ODD MOM OUT

Headstrong advertising executive tries to meet the demands of single motherhood.

Marta Zinsser has always insisted on taking the road less traveled and thumbing her nose at authority. From her combat boots and muscle bike to launching her own advertising agency, Marta is happiest when shattering stereotypes and going it alone. While this independent streak lands her some great advertising clients, it also lands her in hot water with her impressionable ten-year-old daughter, Eva. Eva feels abandoned as Marta pushes herself to make a financial success of her business. All the other moms volunteer at school, dress in appropriately feminine clothes and have busy social lives. Like all tweens, Eva wants to fit in and be popular. This sensitive soul also senses her mom’s loneliness and thinks if Marta softens her look and gets involved in Seattle’s social scene, happiness will blossom. Marta cringes at the thought of fitting in with the mommy “A Team,” but in an effort to appease her daughter, she starts to become more involved. Upon ending her self-imposed exile, Marta manages to capture the attention of a handsome bachelor and starts dating. But she quickly overextends herself and jeopardizes her firm. This provocative novel argues that it is impossible to have it all. Porter (Flirting with Forty, 2006, etc.) makes plain that something has to give when one is trying to juggle family, love and work. The draining pace of Marta’s life comes across convincingly, and Porter’s got a knack for getting into the heads of the pre-teen set; Eva’s worries are right on the mark.

A poignant critique of mommy cliques and the plight of single parents.