| Married women -- Fiction. |
| Mothers -- Fiction. |
| Domestic fiction. |
| Moms |
Available:
Library | Shelf Number | Shelf Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Foxboro - Boyden Library | FIC VALERIE | FICTION | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Mansfield Public Library | FIC VALERIE | FICTION | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Norfolk Public Library | F VALERIE, J. HOL | FICTION | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
A laugh-out-loud debut novel for anyone who's tried to live the perfect life--and learned the hard way there's no such thing.
Holly Banks could not have made a worse first impression on the seemingly perfect moms in her new affluent community, the Village of Primm. Turns out wearing pink piggy pajama bottoms while dropping off her kindergartener late to the first day of school wasn't her best look.
Not to mention Holly's worried her husband may be having an affair, she can't get her daughter to stop sucking her thumb, her hard-won film degree is collecting dust, and to top it all off, the power-hungry PTA president clearly has it in for her...
To make matters even worse, Holly's natural eye for drama lands her smack-dab in the middle of a neighborhood mystery--right as her own crazy mother shows up in Primm "to help." Through it all, Holly begins to realize her neighbors may be just as flawed as--and even wackier than--she is, leaving her to wonder: Is there such a thing as a perfect mom?
Reviews (3)
Kirkus Review
A mom triesand spectacularly failsto fit into her new picture-perfect town.When Holly Banks moves to the Village of Primm, she hopes it will be the start of a new adventure for her family. With its wonderful school system, immaculately tended lawns, and superinvolved parents, Primm couldn't be anything less than perfect. However, aspiring-filmmaker Holly soon realizes that the town bears a slightly creepy resemblance to Stepford (of the famous wives), and no one appreciates her minor failures to live up to the status quolike, for example, showing up to kindergarten drop-off while wearing pajamas or accidentally hitting a school bus in her attempts to move her car. Holly quickly finds a nemesis in PTA president Mary-Margaret St. James, a bizarrely Primm-obsessed mom who talks about herself in the third person and won't let Holly leave the premises without volunteering for something (and not just for napkin duty, because everyone knows only the slacker moms sign up to bring napkins). But Holly has other things to worry aboutfor starters, she thinks her husband might be having an affair, she constantly has to pay her mother's gambling debts, and she's feeling bored and restless after putting her filmmaking dreams aside. Holly starts making her own documentary using the subject matter in front of her but soon realizes that Primm's perfect veneer hides more than a few secrets. There are many novels about women struggling to fit into upper-class communities, but debut author Valerie manages to create a story that feels fresh, with sparkling dialogue that could have come from a weirder version of Gilmore Girls. Most of that is due to Holly's voice, which is quirky without ever being annoying, and the cast of wacky side characters who are satirical while still feeling like real human beings. There are even several laugh-out-loud moments, most of them revolving around the bug infestation destroying the town's prized topiaries, a privileged problem that highlights just how hilariously ridiculous the Village of Primm is.A unique and over-the-top look at modern motherhood, full of funny and cringeworthy moments. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Holly Banks, her husband, Jack, and their daughter, Ella, are the newest residents of the Village of Primm. An idyllic suburban enclave, Primm boasts a famed topiary garden, festivals in the town square, and an extremely engaged PTA president. Mary-Margaret St. James runs the social calendar of Primm Academy, and hasn't met a task too big to bully fellow parents into volunteering for. When Holly gets off on the wrong foot with Mary-Margaret, she stumbles into a mystery she'll do anything to solve. Valerie's witty, rollicking novel is an ode to modern motherhood in the vein of Allison Pearson's I Don't Know How She Does It (2002) and Francesca Segal's The Awkward Age (2017). While the plot pacing lags a bit, Holly's journey from shrinking violet to confident kindergarten parent will entertain until the last page. Holly's rich inner world and a larger-than-life ensemble of supporting characters plant this novel firmly in the dark comedy camp, perfect for fans of Matthew Norman and Francie Arenson Dickman. A charmingly cautionary tale of the pursuit for domestic perfection.--Stephanie Turza Copyright 2019 Booklist
Library Journal Review
DEBUT Holly Banks has just moved with her husband, Jack, and their five-year-old daughter, Ella, to the Village of Primm. Their house, with its (former) Pinterest-worthy front porch, is full of boxes, and an eyesore of a bedsheet is hung up in lieu of curtains. Holly is doing all she can to keep it together for Ella as she starts kindergarten. From missing the bus to hitting the bus, all on the first day, things start on the wrong foot. When Holly skips out early during the first PTA meeting, the president, Mary-Margaret St. James, makes sure Holly pays her dues by assigning her to various committees. Thus begins Holly's descent into a rabbit hole where exterior appearances are everything. Debut author Valerie's excellent take on modern motherhood illustrates a mother's attempts to keep up with the Joneses. Full of humor, including a bout with one too many detox cookies, an online psychic, and a cat doula, Valerie plays out the drama of being a wife and a mother. VERDICT Perfect for fans of Laurie Gelman's "Class Mom" series and the TV show Desperate Housewives.--Erin Holt, Williamson Cty. P.L., Franklin, TN