Synopsis
DOES SHE REALLY WANT TO BE A MEMBER OF THIS MOMMY CLUB? Advertising executive Marta Zinsser is no poster child for her wealthy Seattle suburb-and nothing could please her more. This former New Yorker wears combat boots, not Manolos, and drives a righteous Harley hog instead of a Mercedes SUV. Now she's launching her own agency in this land of the Microsoft elite, even though her ten-year-old daughter wishes she'd put on a sweater set and just be normal.
Can this ex-urbanite remain uniquely herself without alienating the inner circle of smug, cookie-cutter executive wives? And when push comes to shove, can she stop being the proud odd mom out and take a chance at something frighteningly-and tantalizingly-new?
Amy Brozio-Andrews - Library Journal
Single-by-choice mother Marta Zinsser prides herself on following her bliss; she doesn't worry what others think. But her daughter Eva wants nothing more than to be one of the cool girls. And so Marta makes an effort to conform for Eva's sake. But after tangling with the local alpha mom, helping care for her Alzheimer's-suffering mother, trying to land the client of a lifetime, and dating again after a ten-year dry spell, Marta wonders if it's time to give up and give in. Porter's (Flirting with Forty) new novel is a return to the Pacific Northwest and another mom who's just trying to do her best by her self and her kids on her own terms. Vivid characters and quick dialog support a strong plot, although some elements of the subplot get too light a touch. Marta is smart and funny, but her narrative can get a bit talky (covering consumer culture's enablement of women's insecurity and the price working mothers pay compared to working fathers). Overall, however, the novel's got strong appeal for fans of women's fiction and mom lit. For all public libraries.