Book Review no: 14 The Mother's Group by Fiona Higgins

Set in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney, The Mother's Group is the story of six women from different backgrounds thrown together via the shared experience of first time motherhood. Everybody knows motherhood is not easy and through these women the reader explores the way modern women approach the journey.

Right from the beginning, you get the sense that there is more to every character than meets the eye and as the story unfolds you get to know each woman through different POV chapters. As you would expect there is a varied mix of first time mothers - ranging from a high-flying lawyer who accidentally got pregnant at 39 to a young Balinese woman, who is struggling to adapt to her new life in a foreign country with a much older husband. I thought the different POV worked well and enjoyed a different take on each section of the story as it progressed.

The characterisation was really good and I felt that I got a good sense of each woman and what she was about. I could empathise with the struggle each of them faced, although I did warm better to some characters than others. I also thought the sense of place was really strong, having no problem seeing the contemporary Sydney setting.

The action in the story comes later than expected and it was quite a shock to me when it happened. I was going along one path as a reader, seeing the book in one way, when it was actually paving the way towards a different destination altogether. Highly emotive, it really packed a punch and had me seeing each woman in a different light.

The Mother's Group is a well-written, engaging book that most women with children (and even those without) will be able to relate to on some level. Exploring the themes of friendship, relationships and parental love it is a compelling read.