish it.
September 15, 2022
Knackered mother neglects toddler daughter, gets sent to reform at institution with living dolls and unattainable expectations. Not a cheerful book.
April 21, 2023
The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan is a Dystopian and Literary Fiction Story!
Thirty-six-year-old, single mom, Frida Liu is an emotional mess!
Frida's husband has left her for another woman, she's lonely, sleep deprived, and feels the pressure of having a career that doesn't measure up to the sacrifices made by her Chinese immigrant parents.
The only shining light in her life is her 18-month-old daughter, Harriet. Despite her immense love for her child, Frida makes a very poor decision.
The state keeps an eye out for mothers like Frida who exhibit behaviors of child neglect. Now after one mistake they'll be judging Frida to determine if she'll be a candidate for the authoritative institution that measures her ability to be a devoted mother.
Within the clutches of the state, Frida must prove that a bad mother can learn to be good. Failure to measure up may mean losing her beloved Harriet...
The School for Good Mothers is a story about the lack of compassion within family social services concerning women, children, and mental health. The author uses a creative premise layered with twists and extremes of the dystopian genre, yet it feels believably, dangerously, and uncomfortably close to today's society.
The main character of Frida is impeccably developed, however, other characters feel either temporary, not totally present, or one dimensional. For me, Frida is enough!
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Catherine Ho whose gender voicing and voice for the main character, Frida, is almost perfect.
The School for Good Mothers is a complicated, emotional, and heart-wrenching story where no one comes out unscathed and it's a punch to the gut type of read. If you decide to read it, I recommend you go in as blind as possible for ultimate enjoyment!
3.75猸恟ounded up!
Thirty-six-year-old, single mom, Frida Liu is an emotional mess!
Frida's husband has left her for another woman, she's lonely, sleep deprived, and feels the pressure of having a career that doesn't measure up to the sacrifices made by her Chinese immigrant parents.
The only shining light in her life is her 18-month-old daughter, Harriet. Despite her immense love for her child, Frida makes a very poor decision.
The state keeps an eye out for mothers like Frida who exhibit behaviors of child neglect. Now after one mistake they'll be judging Frida to determine if she'll be a candidate for the authoritative institution that measures her ability to be a devoted mother.
Within the clutches of the state, Frida must prove that a bad mother can learn to be good. Failure to measure up may mean losing her beloved Harriet...
The School for Good Mothers is a story about the lack of compassion within family social services concerning women, children, and mental health. The author uses a creative premise layered with twists and extremes of the dystopian genre, yet it feels believably, dangerously, and uncomfortably close to today's society.
The main character of Frida is impeccably developed, however, other characters feel either temporary, not totally present, or one dimensional. For me, Frida is enough!
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Catherine Ho whose gender voicing and voice for the main character, Frida, is almost perfect.
The School for Good Mothers is a complicated, emotional, and heart-wrenching story where no one comes out unscathed and it's a punch to the gut type of read. If you decide to read it, I recommend you go in as blind as possible for ultimate enjoyment!
3.75猸恟ounded up!
April 29, 2022
At first, I didn't know where this was going. It was like The Handmaid's Tale in some ways. A future in the United States in which women and men who have been negligent or abusive to their children are taken away to an institution that teaches them how to be a "good" parent is the main aspect of this world. I can see that this could be become an actual reality. The world Jessamine Chan has her characters inhabit is our world, but with this added vicious treatment of "bad" mothers and fathers.
It is a reform school for them both, but the bad mothers are treated much more harshly. The misogyny of our current world is magnified and expanded on. The belief itself is unsustainable and out of reach for most women, that they can be perfect mothers. Mothers who never think of anything else, except their child. The main character is an Asian American woman named Frieda Liu. What she did is awful. She left her little daughter, Harriet, alone for more than two hours in a walker. She left the house, got a coffee, and retrieved some papers from work. It was at the end of a horrendous weekend and she was on edge and distracted. That is no excuse. She did a terrible thing, but the punishment does not fit the crime.
One of her neighbors reported the toddler crying and the police came. Frieda is ashamed and despondent. She hates what she did and wants to atone for it and make it up to her daughter, but what they put her through is unfathomable. My heart ached for her and the tears came later, as I realized after a year in this torture chamber, that she would not receive Harriet back.
It is a reform school for them both, but the bad mothers are treated much more harshly. The misogyny of our current world is magnified and expanded on. The belief itself is unsustainable and out of reach for most women, that they can be perfect mothers. Mothers who never think of anything else, except their child. The main character is an Asian American woman named Frieda Liu. What she did is awful. She left her little daughter, Harriet, alone for more than two hours in a walker. She left the house, got a coffee, and retrieved some papers from work. It was at the end of a horrendous weekend and she was on edge and distracted. That is no excuse. She did a terrible thing, but the punishment does not fit the crime.
One of her neighbors reported the toddler crying and the police came. Frieda is ashamed and despondent. She hates what she did and wants to atone for it and make it up to her daughter, but what they put her through is unfathomable. My heart ached for her and the tears came later, as I realized after a year in this torture chamber, that she would not receive Harriet back.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2021
I'm so sorry I finished this book. I almost gave up at about 25%, then again at 50%, then decided that there must be something I was missing so I plodded along. (Shakes head!!)
Some critics have compared it to Handmaid's Tale, and the premise is (unfortunately) more plausible in the short run and has the same chilling effect as Atwood's novel. The similarity stops there. Frida had a very bad day and did the unthinkable. She left her 16 month old daughter along while Frida left the house for a couple of hours. Neighbors reported the cries, Hannah was taken away, and Frida was sent to a recently developed retraining facility designed to turn "bad mothers" into "good mothers". Frida's classes include how to speak motherese, how to instill empathy, how to defend against pedophiles, how to protect a child from danger, and much more. The mothers are given android children on which to practice their skills. Fascinating, right?
However, the narrative is too focused on the minutia of classes and daily life and too focused on Frida's infinite amount of whining. Yes, she's lost her child. Yes, her husband has found happiness with another woman. Yes, the school is cruel in its "coursework" and punishments. Yes, Frida is struggling to understand some cultural differences between the way she was raised and what's considered "good mothering" by the teachers at the school. All this is actually compelling and should have sucked me right into the story, but Frida just keeps whining about it over and over. Even more distressing is the total lack of hope in this story.
This is a book that started out strong with an amazing premise that was believable and heartbreaking. I don't really know what went sideways, but I cannot recommend this to anyone. This might be the lowest rating I've ever given. I just feel sad about that.
SPOILERS ---- Some mothers commit suicide, and many more are contemplating it (including Frida). The AI children are just plain creepy and it takes WAY too long for Frida to become attached and for the child to respond. There seems to be a randomness to the "curriculum" -- one minute the leaders are punishing the mothers, the next they are planning parties. ??? BIG SPOILER -- after all this, after seemingly endless lessons, punishments, regrets & atonement from Frida, several moments of enlightenment, Frida still loses custody. Then she runs away with Hannah in the last 2 pages. WHAT??!! By that point, I didn't care and any emotional attachment had been lost many pages prior.
Some critics have compared it to Handmaid's Tale, and the premise is (unfortunately) more plausible in the short run and has the same chilling effect as Atwood's novel. The similarity stops there. Frida had a very bad day and did the unthinkable. She left her 16 month old daughter along while Frida left the house for a couple of hours. Neighbors reported the cries, Hannah was taken away, and Frida was sent to a recently developed retraining facility designed to turn "bad mothers" into "good mothers". Frida's classes include how to speak motherese, how to instill empathy, how to defend against pedophiles, how to protect a child from danger, and much more. The mothers are given android children on which to practice their skills. Fascinating, right?
However, the narrative is too focused on the minutia of classes and daily life and too focused on Frida's infinite amount of whining. Yes, she's lost her child. Yes, her husband has found happiness with another woman. Yes, the school is cruel in its "coursework" and punishments. Yes, Frida is struggling to understand some cultural differences between the way she was raised and what's considered "good mothering" by the teachers at the school. All this is actually compelling and should have sucked me right into the story, but Frida just keeps whining about it over and over. Even more distressing is the total lack of hope in this story.
This is a book that started out strong with an amazing premise that was believable and heartbreaking. I don't really know what went sideways, but I cannot recommend this to anyone. This might be the lowest rating I've ever given. I just feel sad about that.
SPOILERS ---- Some mothers commit suicide, and many more are contemplating it (including Frida). The AI children are just plain creepy and it takes WAY too long for Frida to become attached and for the child to respond. There seems to be a randomness to the "curriculum" -- one minute the leaders are punishing the mothers, the next they are planning parties. ??? BIG SPOILER -- after all this, after seemingly endless lessons, punishments, regrets & atonement from Frida, several moments of enlightenment, Frida still loses custody. Then she runs away with Hannah in the last 2 pages. WHAT??!! By that point, I didn't care and any emotional attachment had been lost many pages prior.
June 7, 2022
'The School for Good Mothers' by Jessamine Chan was very different from any other book I have encountered to date. Main character Frida Liu comes from a traditional Chinese family with all the "typical" expectations of being the perfect mother, wife, and daughter. She is frustrated (and seemingly bored) with her role as a work at home mom and primary caregiver to her young daughter, Harriet. She makes one bad decision (what she refers to continually as her "very bad day") in regards to protecting Harriet and is sent away to the government run "School for Bad Mothers." Here, she is constantly made to repeat a mantra stating she is narcissistic and a bad mother while attempting to prove she is worthy of regaining custodianship of Harriet - by attempting to parent a preprogrammed "living" doll and teaching her "proper" human behavior. Frida also has to show she puts the doll first and that that she understands she is to have no needs or desires other than being a mother. She should desire no other relationships in her life - and if she does she is demonstrating not being worthy of getting her daughter back. The men have their own school and the expectations and demands are not as high and seem extremely unfair in my opinion. In addition, the counselors and those judging the mothers don't seem to have children of their own. How can you judge what being a parent is like if you are not one? You can have an idea, but I think you truly learn by doing. The ending is not what I expected and was hard to swallow. Thank God there is nothing like this in real life is all I have to say. Wow. Just... wow.
Narrator Catherine Ho does a wonderful job as the solo narrator and could not have brought this book into fruition for the listeners enjoyment more perfectly. Great job!
Narrator Catherine Ho does a wonderful job as the solo narrator and could not have brought this book into fruition for the listeners enjoyment more perfectly. Great job!
April 14, 2023
This was a really good reminder for me to take more notice of blurbs rather than making assumptions based on titles and internet hype. I expected this to be your classic sad girl read, but was in fact confronted by a stark, dystopian, nightmare hellfire. Interesting.
The concept, sending mothers to a prison/school to improve their maternal abilities with the help of robot babies under impossible, crushing standards, is genuinely haunting to read. I found it surprisingly upsetting and intense, and it鈥檚 certainly a bleak reading experience. The writing style veers sharply from touching and poignant, to cold and brutal. It鈥檚 a great eye-opening reminder of the pressures and scrutiny that women face more and more, expected to provide nothing but immediate perfection as a mother and sacrificing everything of themselves in the process.
Very clever and a great story, but uncomfortable. I鈥檇 say enjoy but I mean, you won鈥檛.
The concept, sending mothers to a prison/school to improve their maternal abilities with the help of robot babies under impossible, crushing standards, is genuinely haunting to read. I found it surprisingly upsetting and intense, and it鈥檚 certainly a bleak reading experience. The writing style veers sharply from touching and poignant, to cold and brutal. It鈥檚 a great eye-opening reminder of the pressures and scrutiny that women face more and more, expected to provide nothing but immediate perfection as a mother and sacrificing everything of themselves in the process.
Very clever and a great story, but uncomfortable. I鈥檇 say enjoy but I mean, you won鈥檛.
January 6, 2022
Wow, this book just left me in a little trance, unable to think of much else all day. This dystopian society was a little too close to the way our society seems to be heading regarding motherhood. The unrealistic self-expectations and the expectations that society puts on mothers to hold everything together while making it look easy.
Frida, in the midst of a broken marriage and an unfulfilling career has one very bad day (as she terms it). Frida, a middle class, Chinese leaves her not yet 2-year-old, Harriet, alone in the house as she runs to her office to pick something up. Unfortunately, that quick errand ends up being over 2 hours. After her neighbors call the police, she is pegged as a delinquent mother, and is told by the child authorities that if she wants any chance of getting her child back, she must attend a 鈥渟chool鈥� with other bad mothers for one year where she will be trained on how to be a good mother.
The mothers at the school are treated basically as prisoners and must repeat the mantra every morning, 鈥淚 am a bad mother, but I am learning to be good.鈥� The mothers are put through a series of 鈥淯nits鈥� where they must learn a skill and then perform it to the best of their ability in the hopes of scoring high. If they score low, they lose the few privileges they have. These units are disturbing and seek to make all mothers fit into a perfect mold which will enable them to be successful mothers. The only thing that carries the other mothers through this experience is the hope of seeing their children again and regaining custody.
鈥淲e鈥檙e putting you in high-pressure scenarios so we can see what kind of mother you are. Most people can be good parents if they have absolutely no stress. We have to know that you can handle conflict. Every day is an obstacle course for a parent.鈥�
There is so much more I want to explain about this story, but the more you discovery for yourself through reading, the better. The author made such astute observations about racial inequities, gender assumptions and the many roles mothers play. Frida鈥檚 is such a well-developed character, you feel her every emotion, even when it鈥檚 not one you would have chosen. You find empathy for her and for the other mothers, and root for their success. There was such a sad and lonely undertone, and as a mother myself, my emotions were taut. About three-fourths of the way into the book, it started to feel a tad repetitive, but overall this book was just amazing. Beautifully written. I loved endings that are not tied up in a nice little bow - this one hit the nail on the head. Such an imaginative, shocking and frightening look at a futuristic society.
鈥淪he didn鈥檛 mean to talk about a heart being squeezed, hopes she won鈥檛 be punished for it. They鈥檒l joke about it when Harriet is older. It will be their code for sorrow and longing. In truth, the sorrow barely touches her heart at all.鈥�
Highly recommend if you enjoy dystopian novels. The subjects are meant to make you uncomfortable and the author was just a master at that.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the advance copy to read and review. Pub date: 1.4.22
Frida, in the midst of a broken marriage and an unfulfilling career has one very bad day (as she terms it). Frida, a middle class, Chinese leaves her not yet 2-year-old, Harriet, alone in the house as she runs to her office to pick something up. Unfortunately, that quick errand ends up being over 2 hours. After her neighbors call the police, she is pegged as a delinquent mother, and is told by the child authorities that if she wants any chance of getting her child back, she must attend a 鈥渟chool鈥� with other bad mothers for one year where she will be trained on how to be a good mother.
The mothers at the school are treated basically as prisoners and must repeat the mantra every morning, 鈥淚 am a bad mother, but I am learning to be good.鈥� The mothers are put through a series of 鈥淯nits鈥� where they must learn a skill and then perform it to the best of their ability in the hopes of scoring high. If they score low, they lose the few privileges they have. These units are disturbing and seek to make all mothers fit into a perfect mold which will enable them to be successful mothers. The only thing that carries the other mothers through this experience is the hope of seeing their children again and regaining custody.
鈥淲e鈥檙e putting you in high-pressure scenarios so we can see what kind of mother you are. Most people can be good parents if they have absolutely no stress. We have to know that you can handle conflict. Every day is an obstacle course for a parent.鈥�
There is so much more I want to explain about this story, but the more you discovery for yourself through reading, the better. The author made such astute observations about racial inequities, gender assumptions and the many roles mothers play. Frida鈥檚 is such a well-developed character, you feel her every emotion, even when it鈥檚 not one you would have chosen. You find empathy for her and for the other mothers, and root for their success. There was such a sad and lonely undertone, and as a mother myself, my emotions were taut. About three-fourths of the way into the book, it started to feel a tad repetitive, but overall this book was just amazing. Beautifully written. I loved endings that are not tied up in a nice little bow - this one hit the nail on the head. Such an imaginative, shocking and frightening look at a futuristic society.
鈥淪he didn鈥檛 mean to talk about a heart being squeezed, hopes she won鈥檛 be punished for it. They鈥檒l joke about it when Harriet is older. It will be their code for sorrow and longing. In truth, the sorrow barely touches her heart at all.鈥�
Highly recommend if you enjoy dystopian novels. The subjects are meant to make you uncomfortable and the author was just a master at that.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the advance copy to read and review. Pub date: 1.4.22
May 13, 2022
The premise was great, the execution was not it. Had to quit 鈥� got to Chap13, skipped to 19 and had to call it a day.
The level of misery was beyond. I could see what Jessamin Chan was trying to do, but she ain鈥檛 do it!
She tried to break the reader without answering what I believe to be some simple questions: Why? Why is everyone receiving the same insane punishment? Are there no levels to this? The story is bleak for bleakness sake. I鈥檒l have to pass.
Where? Where are all the families speaking up, knowing that this could be them at any moment? Everyone (Gust, Susanna) was just watching the injustice go down in the most insane of ways. Were they so caught up in their own lives that they鈥檇 let their former spouse be treated so despicably and in such a disposable way? The limitations and restrictions used to abuse our main character, Frida, with no intervention as the other parent watched on? Sounds illogical. No petitions? Nothing? Dystopian aside, a little more research would have made this story better imo.
I could not take any more. I wasn鈥檛 even sticking around to find out anymore about this universe, these robots, nothing. Skipped ahead and the last chapter was just not giving what it needed to give.
This was kind of a bust. Maybe if I wanted to writhe around a little more I would have stayed down in the mire, but a bitch needed some light so this book has to get abandoned.
The level of misery was beyond. I could see what Jessamin Chan was trying to do, but she ain鈥檛 do it!
She tried to break the reader without answering what I believe to be some simple questions: Why? Why is everyone receiving the same insane punishment? Are there no levels to this? The story is bleak for bleakness sake. I鈥檒l have to pass.
Where? Where are all the families speaking up, knowing that this could be them at any moment? Everyone (Gust, Susanna) was just watching the injustice go down in the most insane of ways. Were they so caught up in their own lives that they鈥檇 let their former spouse be treated so despicably and in such a disposable way? The limitations and restrictions used to abuse our main character, Frida, with no intervention as the other parent watched on? Sounds illogical. No petitions? Nothing? Dystopian aside, a little more research would have made this story better imo.
I could not take any more. I wasn鈥檛 even sticking around to find out anymore about this universe, these robots, nothing. Skipped ahead and the last chapter was just not giving what it needed to give.
This was kind of a bust. Maybe if I wanted to writhe around a little more I would have stayed down in the mire, but a bitch needed some light so this book has to get abandoned.
February 26, 2022
As a mother myself, being separated from my children would be a living nightmare so I found the premise of this story frightening.
As a parent myself, I don't claim to be a perfect parent whatsoever and admittingly I've made a mountain of mistakes at parenting but...
I would never have left my child home alone, unattended for 2 hours! I think what Frida did was selfish but I also didn't believe she deserved to be away for an entire year.
When it comes to the social commentary on how harshly we judge or are quick to deem women 鈥渂ad mothers鈥� this book nailed it.
I also loved the concept of the book. Initially the story drew me in with intrigue. However, halfway through I found myself checking to see how much longer I had left because of the stories repetitiveness. There is a Iarge portion in the middle where nothing happens. I also struggled to find a consistent theme. There are instances of racism, sexism, how brutal mothers are judged, and of course the harshness of this fictional child protective services but none of these were consistent.
As a parent myself, I don't claim to be a perfect parent whatsoever and admittingly I've made a mountain of mistakes at parenting but...
I would never have left my child home alone, unattended for 2 hours! I think what Frida did was selfish but I also didn't believe she deserved to be away for an entire year.
When it comes to the social commentary on how harshly we judge or are quick to deem women 鈥渂ad mothers鈥� this book nailed it.
I also loved the concept of the book. Initially the story drew me in with intrigue. However, halfway through I found myself checking to see how much longer I had left because of the stories repetitiveness. There is a Iarge portion in the middle where nothing happens. I also struggled to find a consistent theme. There are instances of racism, sexism, how brutal mothers are judged, and of course the harshness of this fictional child protective services but none of these were consistent.
June 8, 2023
I liked the overall message of this novel about the scrutiny and sexist expectations mothers face in contemporary society. Aside from that though, I found The School for Good Mothers a chore to read. First, the plot seemed like such a mess to me. The novel鈥檚 synopsis notes that it focuses on upper-middle-class parenting, which is fine, but women of different class backgrounds were lumped in together in this dystopian school system as if their 鈥渃rimes鈥� or mistakes were the same?? As Samantha writes about cogently in her review, child separation and revoking parental rights does occur especially for Black and brown mothers so it felt odd and underdeveloped for this to serve as the premise of this novel. The plot didn鈥檛 make sense; I get that dystopia requires some suspension of disbelief, though so many random things happened that I found myself flipping pages just to get through to the end.
Jessamine Chan鈥檚 writing also felt dry and repetitive. The characters came across as one-dimensional. I think Chan made an honest attempt at portraying some of the racial injustices Black and Latinx mothers face as well as the specific microaggressions experienced by Asian American women, though the racial element of the book didn鈥檛 feel richly explored and stayed on the surface level. Our main character, Frida, is angry at white people at times (totally understandable) yet predominantly dates white men, and this tension isn鈥檛 interrogated in any deep way. Overall, ugh, a lot of promise, and I can see why this book is popular, but it didn鈥檛 impress me.
Jessamine Chan鈥檚 writing also felt dry and repetitive. The characters came across as one-dimensional. I think Chan made an honest attempt at portraying some of the racial injustices Black and Latinx mothers face as well as the specific microaggressions experienced by Asian American women, though the racial element of the book didn鈥檛 feel richly explored and stayed on the surface level. Our main character, Frida, is angry at white people at times (totally understandable) yet predominantly dates white men, and this tension isn鈥檛 interrogated in any deep way. Overall, ugh, a lot of promise, and I can see why this book is popular, but it didn鈥檛 impress me.
July 30, 2022
The School for Good Mothers sets out on the wrong foot. In an attempt to imagine a world not so distant in the future where motherhood is closely monitored, scrutinized, and pruned, Chan leaves out some essentials for good storytelling- a captivating protagonist and equally gripping writing.
Frida Liu is fairly new to motherhood. Being a single working mother, she is suffocated. So one day, she decides to leave her crying 8-month-old alone for a few minutes, which turns into an hour. Chan expects us to empathize with a mother who deliberately left her child unsupervised, which is the first mistake for me. Had Frida taken accountability for her action and been denied a chance to improve before being sent into the titular reforming school, my reaction would have been entirely different from that now. Instead, she faults everything and everyone else.
There were multitudes of such instances where Frida came through as annoying and whiny, a combination that drove me nuts. Chan's inefficient characterization leads to a lackluster protagonist who, in my humble opinion, definitely needed some sort of therapy before becoming a mother. Frida is an example of why not all women need to become mothers. And if Chan was attempting to portray/represent post-partum depression, unfortunately, it missed the mark by a mile.
March 23, 2025
Wanted to give this four stars, though my heart is so broken. But because I can hope for them, I give the book all five.
I cannot understand. Are there really schools like this? Reminds me of a cross between One Flew over the Cuckoo鈥檚 Nest and Handmaid鈥檚 Tale. Cruel. So cruel. So nonsensical. Complete oppression. I really, really, really hope these schools do not exist.
I cannot understand. Are there really schools like this? Reminds me of a cross between One Flew over the Cuckoo鈥檚 Nest and Handmaid鈥檚 Tale. Cruel. So cruel. So nonsensical. Complete oppression. I really, really, really hope these schools do not exist.
June 1, 2024
艩tai ir turim did啪iausi膮 vasaros hit膮 - visa Lietuva skaitys ant vis懦 寞manom懦 拧ezlong懦, pamatysit.
漠sp奴dingas Chan debiutas, a拧aras nusivaliusi i拧g奴glinau visk膮 skersai i拧ilgai.
Beproti拧kai 寞traukianti, beproti拧kai tikrovi拧ka.
Suprantu gi, kad 膷ia literat奴ra, bet taip 寞siurb臈, kad, regis, Kristijonui i拧 paskos prad臈jau sekiot, net neleisdama 啪mogui atsikv臈pti nuo bu膷ini懦.
Kas yra gera mama? O bloga? Ar yra pasaulyje toks testas, kur寞 gerai atlikusi esi paskelbiama ponia tobul膮ja? Kiek valstyb臈 gali ki拧tis 寞 asmeninius moter懦 pasirinkimus? Kod臈l t臈vams neva viskas papras膷iau ir u啪 visk膮 jiems atleista?
Ir kraupau, ir a拧arojau, ir eilin寞 kart膮 supratau: nuo realyb臈s iki distopijos t臈ra saujel臈 bepro膷i懦, kurian膷i懦 neva tobulo pasaulio sistem膮. Netoli 膷ia j懦 ie拧kot reikia鈥�
Labai labai labai rekomenduoju.
漠sp奴dingas Chan debiutas, a拧aras nusivaliusi i拧g奴glinau visk膮 skersai i拧ilgai.
Beproti拧kai 寞traukianti, beproti拧kai tikrovi拧ka.
Suprantu gi, kad 膷ia literat奴ra, bet taip 寞siurb臈, kad, regis, Kristijonui i拧 paskos prad臈jau sekiot, net neleisdama 啪mogui atsikv臈pti nuo bu膷ini懦.
Kas yra gera mama? O bloga? Ar yra pasaulyje toks testas, kur寞 gerai atlikusi esi paskelbiama ponia tobul膮ja? Kiek valstyb臈 gali ki拧tis 寞 asmeninius moter懦 pasirinkimus? Kod臈l t臈vams neva viskas papras膷iau ir u啪 visk膮 jiems atleista?
Ir kraupau, ir a拧arojau, ir eilin寞 kart膮 supratau: nuo realyb臈s iki distopijos t臈ra saujel臈 bepro膷i懦, kurian膷i懦 neva tobulo pasaulio sistem膮. Netoli 膷ia j懦 ie拧kot reikia鈥�
Labai labai labai rekomenduoju.
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