"Motherland" Book Review

Motherland by Amy Sohn
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

"With her trademark blend of “social satire, interpersonal drama, and urban glamour” (The New York Times), Amy Sohn delivers a candid, unsentimental look at modern marriage. In her acclaimed novels, Amy Sohn has beguiled us with her pinpoint observations of how we live and love, giving voice to our innermost thoughts and everyday anxieties. Now, in Motherland, her most diverting book to date, she introduces us to five mothers and fathers in Cape Cod, Park Slope, and Greenwich Village who find themselves adrift professionally and personally.

"Rebecca Rose, whose husband has been acting aloof, is tempted by the attentions of a former celebrity flame; Marco Goldstein, saddled with two kids when his husband, Todd, is away on business, turns to anonymous sex for comfort; Danny Gottlieb, a screenwriter on the cusp of a big break, leaves his wife and children to pitch a film (and meet young women) in Los Angeles; fallen sanctimommy Karen Bryan Shapiro, devastated by her husband’s infidelity and abandonment, attempts a fresh start with a hot single dad; and former A-list actress Melora Leigh plots a star turn on Broadway to revive her Hollywood career. As their stories intersect in surprising ways and their deceptions spiral out of control, they begin to question their beliefs about family, happiness, and themselves.

"Equal parts moving and richly entertaining, Motherland is a fresh take on modern marriage that confirms Amy Sohn as one of our most insightful commentators on relationships and parenting in America today."

I would like to start this review by saying thank you to Goodreads for allowing giveaways, as I won this book from one of them. Also, they may wish they had picked someone else. Also, I am going to be really picky when choosing which giveaways to participate in from now on.

Anyway, I put this book down and am loathe to bring myself to pick it up again. So, I am giving up on it, which I don't like to do, but life is short and there are a ton of other books I'd rather be reading right now.

There were too many characters in this book and I couldn't give a damn about nearly every one of them. There was one I almost liked (the one that almost started a restaurant?), but she was kind of passive. I hated that there were so many points of view with so many names, but it didn't matter because they were all basically the same character rehashed over and over again. Just soulless, uninteresting rich people with stupid problems that they tried fixing with unenjoyable and forced sex.

The author tried really hard being clever and interesting with all of the slang and stuff, but that was the problem: she tried too hard and it was pathetic to read. She could be an excellent author, or editor, but she should start by making up people that might have growth potential or the ability to have mental catharsis.

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