The School for Good Mothers

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Frida Liu, a 39-year-old Chinese-American single mother in Philadelphia, faces a crisis after being reported for leaving her 18-month-old daughter, Harriet, alone during a particularly challenging day. With no tolerance for mistakes, Child Protective Services intervenes, taking Harriet and closely monitoring Frida's home life. Following a series of disastrous supervised visits, a judge rules Frida temporarily unfit to parent. Her chance to retain custody hinges on completing a new government program designed to 'retrain' mothers like her. This twelve-month, live-in program, located on an abandoned college campus, aims to teach Frida and other mothers how to parent correctly. The narrative, both stunning and fearless, delves into the dark realities faced by many mothers, combining literary depth with thriller-like tension. It examines the complexities of motherhood, the harsh judgments of the child protective system, and critiques the notion of idealized American parenting from the perspective of an immigrant-raised character. Through horror and speculative elements, the story resonates emotionally, exploring themes of desire, redemption, and the societal pressures on women navigating motherhood.