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From the bestselling author of The Wife and The Position, a feverishly smart novel about female ambition, money, class, motherhood, and marriage-and what happens in one community when a group of educated women chooses not to work. For a group of four New York friends, the past decade has been largely defined by marriage and motherhood. Educated and reared to believe that they would conquer the world, they then left jobs as corporate lawyers, investment bankers, and film scouts to stay home w... (show more)
Reviews (178)
Too many side stories, didn't really care about the mom of the friend of a friend's story. I couldn't find sympathy for her. I just didn't believe that she traded work for being a Mom, it was more that she didn't have passion for her career and kept stalling the decision of what to do with her life next. I couldn't relate to the NY/private school, keeping up w/ the Jones' drama.
I really enjoyed this book. I feel like it perfectly presented what many aspects of my life is like--on the verge of 40, no longer career oriented, married a long time, etc. It was well written and entertaining and I could relate to many of the characters.
The author made some amazing observations about parenting (mothering in particular) but I was kind of
bored with all the stay at home mom/new york city/private day school stuff... glad to be a west coast having it all and still staying sane kind of chick!
It sounded so much better on the book jacket....could have been really good, turned out to be just ok.
YAWN!! I'm still tired after that nap. I was hoping to connect being in the same boat but that ship sailed when I realized the characters live in Manhattan and send their kids to private school. But being the diligent reader that I am, I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. I was lost the first 20 pages after umpteen flashbacks. It cleared up for a bit but I just couldn't identify with these women and their "problems".
This one had lots of potential which, sadly, it did not achieve. A novelization of the Great Divide between working and stay-at-home moms, the 2nd wave of feminism and contemporary parenting, this book seems to have bit off more than it could chew. It is didactic in all the wrong places. It has an Agenda. Said agenda sides more with working moms, which Wolitzer doesn't do such a great job of hiding. Think of Wolitzer as a nice, cool Auntie guiding you towards fulfilling your wordly desires rather than your domestic ones.
There were sublime moments, just not a great novel.
Meg will be at the Frye Festival in Moncton, NB in April 2009 www.frye.ca
Read a review bout this, looked good but it was BORING.
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