Ms Conception

by Pamela Power

Jo de Villiers has a three-year-old son, a six-month-old baby and a husband who’s feeling left out. Her marriage to Nick and her job as a scriptwriter for a local soapie both seem to be heading south, along with her breasts. Between toddler tantrums, dirty nappies, potty training and the nursery-school run, she squeezes in writing assignments and meetings, while dealing with a boss from hell, a self-centred mother, an overly genteel mother-in-law and the ‘Blonde Bob Brigade’. But will she be able to hang on to her job, and what is she going to do about the floozy who is pursuing her man?
With the help of her George Clooney-lookalike therapist Jake and
best friend Jasmine, Jo discovers an unusual remedy for an ailing relationship …
Racy, honest and wickedly funny, suburban life with small children has never been so entertaining.

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2012

About the author

Pamela Power is the author of the novels Ms Conception and Things Unseen. A novelist, television scriptwriter and script editor, she has worked on the television shows Top Billing, Generations, Rockville, Gauteng Maboneng and Uzalo and is currently the script editor at Muvhango. She has two children and one husband and lives in Johannesburg. Check out her vlog: #BetweenTheSheetsWithPamela.

Reviews

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contrary to popular belief, South African authors do write about things other than political gloom and doom! In fact, some of our local authors really do have the ability to write quite authentically respectable fiction. If only more readers would drag their heads out of the proverbial quicksand of denial and accept the fact that SA is producing fiction of decent quality!
And one such author is Pamela Power – actually, I’m not sure about the respectable part – but she’s damn funny, and any Jo’burg mom will easily relate to her down-to-earth, no-holds-barred prose. Reading Pam’s book is like settling down with an old friend who understands you so well that she can open up and share just about anything with you. From lamenting about the contents of her son’s nappy (and I’m not just talking about her 7-month-old baby), to the dubious contents of her freezer and her paté, which prompted a hilarious discussion around my Friday night dinner table, no topic is taboo!
At one time or another, many of us have had to deal with hazardous in-laws, the demands of those seemingly perfect PTA mommies, a boss who’s clearly the spawn of Satan, and a poor, down-trodden husband who’s behaving worse than your 3-year-old! In Ms Conception, Jo De Villiers finds herself trying to manoeuvre around all these obstacles simultaneously! Throw in a devious, manipulative cow with the hots for Jo’s hubby and it seems like all is lost. But there to save the day the day are Jo’s marvellous friends (thank goodness we get to choose our friends, hey?), her domestic Christina (who’s truly heaven-sent), her divine therapist Jake, and the hallowed aisles of the Woolworths food hall!
This book is, at times laugh out loud funny, and at others quite bittersweet. Moms everywhere will relate to the age old questions that are addressed here: that balancing, juggling act that we’re expected to perform (perfectly) all the time. Jo doesn’t always get it right, but like most of us, she’s doing OK and she reminds us that having a sense of humour really does help!
SA moms in particular will find lots to smile about in these pages. It is so very, very spot on!

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a heavy read, I normally pick up a light, easy-on-the-senses book just to recentre and balance myself. I picked this book up because I've heard that it was #ChickLit and very funny. Something to entertain me. I do read for the enjoyment most times.

"Mis Conception" is a story about Jo who lives in Johannesburg, my favourite city to live in. Jo has a toddler, a baby and a husband. We follow Jo's life as she tries to create a balance between work, family, friends, children's parties, dinner parties, work deadlines, leaking breasts (she's breastfeeding) and creating balanced meals for her family. A lot on her plate. And, wait for it, shedding the baby weight. Jo doesn't make it appear easy at all, which endeared her to me. A lot of times we are shown women who are "juggling 8 balls" and not even one falls. We then judge ourselves harshly. We are not shown the behind-the-scenes work. Motherhood is hard. Very hard and I have yet to find a manual which works. Jo is a self-employed writer. Self-employment conjures thoughts of easy laid back days where you wake up at 10h00 and do very little till midday. Self-employment requires discipline, proper time-management and self-motivation. It can be quite lonely too because you don't have colleagues that you can do a time-out with. But Jo seems to have a handle on it. I loved that. What a true depiction of working outside of the office towers.

Pamela Power gave us a woman just like us, in Jo. A woman who falls apart, picks herself up and continues to soldier on. Jo's adventures are narrated in such a believable manner that I, now and again, felt sorry for her. I rooted for her when Sue appeared to be a threat. I was like "This Sue is applying for a pak slaan". Nick. All married women have a Nick? Why is it that men, once married, turn into toddlers? So weird and very tiring. Jo is a woman's woman. We've all cut corners. Giving Luke coffee? Yep, we've done that just to have a few peaceful moment in between tantrums.

I loved this book because I needed a read which required nothing from me. A read which was for my own indulgent pleasure. A book which depicted so many of our lives. Lives which we hide because we want to appear perfect. Perfect Stepford wives. Once in a while, I give the family 2 minute noodles just for control.

A well written narrative. So close to reality it almost felt like I knew Jo. Very captivating. Very hard to put down once started. Thanks Pamela, your " 10 thousand hours" are evident.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is so familiar. Those of us who have balanced a career, breastfeeding, young toddlers, all the while worrying about keeping our husbands moderately happy will relate.

I loved the unashamed South-African-ness of it. Too often, I read novels set in this country that are way too serious, and worry too much about being on the right side of the political fence and portraying the correct picture of all the many issues that trouble our country (still). But reading, for me, is an escape,

Read full review here: http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2015/06...

[Melissa Volker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very funny look at the challenges of motherhood. Did she read my mind before writing,? Anyway, toddlers, babies, mothers in law and business travelling husbands, they're all in there. . I wasn't always sure if tears weren't going to spurt instead of laughter, given the contradictory emotional minefield that motherhood is, and the memories this book evoked. But nothing a good glug of wine can't salve.

[Shayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this quick and easy read that had me chuckling as i identified with so much that she had gone thru.

[Paige Nick]

I just finished Ms Conception by Pamela Power. What a fantastic laugh. I started it on my flight up to Joburg, and it made the time fly by. It's a fun, easy read about Jo, a mother of two, who is trying to navigate her world and deal with two very active little boys, a husband who might just be cheating with that skinny bitch Suzie who he works with, her precarious job as a writer on a local soapie, and her kinda George Clooney-ish (in my mind) therapist. If you have kids you'll relate. Can't wait for this author's next book.

[Annemarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a fun and accurate story about new motherhood. it's written exactly as the middle class miss of today speak making the read almost like a visit to a friend.
I loved the flow, the story, the fun of the ride through this book.
The wild and unusual book cover may sway potential readers from buying this book, howevet you'd make a mistake not reading it if you're looking for a break from the political angst of the world today.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very easy reading but I didn't find it hysterical at all, I found it to be a very real account of the working mom's life in South Africa.

[Kereng Ndlebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light and relaxing read. One can relate very well with the author

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. After struggling to get into any type of book for the last couple of months, this was the remedy for that.

[Tiah]

Entertaining comic lit aimed at the motherhood-inclined warriors who've walked the 3am hallways while their breasts leaked. It is every bit as well written as any of the British books I've read in the same vein. It was a pleasure to see a light-hearted genre story that is very much set in South Africa and accurately reflects the posh SA life without being 'South Africa attempts to do genre lit.' There are notable exceptions to this, and I tend to shout about them. But sadly, I've also come across too many that are written at a 1980 standard Mills and Boons quality control (who, I confess I've read last year and can safely say they've improved dramatically). Not that this is romance lit. No. Comedy entertainment.

It is an ebook. I have had problems with ebook editing, especially with literature. This book proves my theory that genre books in the ebiz are heads and tails above the Bookers on Kindle. No %£$@ randomly inserted into words, odd spacing and the layout is professionally done. This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine in e-reading, so hats of to eKhaya. (Yes, an epublisher should know what they are doing, but given this is South African and South African publishers have been given a bad rap, I want to stress that this has been done well.)

I enjoyed the book. Read it on a lazy Sunday when I wanted exactly that sort of read. Would recommend it to any other person (probably a woman) who wants to read something along the lines of

That said ...

Much of the book has been written before. The troubled marriage is a common theme in the comic lit of motherhood that it would be nice to see something new. Not that this is a reflection of the book itself. Standing on its own, the book reads very well.

Except I didn't like Nick. Ever. I didn't see any part of him that made him loveable. I could understand the need to want to make things work because of children and so many other factors. But Nick was loathsome. He was like a child but dressed in a suit. It isn't that men never display lack of understanding / laziness / obliviousness - it was that he had all the traits in such large quantity he became a cartoon of every. cursed. husband.

He even baulks at picking up his son (still leaving his wife to deal with the other son) when she has a meeting that may mean losing her job. They need the money. I understand in the normal day to day her job + nanny gives her the flexibility to do these tasks his job does not. But given the circumstances and the fact she was trying to save HER job that THEY needed you'd have thought he'd step it up or take sick leave or anything else that any other working person with children has had to do once in awhile. (This is where I lost my sh!t, so to speak.)

The main character has faults. I know. Everybody does. But given what a giant arse Nick is it made my blood boil near the end (sign of good book, I became emotionally invested) to see an attempt to make the issue balanced:

'Some of what he said made sense. It's not only that I spend too much time with the kids. It's also that I'm always thinking about them.'

Um, this is a jerk who can't iron his own shirt when she is busy nursing and making breakfast and the packed lunch and the...who can't give his wife a decent hand when her job is on the line then has a 'I can't remember' affair with his co-worker.

I don't believe in using sex as a weapon. But whining that one's wife does not give you attention when you make everything in the household HER problem while expecting her to work full time - I have no sympathy. If she'd had slightly less to do, or shunned true romantic efforts made on his part - yeah, I could have seen where he was coming from.

He missed his son's birthday while he was partying the night away in a foreign country.

No.

In fact, if Jo had been able to be financially independent I don't think she would have stayed with him.

But perhaps that was part of the author's point?

[Khalida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms Conception is a 'must read' especially if you are a mum or mum-to-be. And if you're of the male species, you will gain invaluable insight into the female psyche. This book confirmed my normality. Now I know I'm not alone in using profanity when the kids drive me insane... or talk to myself and pull faces.... or neglect to feed the kids healthy meals....You will be free of motherly guilt when you are done with Ms Conception. Jo is the woman we all are - mostly in our heads!

Pamela Power does not shy away from tough topics either - AIDS is a reality in many households. Jo deals with her helper's trauma as most of us would wish to. The importance of female support and friendship is also crucial during trying times. Jo's friend Jasmine is the BFF you'll want to have. Of course, a professional opinion, in the form of a 'George Clooney' lookalike therapist helps Jo regain her confidence (perhaps not the best option for most of us).

This book had me snorting and laughing out loud! It is a deliciously wicked read which will have you recommending it to all your girlfriends.

[Hecate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A laughter riot, although sometimes I was aware that tears lay just below the mirth. Lovely fresh romp through the standard mom-lit formula of small kids, mother-tearing-hair, husband vulnerable to prowling sex-on-legs colleague. Best (and most novel) ending imaginable -- I did not see that one coming.

[Paula Gruben · Rating 4 out of 5]

The rip-roaring tale of a 35-year-old WAHM (work-at-home-mom) & suburban housewife as she teeters on the edge of a midlife crisis. If you enjoy chick lit / comedy a la Sophie Kinsella, with a uniquely South African flavour, then do give this book a try.

[Leaza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book- it really spoke to me and my stage of life, living in Johannesburg... Even had me laughing out loud!

[Ursula · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is warm, funny and real. The characters are very well drawn. The storyline held my attention and I loved the ending