The School for Good Mothers
A Novel
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The School for Good Mothers
Narrated by:
Catherine Ho
Buy Now for £14.57
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Narrated by:
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Catherine Ho
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By:
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Jessamine Chan
About this listen
In this New York Times bestseller and Today show Read with Jenna Book Club Pick, one lapse in judgment lands a young mother in a dystopian government reform program where custody of her child hangs in the balance, in this “surreal” (People), “remarkable” (Vogue), and “infuriatingly timely” (The New York Times Book Review) debut literary fiction novel.
Frida Liu, a hardworking Chinese American mother, is pushed to the edge. She doesn’t live up to the expectations set by her immigrant parents or her wellness-obsessed husband. Only with Harriet—cherubic and beloved—does she find a measure of fulfillment…until she has a very bad day.
In this close-to-future dystopia, the state targets mothers like Frida: mothers who check their phones, let their children walk home alone, or make one parenting error. Because of one mistake, Frida is sent to a government-run institution—a Big Brother–style reform school for “good mothers,” where every move is monitored, and even her love is judged.
For custody to be returned, she must prove that a flawed mother can be redeemed and learn to be “good.” Filled with dark wit and emotional urgency, The School for Good Mothers is an intense, captivating novel that scrutinizes upper-middle-class parenting, systemic surveillance of women, and the violence exacted by both the state and one another. It offers a transgressive exploration of motherhood, resilience, guilt, and the force of love.
Using spare, compelling prose, Jessamine Chan crafts an unforgettable, modern classic that resonates with readers of The Handmaid’s Tale and 1984, while centering a richly drawn woman navigating class, race, and motherhood under the gaze of an unyielding system.
Critic reviews
"Ho holds the listener captive as she narrates this deeply engrossing portrait of the boundless depth of a mother’s love. Her exquisite narration channels a heartbreaking, terrifying, and prescient story that leaves the listener gutted."
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