The School for Good Mothers

Beware of hype, and especially whenever comparisons are made between a novel and The Handmaid's Tale. Sure, Chan's book is a good one – so much so that I consumed it compulsively – but it is probably not destined to endure anywhere near as much as Atwood's. The novel falls more into the speculative than dystopian fiction camp. Its focus is on the limits of surveillance, the role society expects of mothers, and the perpetuation of racial (as well as gender) stereotypes. (Chan, like her narrator/heroine, is Asian American.) At the heart of this work is the question of whether it is possible to quantify what constitutes a ‘good mother’, and so should the state seek to school mothers (particularly those considered to be failing) into a certain mold. There are inevitable parallels with 1984 and the training Frida (Winston) is forced to undergo. I was also reminded of Red Clocks by Leni Zumas. However, the most interesting part of the work, arguably, was Frida's interaction with her robot doll/child substitute. I was reminded of Ishiguro's Clara and the Sun and McEwan's Machines Like Me. Expect to see more fiction of this sort. 8 out of 10.

By Jessamine Chan