The author of Flirting with Forty and Odd Mom Out releases Mrs. Perfect, a poignant and entertaining read.
Some call it chick-lit or mom-lit, but Jane Porter’s books are more than simple entertainment: they astutely and pragmatically address relevant topics with easy prose and amusing wit.
Mrs. Perfect, Porter’s recent release (a follow-up to last year’s Odd Mom Out) follows Taylor Young—country-club-going, PTA-presiding uber-Mom—as she is about to be dethroned as Bellevue, Washington’s most prominent mother.
Our Mom-Nemesis
We all know (and secretly loathe) Taylor Young. Her wardrobe is perfect. Her children are always well-scrubbed and gleaming, hopping from violin lessons to French class. Her exceptionally handsome husband has a high-paying, well-respected job, and their relationship seems flawless. And it would all be forgivable if she didn’t seem so, well…smug.
There must be secrets behind the perfection. Porter lays it all bare in Mrs. Perfect, and readers get a gleeful look behind the façade. But hard as it is to make Taylor Young a sympathetic character, Porter does a perfect job, deftly painting a picture of someone who is all too believable for her insecurity.
Familiar Characters with Real Heart
Porter shows her strength as a writer with a variety of characters that are familiar without being cliché. Taylor’s nemesis is Marta Zissner, in a role reprisal from her stint as the hero of Odd Mom Out. Seemingly opposite, Marta and Taylor find a lot of common ground, which is an allegory for all women—if we would spend less time gossiping and being petty, we may form a sisterhood of support.
Beneath the exterior of an easy, gossipy read, Porter’s characters come to grips with struggles that real women face. Should a woman work outside the home, or stay with the kids? Is a job only valuable if it helps others (like a brain surgeon), or is work for its own sake acceptable? Should one be financially dependant on a man? And what good is image if it means losing everything important?
Not a Popcorn Ending
Still, Mrs. Perfect is far from cheesy. Porter’s endings defy cookie-cutter expectations while still satisfying the reader. Her books are perfect as beach reads, but will stay with you long after you read the last word. From setting to dialogue, Porter weaves together a world that is so feasible you’ll be breathless with worry and teary-eyed with relief through all of Taylor Young’s trials and tribulations.
You’ll want to put Mrs. Perfect on your shelf to pick up again and again. Thought it can be read alone, it's the perfect follow-up to Odd Mom Out. Read them both for maximum Jane Porter exposure!
Mrs. Perfect is available May 5, 2008 from 5-Spot. Visit www.janeporter.com.
