Book Review: Odd Mom Out

Porter, Jane. Odd Mom Out. 5 Spot. September 27, 2007. 408 p. ISBN-10: 0-446-69923-3 (ISBN-13: 978-0446069923-5) $13.99

Meeting Marta Zinsser was an eerie episode of self-recognition. The head strong, fiercely independent heroine of Jane Porter’s Odd Mom Out will no doubt resonate with many self-made women.

Marta Zinsser is a successful single mom, trying to balance the responsibilities of running her own business and raising her ten-year-old daughter Eva. Believing women can have it all, and have it all without the help – or interference – of a man, Marta reaches a crises point when she begins to doubt her own philosophy.

Marta led a happy life of nonconformity in New York City, until her mother became ill. Now Marta and Eva live in the wealthy suburb of Bellevue, home to Seattle’s software elite. Eva is the first to realize they’ve become social outcasts, and it’s all Marta’s fault.

While Marta is focused on launching her own advertising agency, Eva becomes obsessed with popularity and bridal magazines. Convinced that life would be easier if her mom would just try to fit in, Eva begins her mommy makeover campaign. But convincing Marta to join the PTA only makes things worse, as her combat boots step all over the pedicured toes of the local Alpha moms.
To complicate matters, Marta meets a man that challenges her idea of the family unit. Over committed and full of self-doubt, Marta begins to recognize her own prejudices and preconceived notions of womanhood.

Thematically, Odd Mom Out focuses on the representation of women; the way we portray ourselves and how women relate to one another. The message dominates the story line but delivers more than just the cliché platitudes about self image. Distressed by her daughter’s desire to befriend the most popular girls in school, a trusted confidant challenges Marta from a fresh perspective:

“She’s stronger than you think. Stronger than you were . . . That’s why she wants to be in the in crowd, she thinks she can handle the in crowd. And you know, I think she can, too.”
 “But why this desire to be popular? What’s that about?”
 Shey Shrugs. “It’s about power. Dominance. Eva is confident enough, she wants to compete—“
 “But on whose terms?”
 “Her terms.”

Shey also addresses Marta’s social isolation:

 “We’re part of a community, something larger than ourselves, and we need to be involved in the community. Not just Eva, but you, too . . . You don’t know who they are or what they think because you’re not giving them a chance.”

Marta fears the attempt to make new friends will mean slicing off the best parts of her personality to fit in. Who we really are in relationship to others is the real meat of the book. When is individualism a bold statement of self and when is it a mask we hide behind to avoid rejection? When is independence a conscious act of liberation and when is it an excuse to avoid the complications of interpersonal relationships?

From a technical standpoint, the structure is simple and the plot is well paced, but it’s Porter’s strong voice and clear vision that will ultimately win the readers over. Odd Mom Out illustrates that Porter is an acute observer of human nature. Her heroine, naturally flawed, is a woman readers can both admire and sympathize with, while her minor characters have been fleshed out enough to avoid stereotyping. Marta’s struggle to achieve work/life balance exemplifies the frustration of modern women as they attempt to reconcile the expectations of two competing environments. Odd Mom Out is an emotionally satisfying novel that will have you nodding in agreement.

Join Modern Matriarch tomorrow for an interview with author jane Porter. Odd Mom Out is on sale now through Amazon.com.