When a devoted teacher comes under pressure for her progressive curriculum and a helicopter mom goes viral on social media, two women at odds with each other find themselves in similar predicaments, having to battle back from certain social ruin.
Reading Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes by Kathleen West was a perfect way to escape from staying home and to remember days gone by when children actually went to school and we could see each other in person. In this book, we meet several people—each of whom is imperfect in some way—and we grow to, if not like them, at least understand and sympathize with them ... The plot, the dialogue from teachers and parents, and the students themselves all ring true ... impressive. West deftly balances multiple perspectives and brings together Julia and Isobel in a completely believable manner. This is a book that needs to be read by book clubs, parents and, yes, even teachers.
... a biting, oh-no-she-didn’t commentary on the age-old pressures of academia, amplified by modern-day social media. Lest you think the whole scenario seems over the top, look no further than the Hollywood-adjacent Operation Varsity Blues, a true story of helicopter parenting and over-compliant teachers gone horribly wrong. This book might be fiction, but you can bet it’s all happening right here in 'Liston Heights.'... a biting, oh-no-she-didn’t commentary on the age-old pressures of academia, amplified by modern-day social media. Lest you think the whole scenario seems over the top, look no further than the Hollywood-adjacent Operation Varsity Blues, a true story of helicopter parenting and over-compliant teachers gone horribly wrong. This book might be fiction, but you can bet it’s all happening right here in 'Liston Heights.'
