"The School for Good Mothers" by Jessamine Chan Paired with Mas Martinet Bru

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For episode 14, we’re discussing “The School for Good Mothers” by Jessamine Chan. This is a disturbing story about a mother who has a very bad day and leaves her toddler at home for a few hours, all alone. Frida, our main character and mother of Harriet, is then sent to a correctional facility where she will be “taught” how to be a good mother in order to regain custody of her daughter.

This is a story of resilience and pain, but more importantly, of what our society demands of mothers and the ways in which they are shamed, criticized, and ostracized for failing to meet society’s rigorous and often unrealistic standards. Frida is a symbol for the imprisoned, the victims of injustice, and those who society believes  ...