Mother's Helper

by Maureen Freely

The Pyle-Carpenter household comes complete with three children who can do what they like as long as they have Thought It Through, with an intercom that never turns off, Weekly Family Councils and with the television padlocked into a bag.Like Kay Carpenter herself, it was a totally liberated, principled, caring, warm, nurturing nucleus…At first, Laura was completely fooled.

Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[Pamela Saenger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bizarre; somehow mildly compelling.

[Penney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disturbing.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to give this a 3.5.

Yesterday I used the phrase “ Children’s Paradise” in a sarcastic way. I used it in describing a perfectly awful child-centric renovation of a nice old Victorian home. Where did THAT phrase come from I asked myself? Oh yeah, I remember now Maureen Freely’s domestic tale of (what we would snarkily call today) a “woke “ mother and her freestyle approach to child rearing.

Readers! I read this book 40 years ago! But the biting sarcasm as the author relayed the sad tale of the decline of this family stayed with me for decades.

Now I’m going to have to buy a used copy and re-read it to see if it was as effective as I remember.

[Adnamy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book in an obscure community street book exchange at Wisemans ferry (correct spelling) & that’s what it is, a strange book from a strange place. Very readable & in its own way; packed with references some of which have come to pass & some of in today’s (2022) conversations seem almost ludicrous. Laura lost at university & from an alternative family herself finds herself in a stranger family, as the babysitter/cleaner/casual lover etc. But hey it’s better than being in the university dormitory- or is it? But this is not a Stephen King book - although there is a kind of horror to it ... & it is funny.... & maybe pointless? What isn’t? Things happen but the tone remains the same, which is disconcerting. If you want something unusual-well try this.

[Emily kearns]

I've never written a review on here before but felt the need to after reading this book. Hands down, this is the strangest novel I have ever read. Don't really know what else to say other than that.