Bookreporter.com - 37 by Maria Beaumont

37
Maria Beaumont
Hyperion
Fiction
ISBN: 9781401303198

As British stay-at-home mom Fran Clark approaches her 37th birthday, she's not only assessing her life so far (and finding it quite lacking), she’s panicking over the party her husband is throwing to celebrate her special day. Fran just can’t seem to find the right outfit, one that will mask what the mirror reveals when she looks into it: a sad-looking mouth, bags under her eyes, a slack neck and truly appalling hair. Even as she angsts over not finding a party dress, she is also not showing up for an important job interview. This interview might jump-start her career as a voiceover artist that she dropped when she became a mother. It was also set up by her husband Richard, who is sure to be disgruntled that she didn't manage to attend.

When Fran picks up her two children at school, she meets a bright spot in her dreary life: one of her two best friends, Sureya, who, along with Fran's other good pal, Summer, serves as a major sounding board and support. Unfortunately, Fran also finds another source of insecurity in her life in the form of uber-parent Cassie, who assigns Fran the task of making hats for the children's play. Fran instantly has a sinking feeling, since she doesn't know how to sew, but she is cowed into agreeing to help. As in so many areas of Fran's life, she feels she can't win in this situation; she can't say no, yet somehow she will fail.

As Fran retrieves daughter Molly from her classroom, Molly talks her mother into imitating Mrs. Gottfried, the intimidating school administrator. Now here is one thing Fran can do, and it is guaranteed to make Molly laugh. But Molly doesn't respond the way Fran expects --- because Mrs. Gottfried is standing right behind Fran, and she is not amused by Fran's imitation of her. In fact, she wants to speak with Fran about one of Fran's children. Dread fills Fran, who claims to be too busy to talk with Mrs. Gottfried. The upcoming inevitable discussion looms over Fran's life, adding yet another dark, foreboding cloud while Richard chastises her for missing the job interview.

When Fran meets her friend Summer for lunch the next day, Summer urges her to get a nanny to help with Fran's children. Summer blames most of Fran's problems on Richard's unsupportive attitude. She seems to believe that Fran would acquire a fantastic job, get in shape and gain complete control over her life if she just had a little bit of help. Fran must rush home, meanwhile, because Richard is out of town at a meeting. When she takes her children to the park, she begins talking with another of the school mothers, Natasha, who proves to be funny and fun, not at all like the other moms who constantly seem to be looking down their noses at Fran. When Fran discovers something shocking about Richard, Fran leans on her friends, including her new pal Natasha --- but not nearly as much as she depends on drinking to numb her pain.

Fran's black humor lightens what otherwise could be a depressing take on her ongoing woes and problems as a wife and mother. Readers may find themselves wearying of her lack of constructive action as Fran's life careens from bad to worse. They may also wish for a little more follow-through and realistic resolutions to her many predicaments. Still, this book, with its frequent funny asides, is an entertaining read and concludes on a hopeful note.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon (terryms2001@yahoo.com)

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