Class Mom
A Novel
-
- £7.49
Publisher Description
Laurie Gelman’s clever debut novel about a year in the life of a kindergarten class mom—a brilliant send-up of the petty and surprisingly cutthroat terrain of parent politics.
Jen Dixon is not your typical Kansas City kindergarten class mom—or mom in general. Jen already has two college-age daughters by two different (probably) musicians, and it’s her second time around the class mom block with five-year-old Max—this time with a husband and father by her side. Though her best friend and PTA President sees her as the “wisest” candidate for the job (or oldest), not all of the other parents agree.
From recording parents’ response times to her emails about helping in the classroom, to requesting contributions of “special” brownies for curriculum night, not all of Jen’s methods win approval from the other moms. Throw in an old flame from Jen’s past, a hyper-sensitive “allergy mom,” a surprisingly sexy kindergarten teacher, and an impossible-to-please Real Housewife-wannabe, causing problems at every turn, and the job really becomes much more than she signed up for.
Relatable, irreverent, and hilarious in the spirit of Maria Semple, Class Mom is a fresh, welcome voice in fiction—the kind of novel that real moms clamor for, and a vicarious thrill-read for all mothers, who will be laughing as they are liberated by Gelman’s acerbic truths.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Laughter abounds in this spot-on mom-com, Gelman's debut. Jen Dixon has put her rock music groupie and single mom days behind her and is living the good life with her husband, Ron; two college-age daughters (fathered by musicians in her past); and her and Ron's five-year-old son, Max. Over her protests, Jen is charmingly strong-armed into becoming the kindergarten "Class Mom" by her best friend, PTA president Nina. As the liaison for class events, Jen puts her unique and snarky spin on communication with the parents, sending emails laced with playful threats and the occasional call for bribes and alcohol. Her misunderstood sense of humor earns her a few friends along as she faces challenges such as the ongoing struggle to gain assistance and volunteers and the reappearance of her hunky high school crush. As the school year progresses and Jen wades deeper into the drama of being in the middle of a group of strong and often outspoken personalities, Gelman showcases her comedic talent; there are hilarious observations and clever quips on nearly every page. Readers may feel overloaded by sass, but they are rewarded with a perceptive parody of parenting gone haywire.
