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Cover of The School for Good Mothers

The School for Good Mothers

by Jessamine Chan · 2022

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Frida Liu is struggling. She doesn’t have a career worthy of her Chinese immigrant parents’ sacrifices. What’s worse is she can’t persuade her husband, Gust, to give up his wellness-obsessed younger mistress. Only with their angelic daughter Harriet does Frida finally feel she’s attained the perfection expected of her. Harriet may be all she has, but she’s just enough. Until Frida has a horrible day. The state has its eyes on mothers like Frida — ones who check their phones while their kids are on the playground; who let their children walk home alone; in other words, mothers who only have one lapse of judgement. Now, a host of government officials will determine if Frida is a candidate for a Big Brother-like institution that measures the success or failure of a mother’s devotion.…

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"This dystopian novel exploring state control over women's bodies and motherhood aligns with Obama's consistent interest in social justice issues and systemic inequalities. Its themes of power and individual rights resonate with his post-presidency work on democracy and human rights."
Obama's 2022 Summer Reading List · barackobama.medium.com