The School for Good Mothers

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

'We have your daughter'

Frida Liu is a struggling mother. She remembers taking Harriet from her cot and changing her nappy. She remembers giving her a morning bottle. They'd been up since four am.

Frida just had to finish the article in front of her. But she'd left a file on her desk at work. What would happen if she retrieved it and came back in an hour? She was so sure it would be okay.

Now, the state has decided that Frida is not fit to care for her daughter. That she must be re-trained. Soon, mothers everywhere will be re-educated. Will their mistakes cost them everything?

The School for Good Mothers is an explosive and thrilling novel about love and the pressures of perfectionism, parenthood and privilege.

© Jessamine Chan 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Critics Review

  • A remarkable, propulsive novel

    Vogue
  • A gripping debut

    Mail on Sunday
  • A wry, thoughtful novel

    Spectator
  • The School For Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan . . . has become all too resonant given the rumblings behind Texas’ anti-trans directive and it explores just how far the state could go when it comes to deciding what makes ‘a good mother’

    Stylist UK
  • A haunting tale of identity and motherhood – as devastating as it is imaginative

    Afua Hirsch

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