Dear Great Book Guru, With Memorial Day quickly coming upon us, I am making my plans. At 8am Monday we will be hosting a breakfast
on the front lawn of the Children’s Library after which we will march in the
Village’s iconic parade - again organized by Phil Como. Following the beautiful, bittersweet ceremony
at Clifton Park, we will head down to Sea Cliff Beach for lunch. Any suggestions for a good book to bring
along? Memorial Day Observer
Dear Memorial Day Observer, Sounds like you have a fine plan
and I have an interesting, thought-provoking book to complete your
weekend: THE PERFECT MOTHER by Aimee Molloy. This psychological thriller can be read on
two levels. The obvious one is that of a
crime novel- a child is kidnapped and there are many colorful suspects and
leads. The other is a disturbing social commentary: our harsh judgment of women- and mothers in
particular. The May Mothers is a group
of Brooklyn women whose babies were born in May and have met up through an
online parenting group. They gather
weekly at Prospect Park with their children to share, advise and- yes- judge. The women decide to meet at a popular local
bar for a night out without children or husbands. During the evening, one of
the babies is kidnapped and for the next thirteen days, we follow the stories of
four of these women as the media, their families, and their peers turn on them
for what are perceived as failings. While the resolution is farfetched, the story
of societal demands on mothers is right on.
Highly recommended!
