CITY PEOPLE

Seven young mothers attempt to navigate the cutthroat world of competitive parenting on New York’s Upper East Side.

The story opens as Susan Harris jumps to her death from the roof of her apartment building, leaving behind her successful husband and two young children. The oldest, Claude, goes to preschool at Woodmont, a feeder to the prestigious Kent School. A handful of children receive recommendations from Woodmont’s headmistress to Kent (though they won't all get in!), and their families form something of a clique in the wake of Susan’s death. There’s Vic, a bestselling author who’s a Kent graduate herself; Penelope, a woman from a family so wealthy she can’t imagine her annual donations won’t guarantee her child admission; Chandice, Bhavna, and Amy, who each have their own reasons for believing their children will be admitted as well as crippling insecurities about what would happen if that brass ring were denied. And then there’s Kara, who’s created an entirely fake persona and suffers a gradual breakdown when Susan’s death awakens traumatic memories from her past. As the mothers lie, manipulate, and backstab, it’s clear that not all of them can hack city life. Some of the children won’t be accepted to Kent, and those families may choose to (gasp!) relocate to Westchester or Connecticut. Told in a close third person, the chapters alternate among the women, providing glimpses into each one's deepest fears and insecurities. Topp deftly weaves a tale of interconnected characters while simultaneously revealing that they don’t really know each other at all. Painting a grim picture of what it means to be part of Manhattan’s high society, she reveals how these privileged characters manage to make themselves absolutely miserable. As Susan’s death forces the others to reexamine their priorities, the author also deftly explores issues like anxiety, financial distress, and self-doubt. Though sometimes heavy-handed, the novel’s scathing observations about Manhattan's wealthiest parents are wildly entertaining.

An engrossing, unflinching critique of elite parenting in Manhattan.