Secret Mothers' Business: One Night, Eight Women, No Kids, No Holding Back

Secret Mother's Business #1

by JOANNE FEDLER, Katharina Volk (Translator)

One evening in late June a group of women friends get together at Louise's house. Natalie brings the red wine, Tamara some gluten-free delight as well as her fully charged mobile (her husband still can't seem to get two children to bed without calling her at least 6 times). Fiona will haul out her aromatherapy kit and they can count on Lou to bring along at least a kilo of chocolate.It is a regular reunion for eight very different women, with very different lives, secrets and fantasies. The only unifying factor? They are all mothers.

Be warned, you will recognise yourself and your friends within these pages. These are real conversations with real women, and they are conversations we've all about our weight, our fantasies - sexual and otherwise, those school lunchboxes, mother's guilt, our partners, the endless struggle to balance work, housework, family and sanity, and the seemingly impossible task of deciding what to feed the family every single night of the goddamn week.

In the tradition of I Don't Know How She Does It, with just a hint of The Bride Stripped Bare, this is a book about the tenuous nature of mothering, the beauty and complexity of friendships, and the way in which women support - and judge - one another. It is a revealing look at where women go as mothers, and at just how far it is possible to go without quite going insane.

Genres: Roman, Fiction

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Joanne Fedler is an internationally bestselling author and witing mentor. She studied law at Yale and now lives in Australia.

Reviews

[Annemiek · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really boring 😔

[Melanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Nia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy read but felt random (big topics mixed with small talk and decriptions of food). There were too many characters to connect with any of them or even know who they are without going back to their introductory pages. CJ, Liz and Dolly are a bit more memorable, but I kept mixing up Hel and Tam and Ereka and Fiona.

[Adine Abrams · Rating 5 out of 5]

In der Phase, selbst gestresst und genervt vom Mumi-Dasein zu sein, war es die genialste Lektüre. Ein wenig über sich und seine Problem zu lachen tut verdammt gut.

[Michi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Total komisches Buch

[Avalonia's Lesereich · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 Sterne = gut, würde ich weiter empfehlen

[Leonie]

DNF - It isn’t for me yet because I’m too young to get into their mindsets (20 years old)…

[Anika · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eine echte Mogelpackung. Der Klappentext verkauft das Buch als Geschichte über acht Freundinnen, die sich zu einem Abend mit viel Essen, viel Alkohol und vielen pikanten Gesprächen treffen, in deren Verlauf dunkle Geheimnisse ans Licht kommen. Was er verschweigt - und was der englische Originaltitel "The Secret Mothers' Club" zumindest andeutet - ist, dass es um acht Freundinnen geht, die allesamt Mütter sind und deren "dunkle Geheimnisse" sich allesamt um banale Fragen der Kindererziehung drehen. Das wäre ja alles noch halbwegs ertragebar, aber: die Charaktere wirken nicht wirklich sympathisch, ein Spannungsaufbau findet quasi gar nicht statt, die erwartete Enthüllung jeglicher Art bleibt völlig aus. Ich habe das Buch nur durchgelesen, weil meine Ma es mir zu Weihnachten geschenkt hat und ich dachte, irgendwann muss doch noch was passieren. Nun ja.

Zumindest die Essensszene sind sehr appetitanregend. Und der Schreibstil an sich ist okay. Trotzdem nicht meins.

29. May 2011: Downgraded from 2 stars to 1 star

[anuschka.reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Acht Frustrierte (stereotype) Vollzeitmütter - die sich selbst bemitleiden, sich beschweren, lästern und sich untereinander eigentlich nicht wirklich mögen, treffen sich zu einem „Weiberabend“ um mal von Alltag abzuschalten. Im ganzen Buch ging es nur ums Gejammer über die Kinder, deren Erziehung und schlechten Ehemänner.

Aus dem Buch:“ Die Zeit ist gekommen, der Welt die Wahrheit zu sagen. Nämlich dass jemand, der selbst keine Kinder hat, nicht mal ansatzweise erahnen kann, wie schwer es ist, Mutter zu sein.“

Da ich kinderlos bin (und laut der Autoren nur ein halber Mensch), hat mir das Buch nichts geben können – es hat mich eher erschreckt und den Wunsch nach Kindern getrübt. Somit kann ich das Buch keinem kinderlosen Leser empfehlen. Es war außerdem ziemlich langatmig, handlungslos und größtenteils sehr langweilig. Den 2. Teil werde ich nicht lesen.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was gorgeously, fantastic written, really one of the best creative style I've ever read. But some of the opinons were a bit contradictory - of the same person! Well, maybe I overreact and it is just the human being that has any faults and tries to compensate and arrange with different thoughts (I wasn't supposed to deny I'm confusing and conflicting as well), but I'm sure I'm going to re-read it when I've become a mother myself as I'd like to know whether I'll feel similarly (which I can't believe nor estimate right now) ...

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off as a 2/2.5 star read. There were a few great quotable passages but things just seemed to drag a little. I did learn quite a few things about these mothers and their parenting methods, some I'll keep in the back of my mind until I have children, some I will disregard. The last quarter of the book bumped it up to a 3 star read, it was a bit emotional at times and quite interesting. I just feel that this book had so much potential and it got lost somewhere along the way.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so comforting to feel that I am not the only mother to think they're a bad one!!! Or a lot less than perfect anyway. Sometimes we need a book which tells us that we're not the only ones who get it wrong and that we really do try our hardest but also recognise when we let ourselves down or when we need a break, and to tell us that our decisions are right even when they seem to be the most wrong...

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! I thought it was just a cut above the norm for this genre. What I liked so much about it was the author's honesty - she put down in black and white all the things we, as mothers, wives and friends, secretly think and fear and but often afraid to admit to ourselves much less our friends or partners.

[Sanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started this and then had to get it back to the Library. Decided it wasn't good enough to deserve overdue charges! Had read Joanne Fedler's autobiography 'When Hungry, Eat' and was really inspired. However I found this book disappointing. A lot of stereotypes and I just couldn't connect with the characters, despite being a Mum myself. So I did not finish it, which is unusual for me.

[Melanie Saraiva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok.
Easy written.
Interessant book especially for mothers, who certainly can connect with one of the various female characters in the book, their life, views and struggles.
But it is also a great book for non mothers :), because you get an inside of the ups and downs of motherhood and not only the dreamly painted vision, you mostly get when someone talks about motherhood.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on true conversations with real women, Secret Mothers' Business is a shocking, funny, irreverent and often heartbreaking look at women, friendships and motherhood.

This book was good, but would probably be more relevant to me when I am a mother.

[Nthabiseng Ngoasheng · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very easy and personable read! Secret Mothers' Business by Joanne Fedler is funny, irreverent and very true to WOman nature... a delicious slice of life that any mom, wife/lover is bound to relate to in that way that makes you laugh, smile, nod, gasp and most definitely look within oneself.

[Nicole Gerrand · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have only given this two and a half stars it's OK but I didn't really warm to any of the chAracters who all seemed a little cliched. It's hard t believe hat in one group of friends just about every life experience can be covered

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read this book twice and enjoyed it more the second time. I like the honesty of the book. You really feel like you are there with the ladies and the night gets more interesting as it goes on. We all love girls' nights out and this is a great read.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book - a delightful and honest account of what really goes on in the minds of mothers of young children. A clever story, woven out of the threads of lots of food and a one night stand.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

hab viel lachen müssen. unterhaltsam. macht hunger auf köstliches essen. vermutlich für kinderlose frauen nicht so spannend. mütter finden sich garantiert darin wieder.

[Iva Pejkovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suprisingly, this was quick and tasty read. Really, I'm not a mother but this is book for all 20-something girls.

[Sho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Child-free colleagues recommended this one to me. A group of Australian friends, mothers all, meet for a "sleepover" with heavenly food and confessions. Based on real conversations.

[Beth Lloyd · Rating 1 out of 5]

I actually had this recorded as being called 'The Secret Mothers' club' but can't find that title on here?

Anyway, A bit long winded, I didn't warm to any of the characters.

[Chiara · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pretty sad view on women who aren't mothers - apparently we're far from human...

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was disappointed that you didn't find out what happened to the women from the first book that were not in the second one.

[Kristy Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could relate to a few things in this book. Was a good read.

[Peperoni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Naja..... ein eher billiger Abklatsch von "Sex and the city!".....

[Ada · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to know what it is really like to be a mother, read this book. I liked it a lot!