The School for Good Mothers

Bookseller recommendation

“There’s no room for human fallibility in the dystopia of Jessamine Chan’s debut novel, so when Frida Liu — overwhelmed, sleep deprived, and desperate for a moment of reprieve — has a lapse in judgment as a mother, the consequences are swift and dire. Frida’s journey is a harrowing one, and the world she inhabits — where resources that could be used to support people are instead used to monitor, isolate, and punish them — hardly feels far-fetched. A tense, engrossing tale that stings with parental love and longing.”

— Tove • Powell's Books

Bookseller recommendation

“This novel toggles between infuriating, terrifying, and comedic. An interesting study on what it means to be a woman and a mother. Extremely satisfied with an unexpected ending.”

— Kristine • Buttonwood Books and Toys

Bookseller recommendation

“What does it mean exactly to be a good mother? When Frida Liu’s husband leaves her for another woman, her young child Harriet gets sick and is crying incessantly, and Frida is feeling like an all-round failure, she snaps. She leaves her daughter at home to run to the office to pick up a couple of things. A neighbor hears the baby crying and calls social services. Frida is ordered to attend school to learn to be a better parent and win back custody. Only slightly dystopian in the way that situations often seem not-so-far in the future, Jessamine Chan’s book, The School for Good Mothers, is at times infuriating, at times heartbreaking and poignant, and one of the most haunting books I’ve read. It was included in several prestigious book award lists.”

— Mamie • Quail Ridge Books

Bookseller recommendation

“This book was absolutely wild. Chan really makes you examine motherhood and how subjective it can be. With her fictional school and its excessive tactics, you wonder how you can judge mothers - is it possible to learn how to be a 'good' mother and what does 'good' even mean. Every moment of this book will stress you out a little (in a good way) and get you thinking.”

— Kimi • Buttonwood Books and Toys