The School for Good Mothers is the debut novel by Jessamine Chan, published in 2022. To say it was a big hit is a massive understatement! It was nominated for numerous literary awards, including:
- Longlisted for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel
- Longlisted for the 2023 Carnegie Medal for Excellence
- Shortlisted for The Center for Fiction 2022 First Novel Prize
- Selected as One of Barack Obama’s Favourite Books of 2022
As a mother, I was instantly intrigued by the premise. Can anyone truly be a perfect mother all the time? I was therefore really excited to read this one.
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Plot
Frida Liu, is struggling. She feels inadequate in her career, unable to meet the expectations set by her Chinese immigrant parents. Her husband, Gust, is involved with a younger mistress, and leaves Frida for a new life with her. The only source of fulfilment for Frida is her daughter, Harriet, whom she loves deeply and believes is her one saving grace.
However, everything changes when Frida has ‘one bad day’.
The state begins to scrutinise mothers like her, observing their actions and judging their capabilities. Due to a moment of poor judgment, Frida’s motherhood is under evaluation, and the government officials will decide if she should be sent to a controlling institution that monitors and measures a mother’s devotion.
Faced with the possibility of losing Harriet, Frida is determined to prove that she can overcome her shortcomings as a mother. She wants to demonstrate that even a “bad” mother has the capacity for redemption and can learn to be good.
The story revolves around Frida’s struggle to prove her worth and retain custody of her beloved daughter.
The School for Good Mothers Book Review
What a powerful story. It’s hard to say I enjoyed a book that was just so infuriating to read. It was bleak and devastating in places but it all felt so worryingly authentic. The fact I could actually imagine it all really happening in real life is beyond troubling.
I really emphasised with Frida and her struggles that ultimately led to her ‘one bad day’. I could relate to the feeling of being overwhelmed when you have a screaming toddler that constantly wants to be held. That urge for a break, for fresh air, for five minutes peace, was really relatable.
However what I couldn’t relate to is what Frida actually did, what she called ‘a lapse in judgement’. I would argue what she did was more than just a lapse in judgement. Leaving your 18 month alone in an exerciser for two hours?! I do feel in this case some intervention was warranted by social services. Her neighbours were right to report it. Harriet was in danger.
Despite this, what Frida so desperately needed was some help. She clearly adored her daughter and was struggling mentally. And while I couldn’t condone the actions she took during her “bad day”, I could imagine the loneliness she must have felt. The despondence. I could feel her devastation as she had to listen to her husband’s mistress’ plans for her child.
The program itself was just horrifying. The sinister surveillance was intrusive enough without having to constantly repeat “I am a bad mother”. Some of the women were in the program for more minor offenses than Frida and I hated the injustice of it all. The program was designed to belittle the women until they were cowed into submission and my heart broke for some of them.
The story is hard going at times with some heavy themes, including mental health, abuse, suicide, racism and misogyny. As you would expect about a story about desperate mothers trying to win back their children, there are no moments of levity so it does all feel very bleak.
At times it did feel a bit monotonous. The descriptions of the course and the despondency, almost felt robotic. Just one level of constant sadness. However on reflection, perhaps that was the point. The monotony the women faced every day seemed to be designed to turn the women into robots themselves without emotion.
It’s such a bleak book that it’s hard to say I loved it. It was really well written and my heart broke for the women. It clearly highlighted the dangers of constantly striving for perfection, and the even bigger danger of government overreach and surveillance.
What to read next
The School for Good Mothers was featured on the Barack Obama reading list, as was The Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel.
If you’re looking for another read about the mistreatment of mothers, you may also enjoy Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. This novella focuses on the real-life Magdalene Laundries scandal in Ireland.