Mother On Fire: A True Motherf%#$@ Story About Parenting! (2008) - Plot & Excerpts
It's easy to dismiss this book as shallow fluff—per page, there are probably twelve exclamation points, seven ellipses, at least one incidence of ALL CAPS FOR EMPHASIS. It's meandering, scattered, a little dopey at times. But it's also pretty darn smart about a lot of what passes for modern life—and I wouldn't say it's even mostly about "parenting," as the kids show up in the story only very rarely. Maybe it's more about how women interact with one another. The story is fairly specific to L.A., however, which I think makes it more interesting than it would be if it were trying to be more about "universal truths."As others have noted here, the book is not at all like Loh's stuff in the Atlantic. This memoir of her year trying to figure out her daughter's educational milieu captures Sandra's spicy, slightly hyperventilating tone as well as some great insights into the American educational system. I loved her skewering of private schools, the administrators who run them, and the parents to seek them. [for example: Gesell Assessement, my ass!] Her defense of public schools made me want to grab my pom-poms and cheer along. Her ruminations on modern women and our relationship to motherhood ("Is it encroaching on my personhood? My fulfillment?") certainly felt familiar. The book had several laugh-out-loud moments: the description of Willowood School honoring diversity, and the private school pricing scheme. Overall a delightful romp through a crazy year -- the year before your firstborn starts school.
What do You think about Mother On Fire: A True Motherf%#$@ Story About Parenting! (2008)?
I saw the stage show of Mother on Fire and thought it was hilarious, but the book was just okay.
—pavani
I loved this book, and I wish Sandra Tsing Loh was my next door neighbor.
—fbs
Dealing with urban education issues. This is the book.
—jaygil12
Very funny. I love her articles in the Atlantic.
—peetabread1
