First published 2022
Frida Liu's life is falling apart. Her career disappoints her immigrant parents. Her husband Gust has left her for a younger woman obsessed with wellness. Only her toddler daughter Harriet brings Frida joy and makes her feel successful as a mother. Then Frida has the worst day of her life. She makes one terrible choice that brings government officials to her door. The state now monitors mothers who let their children get hurt at playgrounds or walk home without supervision. Frida's moment of poor judgment lands her in a Big Brother style program that will measure whether she deserves to keep Harriet. The institution forces mothers to prove their devotion through tests and surveillance. Frida must demonstrate that she can transform from a bad mother into a good one. She faces the possibility of losing her daughter forever if she fails their standards. The program will determine whether maternal love can overcome a single catastrophic mistake.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century, parenting, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, redemption
Setting: United States
Period: Contemporary
336 pages · Paperback · Simon & Schuster
Content warnings: child-abuse, emotional-abuse