A review by melishahigdon
The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book was enlightening. I have never thought so much about how unfair part of the system actually is in the US. I was floored by how learning a lesson was not good enough for the system and administration, how doing a good thing was always overlooked because something Frida did was always wrong and that she “was a bad mother.”

This also showed me how unfair things could and probably are for those who aren’t white mothers in the United States, how the inherent, systemic racism affects American mothers who aren’t white.

There was a little discussion about the treatment of problematic fathers versus mothers: the fathers weren’t treated as poorly as the mothers in the school, which ostracized the mothers from humaneness like the fathers were shown.

I have a lot to say about this book, so if anyone wants to discuss it with me, please PM me. I am completely floored by this book.
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