It’s important for parents to keep reading even though they are busy with school, work and children. That’s why we curled up with City Mouse, author Stacey Lender’s debut novel. We wanted something relatable, a page turner and fun to get us back into reading after a terrible slump. Lender did not disappoint.
So what is this City Mouse about, a book that got us turning the pages and reading whenever we had a spare moment?
City Mouse is a witty book that has a common problem that many city families face. After living in Manhattan with their two daughters, parents Jessica and Aaron have grappled with the realization that they are priced out of their neighborhood. It’s time to break promises. Jessica realizes that they will have to move to the suburbs, something she never saw herself doing. They trade the concrete jungle for a picket fence.
To Jessica’s surprise the life of living in a house and the friendliness of local moms leaves Jessica with a warm feeling. These women are friendly, sassy and filled with all of the latest news around town. However, Jessica soon discovers that the suburban life is filled with a lot of things the city life is not, competition for the perfect family, perfect house and perfect life. She is the only working Mom and it’s hard to compete, is it even worth competing?
Jessica feels so alone. Isolated from her home city, her old life and stuck in this rut, she is thrilled when she is invited to a Moms only weekend. Not only that, it is at the sunny beach! She is excited for some real bonding with the other Moms, but it is quickly understood that this is no relaxing trip with the girls.
Some dark truths come out. Who is Brad? The Moms are not acting like they have this well-manicured life. It’s time to party and anything goes and the lives of being a Mom and a wife seem to be forgotten. Is this a dark high school party all over again? These girls weekends are definitely not what they appear to be and Jessica must choose to follow her own path and go against the suburban grain or reluctantly loosen up and join in on the weekend adventure.
Many Mothers will relate to this and you definitely do not have to be a “city mouse” in order to understand the underbelly of Mom life in the suburbs. We think Stacey Lender’s debut novel tells us that she will be a permanent fixture in a Moms reading circle, her page turning book is not only a good read but up for a lot of discussion. It’s possible we have all had a little Jessica in us and that temptations did not end on that university door step. Things are not always what they seem. To find out more juicy gossip, pick up this book today!
