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The School for Good Mothers: A Novel

Jessamine Chan

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Longlisted for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel

Longlisted for the 2023 Carnegie Medal for Excellence

Shortlisted for The Center for Fiction 2022 First Novel Prize

Selected as One of Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of 2022!

In this New York Times bestseller and Today show Read with Jenna Book Club Pick, one lapse in judgement lands a young mother in a government reform program where custody of her child hangs in the balance, in this “surreal” (People), “remarkable” (Vogue), and “infuriatingly timely” (The New York Times Book Review) debut novel.

Frida Liu is struggling. She doesn’t have a career worthy of her Chinese immigrant parents’ sacrifices. She can’t persuade her husband, Gust, to give up his wellness-obsessed younger mistress. Only with Harriet, their cherubic daughter, does Frida finally attain the perfection expected of her. Harriet may be all she has, but she is just enough. Until Frida has a very bad day.

The state has its eye on mothers like Frida. The ones who check their phones, letting their children get injured on the playground; who let their children walk home alone. Because of one moment of poor judgement, a host of government officials will now determine if Frida is a candidate for a Big Brother-like institution that measures the success or failure of a mother’s devotion.

Faced with the possibility of losing Harriet, Frida must prove that a bad mother can be redeemed. That she can learn to be good. An “intense” (Oprah Daily), “captivating” (Today) page-turner that is also a transgressive novel of ideas about the perils of “perfect” upper-middle class parenting; the violence enacted upon women by both the state and, at times, one another; the systems that separate families; and the boundlessness of love, The School for Good Mothers introduces, in Frida, an everywoman for the ages.

Using dark wit to explore the pains and joys of the deepest ties that bind us, Chan has written a modern literary classic.

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Posts about this title from Boundless Press

Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Mar 19 2025

if you like this book, read this one! 🩷 BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS 📚

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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Dec 31 2022

every book i read in 2022 rated & reviewed in 1 sentence

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faqs 🤍 how do you pronounce your name? - my name is Jananie—pronounced JEN-nah-nee (like a knee!)

🤍 what's your background/ethnicity/etc? - both my parents are Sri Lankan Tamil, and I was born and raised in Canada!

🤍 what is your job? - aside from youtube I also work in product marketing!

63 books

Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Sep 16 2022

all 24 books i read this summer ✨ reading wrapup

join me as I breakdown all 24 books I read this summer!! let me know what your favourite book you read this summer was! 🥰

🤍 timestamps ↳ 0:00 intro ↳ 1:17 know my name by chanel miller ↳ 2:29 empire of sand by tasha suri ↳ 2:59 on earth we're briefly gorgeous by ocean vuong ↳ 4:12 blue skinned gods by s. j. sindu ↳ 4:52 this is how you lose the time war by amal el-mohtar & max gladstone ↳ 5:50 the roughest draft by austin siegemund-broka & emily wibberley ↳ 6:43 convenience store woman by sayaka murata ↳ 7:59 book lovers by emily henry ↳ 8:43 violeta by isabel allende ↳ 9:28 the paris apartment by lucy foley ↳ 10:09 daughter of the moon goddess by sue lynn tan ↳ 10:57 this woven kingdom by tahereh mafi ↳ 11:56 crooked hallelujah by kelli jo ford ↳ 12:35 little fires everywhere by celeste ng ↳ 13:24 an american marriage by tayari jones ↳ 14:53 eleanor oliphant is completely fine by gail honeyman ↳ 15:18 the vanishing half by brit bennett ↳ 16:25 red, white & royal blue by casey mcquiston ↳ 17:35 i'm glad my mom died by jennette mccurdy ↳ 18:53 luster by raven leilani ↳ 19:54 disorientation by elaine hsieh chou ↳ 20:53 you exist too much by zaina arafat ↳ 21:43 rosewater by tade thompson ↳ 23:03 the school for good mothers ↳ 24:52 outro

📚 join my book club 📚 read books by BIPOC each month and join me during monthly liveshows to discuss! 🤍 announcement Video: https://youtu.be/u-aI8tD1RcQ 🤍 discuss on Fable: https://l.fable.co/readincolour 🤍 discuss on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readincolourbookclub/ 🤍 discuss on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReadinColorClub

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💌 for business/sponsorship inquiries please contact eric@smallscreenmarketing.com 💌 for all other inquiries please contact me at thisstoryaintover@gmail.com

faqs 🤍 how do you pronounce your name? - my name is Jananie—pronounced JEN-nah-nee (like a knee!)

🤍 what's your background/ethnicity/etc? - both my parents are Sri Lankan Tamil, and I was born and raised in Canada!

🤍 what is your job? - aside from youtube I also work in product marketing!

24 books

Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Jul 6 2022

The Best + Worst books I've read this year | Mid Year Book Freakout 2022

What are your favourite books of 2022 so far?

🤍 timestamps ↳ 0:00 intro ↳ 1:07 Best book you’ve read so far in 2021. ↳ 6:02 Best sequel you've read so far in 2021. ↳ 7:38 Favourite reread ↳ 9:59 Genre you've been loving/reading the most. (booksandlala) ↳ 11:14 New release you haven't read yet, but want to. ↳ 13:39 New release you wanted to read but aren’t sure about anymore* ↳ 16:30 Most anticipated release for the second half of the year. ↳ 18:01 Biggest disappointment. ↳ 20:02 Biggest surprise. ↳ 24:03 Favourite new author. (Debut or new to you) ↳ 25:44 Newest fictional crush. ↳ 26:35 Newest favourite character. ↳ 28:36 Book that made you cry. ↳ 29:12 Book that made you happy. ↳ 29:45 Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received) ↳ 30:34 What books do you need to read by the end of the year? ↳ 32:17 outro

other places to find me 🤍 my website: https://www.jananiekvelu.com/ 🤍 my series # EpicBookRecs on the Epic Reads Channel: https://bit.ly/2XziOfz

💌 for business/sponsorship inquiries please contact eric@smallscreenmarketing.com 💌 for all other inquiries please contact me at thisstoryaintover@gmail.com

faqs 🤍 how do you pronounce your name? - my name is Jananie—pronounced JEN-nah-nee (like a knee!)

🤍 what's your background/ethnicity/etc? - both my parents are Sri Lankan Tamil, and I was born and raised in Canada!

🤍 what is your job? - aside from youtube I also work in product marketing!

29 books

Posts about this book from across Bindery

Ronnica Reads\ \ Ronnica Fatt\ \ • May 15

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Here are some of my thoughts on Chapters 10-14 (p. 165-241) of The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan.\ \ This section feels weaker to me. I don't fully understand the inclusion of the interactions with the fathers and what it adds. Still, let's review the themes I've noticed.\ \ Us vs. Them\ \ I feel like the interactions with Tucker provide some clarity here. In a way, he sets himself apart from the other parents through his "wokeness" and they seem differently because he makes these distinctions.\ \ The Expectations on Mothers\ \ It made me so angry when it's brought up that a mother should have all their needs fulfilled through being a mother. Of course it's not true, but I've also never met a mother who didn't feel guilt when they had needs that weren't met through motherhood, as we should be ashamed to be full people. Perhaps this isn't as overt in our society as in the book's but it's definitely there.\ \ Misogyny in a Patriarchal Society\ \ I think this is most emphasized in the differences between the fathers' and mothers' training, down to the fathers not having to claim to be narcissists.\ \ Additionally, we see Frida come to terms with the way Harriet will be seen by men as she grows up. And of course, there's the lesbophobia...can't have women being fulfilled apart from men and motherhood!\ \ Additional Questions for Discussion\ \ Did the fathers section make more sense to you than it did to me? I'm hoping someone can help me understand why it was included.\ \ Join for free or login

May Book Club: The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan, Week 3

1 book

Ronnica Reads\ \ Ronnica Fatt\ \ • May 8

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Here are some of my thoughts on Chapters 5-9 (p. 73-164) of The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan.\ \ This section made me angry, rightfully so. A continued look on the themes identified last week:\ \ Us vs. Them\ \ We continue to see the mothers compare themselves to one another, which is understandable. It's easier to consider your own faults "not that bad" or excusable, while others' aren't.\ \ The Expectations on Mothers\ \ This really comes to light in this section, with the mothers at the school required to parent their dolls in a particular way (down to the number of seconds a hug should be??!!). There's no doubt that these mothers made mistakes that harmed their children, but it doesn't seem like the formulaic parenting they're forced to do is the answer.\ \ Additionally, it seems like these expectations are one-sided, given how many mothers have been sentenced to this education compared to how many fathers.\ \ And a new theme to consider:\ \ Misogyny in a Patriarchal Society\ \ The misogyny has been there since the beginning: Gust cheating on and leaving Frida, how Frida is talked about. But the scene that stood out to me the most was how the mothers had to keep asking for pads on their period, instead of being provided more than 2 at a time. This seems designed (or at least implying) that their feminine need is a defect that shouldn't be coddled (as if hygiene supplies can coddle someone).\ \ Additional Questions for Discussion\ \ What do you think about Frida's interactions/thoughts of Susanna?\ \ What do you make of Lucretia's experiences?\ \ What role does race play in the school?\ \ Join for free or login

May Book Club: The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan, Week 2

1 book

Ronnica Reads\ \ Ronnica Fatt\ \ • May 1

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[How is it May already?\ \ For May, I'm excited to discuss The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan with you and hope that you'll pick it up, too! \ \ Here is my schedule for discussion:\ \

May 1: Chapter 1-4 (p.1-72)\ \
May 8: Chapters 5-9 (p. 73-164)\ \
May 15: Chapters 10-14 (p. 165-241)\ \
May 22: Chapters 15 - end (p. 242+)\ \ \ So, now on to my thoughts on chapters 1-4!\ \ I've heard some recent critique of the dystopian elements of this book (that we haven't really gotten to yet). But these first chapters remind me why I love this book so much, as the themes are evident from the beginning. \ \ This is my 3rd time reading it, but on my first time reading it, my daughter was just a bit older than Harriet. While my circumstances were different than Frida's, I very much related to what Frida is going through.\ \ Here are a couple of themes I observed:\ \ Us vs. Them\ \ Repeatedly we're reminded that Frida isn't like "those" mothers who harm their children. Class and race separate her from the "those" people who don't deserve to be mothers with an emphasis that it's not typically mothers from her neighborhood under investigation. While Frida isn't white, she is "pale enough" that she will likely be treated better than others who are not.\ \ The Expectations on Mothers\ \ Frida is on trial for her mothering. While I think we would all agree she made a bad decision, it's not hard to see why she was brought to that point. The expectations on mothers is high, but the supports are lacking.\ \ And now that Frida is under investigation, even reasonable and typical behavior will be frowned upon. She must be perfect.\ \ And even fellow mothers are holding each other to these standards. Any weakness or struggle must be hidden, while the front of perfect, sacrificial motherhood is showed to others.\ \ And finally, Frida is holding herself to unreasonably high standards, being her worst critic. This has always been me (even before becoming a mother) to the point where my parents would regularly tell me that they wouldn't punish me for less than perfect grades, because I would punish myself plenty.\ \ Some questions for further discussion:\ \
What stood out to you from these first few chapters?\ \
Did you relate to Frida? Did you find yourself judging her?\ \
What about Gust and Susanna?\ \ \ Join for free or login](https://ronnicareads.binderybooks.com/item/i0ETHxNovBja2fz6eNlS/)

May Book Club: The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan, Week 1

1 book

Ronnica Reads\ \ Ronnica Fatt\ \ • Feb 26

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Poll:\ \ Which of these titles are you interested in for the Leans Literary book club?\ \ I've already announced that the Leans Literary book club (which you're a part of if you are reading this...if you want to be!) will be reading Good People by Patmeena Sabit in April. \ \ But I know how hard it can be to get your hands on books sometimes, so I want to go ahead and make up a calendar for the rest of the year. \ \ Taking a look at my shelves, the below titles are books I think would be a good fit that I have already read. Feel free to suggest other titles as well.\ \ The Leans Literary book club will focus on genre fiction (sci fi, horror, dystopian, dark academia, etc) written by marginalized authors that has literary character-development and/or themes. We'll probably shy away from fantasy, as it's not generally my favorite, and I feel like there are already a lot of good book clubs out there focused on fantasy.\ \ Join for free or login

What Do You Want to Read Together?

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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Mar 19 2025

if you like this book, read this one! 🩷 BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS 📚

hope you enjoy these recommendations 💖

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Peppered Ink\ \ Mary\ \ • Mar 4 2025

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Liquor in the Library!

In which I get caught with too many news ones…

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Peppered Ink\ \ Mary\ \ • Feb 5 2025

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Book Haul! 📚

Dry January is over… bring on Endless TBR February. 📚 Shirt from @Out of Print #gifted #outofprintpartner

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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Apr 9 2024

fiction book recs for the girlies with mommy issues 👩🏾🤰🏾👵🏾

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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Dec 31 2022

every book i read in 2022 rated & reviewed in 1 sentence

join as a channel member to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJn0v3OAEAX3-V4crjcHtRA/join

💌 for business/sponsorship inquiries please contact eric@smallscreenmarketing.com 💌 for all other inquiries please contact me at thisstoryaintover@gmail.com

faqs 🤍 how do you pronounce your name? - my name is Jananie—pronounced JEN-nah-nee (like a knee!)

🤍 what's your background/ethnicity/etc? - both my parents are Sri Lankan Tamil, and I was born and raised in Canada!

🤍 what is your job? - aside from youtube I also work in product marketing!

63 books

Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Sep 16 2022

all 24 books i read this summer ✨ reading wrapup

join me as I breakdown all 24 books I read this summer!! let me know what your favourite book you read this summer was! 🥰

other places to find me 🤍 my website: https://www.jananiekvelu.com/ 🤍 my series # EpicBookRecs on the Epic Reads Channel: https://bit.ly/2XziOfz

💌 for business/sponsorship inquiries please contact eric@smallscreenmarketing.com 💌 for all other inquiries please contact me at thisstoryaintover@gmail.com

faqs 🤍 how do you pronounce your name? - my name is Jananie—pronounced JEN-nah-nee (like a knee!)

🤍 what's your background/ethnicity/etc? - both my parents are Sri Lankan Tamil, and I was born and raised in Canada!

🤍 what is your job? - aside from youtube I also work in product marketing!

24 books

Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Jul 6 2022

The Best + Worst books I've read this year | Mid Year Book Freakout 2022

What are your favourite books of 2022 so far?

other places to find me 🤍 my website: https://www.jananiekvelu.com/ 🤍 my series # EpicBookRecs on the Epic Reads Channel: https://bit.ly/2XziOfz

💌 for business/sponsorship inquiries please contact eric@smallscreenmarketing.com 💌 for all other inquiries please contact me at thisstoryaintover@gmail.com

faqs 🤍 how do you pronounce your name? - my name is Jananie—pronounced JEN-nah-nee (like a knee!)

🤍 what's your background/ethnicity/etc? - both my parents are Sri Lankan Tamil, and I was born and raised in Canada!

🤍 what is your job? - aside from youtube I also work in product marketing!

29 books