Laurie Gelman’s, debut novel, Class Mom: A Novel, is a clever take on a year in the life of kindergarten class mom, Jen Dixon. Jen is not your typical Kansas City kindergarten class mom—or a mom in general. Jen already has two college-age daughters by two different men (probably musicians), and it’s her second time around the class mom block with five-year-old Max—this time with a husband and father by her side. Though her best friend and PTA President sees her as the “wisest” candidate for the job (or oldest), not all of the other parents agree.
From recording parents’ response times to her emails about helping in the classroom, to requesting contributions of “special” brownies for curriculum night, not all of Jen’s methods win approval from the other parents. Throw in an old flame from Jen’s past, a hyper-sensitive “allergy mom,” a surprisingly sexy kindergarten teacher, and an impossible-to-please Real Housewife-wannabe, causing problems at every turn, and the job really becomes much more than she signed up for.
Relatable, irreverent, and hilarious in the spirit of Maria Semple, Class Mom is a fresh, welcome voice in fiction—the kind of novel that real moms clamor for, and a vicarious thrill-read for all parents, who will be laughing as they are liberated by Gelman’s acerbic truths.
ABOUT LAURIE GELMAN
Laurie Gelman was born in Ottawa, Canada and realized her lifelong ambition to be an author at the ripe old age of 52.
Before that she spent 25 years as a broadcaster, a wife and a mother. Class Mom is her first book. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and two daughters.