Helen Monks Takhar

Such a Good Mother Helen Monks Takhar

Some women would do anything for their children. This thrilling novel cuts straight to the dark heart of modern motherhood, privilege, and the lengths we'll go to get ahead, from the author of the addictive (People) thriller Precious You.

Rose O'Connell is barely surviving. Her relationship with her husband is on the rocks and their son isn't fitting in at his new school, the prestigious Woolf Academy. Their tiny flat in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood--the very place Rose grew up as the daughter of an infamous local con artist--can barely contain her family. Rose can't catch a professional break either, trapped in the same junior bank teller role for years. Life as the only mom in a nametag and uniform at The Woolf's shiny school gates isn't easy.

Not so for those in the elite and secretive Circle, a tight-knit group of mothers who rule the school, led by the charismatic and glamorous Amala Kaur. In exchange for supporting The Woolf's relentless fundraising and public image drives, the women enjoy lucrative business opportunities, special privileges for their children, and the admiration of the entire community.

After the mysterious death of one of The Circle's members, Rose dares to hope that filling the vacancy could set her family up for success. And when Amala makes the shocking decision to invite Rose into their clique, her fortunes, self-esteem, and status soar. But the deeper Rose gets inside The Circle, the darker the secrets lurking within every perfectly Instagrammable life. Far from being a dream come true, being inside The Circle could prove Rose's worst nightmare...

Taut, complex, and compulsively readable, Such a Good Mother is a razor-sharp take on modern motherhood and the myth of having it all.