Up and In offers a hilarious yet surprisingly thought-provoking look at the the pressure moms often feel to fit in with other moms.
The story, which shifts between present and past events, is told from Maria’s perspective. For several years, Maria has managed to successfully fit in with the hoity toity mothers of her daughter’s private school friends. Unfortunately, one false move puts her on the outs with the alpha female of the bunch, Bea. As a result, both Maria and her daughter, Kate, suffer the consequences.
At first I was skeptical that I’d be able to keep track of the large cast of characters, which consists of seven girls and seven sets of parents. However, Disney did a spectacular job of bringing each character to life with distinctive personality traits and quirks. I was actually surprised by how well I felt I knew most of these characters by the end. I was also pleasantly surprised by how much I could relate to Maria and her experiences as a mom, a wife, and an adult trying to fit in with other adults for the sake of her child.
I love Disney’s conversational tone and her style of humor. Some of the things these characters say and do and so many of Maria’s thoughts had me in stitches!
If you’ve ever tried to fit in with a group of parents you don’t exactly relate to and enjoy funny chick lit, I recommend you give this gem a read.
K. J. Farnham 