The Mothers' Group

Mar 26, 2012 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-are, aussie-author

Most women attend a Mothers' Group after the birth of their first child, eager to share the trials of childbirth and sleepless nights. It can be odd though to find yourself in a room with strangers whom with you have nothing much in common except an infant the same age. The mother's group I attended after the birth of my first child started with ten members but quickly dropped down to seven. Our group included a stay at home dad, two single mum's and our ages varied between 19 and 33. We lost on...more Most women attend a Mothers' Group after the birth of their first child, eager to share the trials of childbirth and sleepless nights. It can be odd though to find yourself in a room with strangers whom with you have nothing much in common except an infant the same age. The mother's group I attended after the birth of my first child started with ten members but quickly dropped down to seven. Our group included a stay at home dad, two single mum's and our ages varied between 19 and 33. We lost one member when her baby tragically passed away from SIDS at just 7 weeks old, and another when a mother suffered postnatal psychosis (much more severe than PND). Our core group of five continued meeting for almost three years until circumstances began to change for each of us.

Set in the Northern Beaches suburbs of Sydney, The Mothers' Group by Fiona Higgins, introduces a disparate group of women who, despite their differences in background, lifestyle and circumstances, bond during their regular Mothers' Group meetings.
The novel unfolds in alternating chapters, using the third person point of view, allowing each woman to share their lives. Higgins skillfully develops believable characters to whom the reader can relate. These are mothers you most likely know - the mother who insists on organic food and natural fibers, the mother torn between her career and child rearing - but here Higgins allows us to peer into the privacy of their homes and witness their relationships and hidden desires. Higgins also provides context for her six main characters by allowing us glimpses of their families, the partners and fathers of the children. The emphasis of the novel however is on the burgeoning relationships between the women as their friendships develop from tentative interaction to a solidly supportive network.
While the mothers struggle with the challenges of first time motherhood and the changes it brings, they are unwittingly hurtling towards a shocking tragedy that threatens to shatter their friendships and change them forever. Even though I expected something terrible to happen, when it came I felt I was unprepared. Higgins deals with the aftermath sensitively and realistically with an ending that is hopeful, if not happy.

The Mothers' Group is an impressive fiction debut from Australian author Fiona Higgins. An insightful portrayal of first time parenthood, relationships and friendships this novel makes for compelling reading.(less)

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Aug 26, 2012 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, australian-author, fiction

This book follows the lives, and emerging friendship of a group of five women who had been thrown together by a local organisation for no other reason than they are new, first time mothers within their local community.
The book is divided into five chapters. Each chapter throws the spotlight on a particular member of the group; her life leading to motherhood and her point of view.
This was an easy read. It was not as tightly written as I would have liked, and quite predictable in many areas. Ther...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Cecile rated it 5 of 5 stars

Nothing can prepare you for motherhood and Australian author Fiona Higgins does a marvellous job of highlighting this realization for the six central characters of 'The Mothers' Group'. This novel is an honest portrayal of life as a modern mother. In her relaxed easy to read style Higgins shines a light on the truth of first time motherhood whilst also compelling her reader with insights into marriage, sex, friendship and ultimately, love. A thought provoking yet thoroughly rewarding read.

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May 17, 2013 Hiep Huynh rated it 3 of 5 stars

On the plus side, it was very quick and easy to read. Since the targeted demographic no doubt included young mothers (by which I mean mothers of young children), this is very helpful.

The individual stories are interesting, although I think they would have been better written as a collection of short stories. They didn't really seem to connect, unless it was to contrast the characters and show how such a diverse group was brought together by the simple fact that they had children within a small...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Rachael rated it 4 of 5 stars

There are some great reviews of this book on its goodreads.com page, so I will give you a few personal reflections rather than a "review".

Firstly, I should say that I won my copy of this book through a mother's day competition on the Allen & Unwin Facebook page. This in no way influences the comments that follow.

I really enjoyed this book. I wondered though, about the question of "the reader in the book". Do you have to be a mother to enjoy this book? Do you have to have experienced a mother...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Yvette Erskine rated it 5 of 5 stars

You know you’re onto a good thing when you finish a novel and without pausing, flip back to the beginning to start all over again. Such was the case with Fiona Higgins’ The Mothers’ Group.
Through her protagonists Ginie, Made, Suzie, Miranda, Pippa and Cara, Higgins explores questions of friendship, support, marriage, the pressures of parenting in the twenty first century and the meaning of unconditional love – as well as what it means if that love doesn’t come easily or naturally.
The unlikely g...more You know you’re onto a good thing when you finish a novel and without pausing, flip back to the beginning to start all over again. Such was the case with Fiona Higgins’ The Mothers’ Group.
Through her protagonists Ginie, Made, Suzie, Miranda, Pippa and Cara, Higgins explores questions of friendship, support, marriage, the pressures of parenting in the twenty first century and the meaning of unconditional love – as well as what it means if that love doesn’t come easily or naturally.
The unlikely group forms courtesy of the fact that they live in the same area and gave birth at roughly the same time. Aside from this, the women, due to their differences, may never have given each other a second glance.
The story unfolds through the eyes of the women themselves – one chapter per woman. I’m a big fan of storytelling in this manner – to me it is perhaps the most intimate way of introducing your characters to the reader. Higgins has crafted the novel beautifully. We come to know (but not always to love) each woman. Each tells her own story, and subsequently constructs the next piece in the jigsaw that is the main storyline. Through this, we come to know them warts and all, including their impressions of the other women in the group.
Whilst at first glance the book may seem to be about that first challenging year of motherhood, there’s so much more to it. It’s about the women themselves. As well as setting out on the journey to motherhood, each character has her own set of issues playing out in the background such as challenging in-laws, feeling lost in the modern world, difficult stepchildren, cultural issues, old loves and infidelity – things that most of us would be able to relate to in one respect or another.
And the twist. A twist so out of left field, but so frighteningly possible for any parent, that it left me unable to put the book down – even when it was well past my bedtime.
Being pregnant at the moment myself, I found The Mothers’ Group so refreshingly raw in terms of its honesty. At times, it was downright confronting. The characters are all well drawn – to such an extent that I found myself immediately disliking one whose idea of parenting clashes so gratingly with my own. It hauled me firmly into the so-called mummy wars – a fate I had thus far been determined to avoid. But then, isn’t that a sign of a good writer – if she can make you so utterly judgemental that you detest a character that much?
Overall, Higgins has woven an engrossing tale and one that I would highly recommend not only to mothers, but to anyone who’s interested in friendships, relationships and the deeper, fundamental questions that keep us up at night e.g. who am I, why am I on the journey I inadvertently find myself on and what makes me tick? So yes. Pretty much everyone.
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Apr 05, 2012 Mel Bourke rated it 5 of 5 stars

I must say to start with I was a little dubious about purchasing this book. With a title like "The Mother's Group" and a quick read of the blurb, I wondered what I would be getting myself into. It did appeal and I was intrigued and willing to give it a chance - somewhere along the line, most of us with newborns have been pushed (whether gently or not) to give a Mother's Group a go (and most are oragnised by a local maternal health and childcare centre).

I can still vividly recall my immense anxi...more I must say to start with I was a little dubious about purchasing this book. With a title like "The Mother's Group" and a quick read of the blurb, I wondered what I would be getting myself into. It did appeal and I was intrigued and willing to give it a chance - somewhere along the line, most of us with newborns have been pushed (whether gently or not) to give a Mother's Group a go (and most are oragnised by a local maternal health and childcare centre).

I can still vividly recall my immense anxiety at having to leave the safe sanction of my home with newborn (colicky one of course too) in tow to meet up with a - "Mother's Group" organised by our local rural health centre nurse. First time mum, that was enough of a new adventure for me without the added stress of meeting "new people" and of course the common ground being "babies!" It can be quite daunting sitting in a room full of newly fashioned mothers, each with their own "ideal" of what the perfect parenting style is, breast versus bottle, self settle versus cry it out, just .. what they think a child should be doing at a particular age, fussing, primping, comparing little Johnny here to little Sarah over there (Johnny is sleeping soundly, Sarah is wailing)... First time, I just wanted to turn and run (too many prams to make a hefty escape!) Over time, numbers dwindle, you do find mother's that you make "that connection" with and despite subsequent siblings being born over the years that follow, you can make some genuine and life long friends, whereby it doesn't matter where life and your family takes you, you pick up with them as though it was just yesterday .. It is nice to know that "someone has got your back!" - they are the unconditional friends that you want!

I really enjoy novels whereby each chapter is dedicated to the thoughts, views and perceptions from a character's point of view and I think this is what makes this novel such an easy and flowing read. Had I formed opinions about certain characters, of course? were these reiterated by other characters in the book, you bet they were. I could quite have easily read it cover to cover in one sitting.

I certainly wasn't prepared for that life changing moment in the women's lives. It was unthinkable, unimaginable and it is definitely something that you just bounce back from. Forever changed, forever moved and it is really either a make or break situation. It was very clear and resonated throughout the story with themes of acceptance and peace within the soul, that Fiona Higgins was profoundly touched by Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray Love" another novel I love dearly.

So, give it a read and let me know what you think!(less)

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Oct 07, 2012 Birgit rated it 5 of 5 stars

I joined a mothers group when I had my first baby and I met a large group of very different women which gradually dwindled to half it's original size. We met once a week for about a year, then after that we started having second babies and the group gradually got smaller and we met less often to now I have no contact with any of them, my children being 14 and 12 now. I really liked this book because it was really true to life although a bit more dramatic to make the book more interesting but al...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Sally rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: popular-fiction

This is not the sort of thing I would normally read but my own mothers group is starting a book club and this is the first book up for discussion for obvious reasons and also because the author resides in our local area which is where the story takes place - so here I am trying new things! I found the story very readable - I read it in two sittings and that's quite a feat considering I have small baby. The writing is clear and easy and the narrative flows nicely with each chapter being from the...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Kat rated it 3 of 5 stars

*2.5 stars*

The Mothers Group follows the lives of a group of first time mums that are thrown together in a council-run mothers group. After a rocky start, and despite very varied personalities and backgrounds, the unlikely group become firm friends, using each other as a much-needed crutch during the various challenges of first time motherhood.

And then, a cataclysmic event threatens to shatter their friendship into smithereens.

As a very new mum myself, and as a member of a mothers group, I was...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Nicole rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I bought this book on Kobo on a whim, thinking I'd read a good review of it somewhere. I also thought that perhaps it might be nice to read something from the perspective of young mothers, as I generally don't read anything like that at all. Turns out it was probably not a book for me.

Let me start on a positive note by saying that I did enjoy the fact that there is one chapter for each character that carries the story along in a chronological sequence. Overall, however, I found this book to be d...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Gerrianne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: roman

Zes vrouwen leren elkaar kennen bij een zogenaamde 'moedergroep'. Ze hebben bijeenkomsten om met elkaar te praten over alles wat er bij een baby komt kijken. Behalve de officiële bijeenkomsten spreken de vrouwen ook privé af.
Ieder hoofdstuk gaat in op één van de zes vrouwen. Iedere moeder heeft haar eigen geschiedenis en problemen. Hoe beter de vrouwen elkaar leren kennen, hoe hechter de band wordt.

De eerste twee hoofdstukken vond ik vrij saai, gelukkig werd het daarna boeiender. Anders was het...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Sally906 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: aww2013, woman-s-fiction, australian-author

The plot of THE MOTHERS’ GROUP is centred on a group of women whose local mother and child health centre sets up in order to provide support for each other after the births of their babies. All the women are first time mothers, although one has a step-son, and they all live in and around Sydney’s Northern Beaches. There’s a workaholic and older mum, Ginie; a Balinese bride, Made, who is far from her family; Suzie is a single mum who embraces the alternative lifestyle; Pippa suffers from the afte...more The plot of THE MOTHERS’ GROUP is centred on a group of women whose local mother and child health centre sets up in order to provide support for each other after the births of their babies. All the women are first time mothers, although one has a step-son, and they all live in and around Sydney’s Northern Beaches. There’s a workaholic and older mum, Ginie; a Balinese bride, Made, who is far from her family; Suzie is a single mum who embraces the alternative lifestyle; Pippa suffers from the after effects of a birth gone wrong along with postnatal depression; Cara, whose marriage is in trouble; and Miranda, who is stepmum to a very demanding toddler. Each of these women has at least one motherly something that I could relate to.

The six characters take it in turn to tell the story and to take the reader back to who they are, how they met the father of their child and their situation now. Some of the mums are coping just fine, others are really struggling as they were not prepared for the reality of having a squalling, often smelly and extremely demanding little human in their lives. I could SO relate! Sleepless nights have to be the most effective way to destroy a person’s grip on sanity. Fiona Higgins is spot on in how she has depicted the range of emotions and problems that a first time mother goes through – and a second time come to think of it as Miranda has the same problems as the other mums, but with an active toddler as well.

Despite all the drama going on THE MOTHERS’ GROUP is no depressing in any way shape or form. From the first meeting the connections are made and the first tentative steps to friendship begin. The story follows the women for a year and then comes the first year celebration picnic outing and all hell breaks loose. Friendships are tested, marriages are tested and each of the women has to find the strength to build a life out of the tatters of that day and the aftermath. THE MOTHERS’ GROUP is a wonderful story that I recommend to all mums and to those who have friends and relations who are mums. I defy you to read this book and not have a better understanding of what a new mum could be going through.
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Jan 21, 2013 Jo rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 07, 2012 Helen McKenna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: aww2012-challenge, great-aussie-reads-challenge-2012, australian

Set in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney, The Mother's Group is the story of six women from different backgrounds thrown together via the shared experience of first time motherhood. Everybody knows motherhood is not easy and through these women the reader explores the way modern women approach the journey.

Right from the beginning, you get the sense that there is more to every character than meets the eye and as the story unfolds you get to know each woman through different POV chapters. As you would...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Tracey rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was given this book by my lovely Step Mum when we went on holiday as a family to Stradbroke Island. I couldn't put it down. The main character was a career person who had a baby in her late 30's and its about the friends she made through mothers group, the diversity of their backgrounds and personalities that normally would not join them together as friends, however the journey of babies and their relationships post babies gave them a common thread. Part of the book was quite sad (I won't reve...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Janelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

I was drawn to this book, as a Mum of one who was part of an active mothers group in the early days of becoming a new parent.
Of course, I could relate to some of the struggles being dealt with by the new Mums in "The Mothers Group", and I appreciated the author's honesty and accuracy in laying issues out on the table such as post-natal depression, post-birth physical trauma, relationships, marriage, single parenting etc. These were written about realistically and I truly believed the character's...more I was drawn to this book, as a Mum of one who was part of an active mothers group in the early days of becoming a new parent.
Of course, I could relate to some of the struggles being dealt with by the new Mums in "The Mothers Group", and I appreciated the author's honesty and accuracy in laying issues out on the table such as post-natal depression, post-birth physical trauma, relationships, marriage, single parenting etc. These were written about realistically and I truly believed the character's reactions and feelings as they came up at various points throughout the book. I also think the author nailed the dynamic of the mothers group, with a sense of awkardness to begin with, and then allowing the characters to become more closely connected as the book went on (although I felt it almost seemed to jump from one to the other, missing the "middle ground").
But my parting feelings on this book after finishing it are only lukewarm. For starters, while I agree that many people have secrets and even secret lives, and what happens in the homes of new parents often stays there for fear of being judged or ridiculed in the outside world (or even in front of loved ones), I felt that some of the struggles being dealt with by the mothers were far-fetched and seemed more conducive to an episode of "Days of our lives" then a story of a mothers group in Sydney.
As can be gathered from reading the blurb on the back cover, a tragic incident takes place and affects the lives of all of the characters. This event was so horrific, every parent's worst nightmare, and took a lot out of me to get through reading it. The author seems to shove your emotions over a precipice with so much force, demanding your attention as the incident suddenly occurs and turns the whole story on its head.
In one way I want to applaud the author, I felt a strong emotional toll as I made my way through the most terrifying portion of the book, evidence that the event had been delivered well and with raw detail. On the other hand, as a reader I felt like I deserved something in return for having endured through such rocky terrain as I did. I'm not sure what I was after, perhaps feeling a strong connection to one or more of the characters, or being left with an empowering moral imprint, but I sure didn't feel like I'd received my "due". I just didn't quite get what the point was of willingly being led down the dark and terrifying path, only to come out of the other side feeling drained?
I can see this being made in to some kind of TV drama in the near future, with visions of social media hype much like we saw with "The Slap".(less)

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Apr 02, 2012 Sue rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read this in a few days as it hums along. It brought laughter as I recalled 'mothers coffe group' days. We(as mothers) have most probably been in a mother's group in the first year of our new baby's life. Great friendships can be forged, ideologically driven battles can rage...in a passive aggressive way!There is always the one who pulls everyone together - tunes in to what the mums seems to need and there are mums that can barely hold it together for each day with their new little one. Fiona...more

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May 03, 2012 Bree T rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: aww2012, australian

As suggested by the title, The Mothers’ Group revolves around a group of women put together by their local maternal health centre to provide support for each other after the births of their babies. All the women are first time mothers and live in relatively close proximity to each other on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

The women are all quite different – Ginie is 39, a career woman who earns the big bucks as a venture capital lawyer. She meets, becomes pregnant to and marries the younger Daniel in a...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

I picked this up while cooking dinner, just to read a chapter to see what it was like. I put it down at midnight - finished!

It's not literature, but the story rollocked along so that it was literally hard to put down. In places it was very predictable, but I think the characters were so nicely outlined that one could excuse that.

It annoyed me that they referenced We Need To Talk About Kevin and STILL didn't do anything about the very odd and dangerous toddler, but as he was a side issue, I don't...more

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May 23, 2012 Catherine Bateson rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a well-written book with a good, strong plot and interesting structure. I just thought - and I think this is probably coming from a writer's, rather than a reader's perspective - that the characters were a little cliched. There was exactly the mix I'd expect - the high flying lawyer, the substance abuser, the single mum, the warm, competent mum etc. I am also increasingly challenged by the contemporary idea that someone from an economically struggling country represents a purer, more co...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Chantal rated it 3 of 5 stars

I quite enjoyed this book. I have been part of 2 wonderful mothers groups & looked forward to reading this book. I liked how each chapter was devoted to a different character. I immediately began to like & dislike certain characters. What I liked most was that the book didn't sugarcoat motherhood. There are hard times, very hard times but wonderful times aswell. I think we do need to be honest that it's okay not to enjoy it all the time. I didn't expect the twist ending & I like when...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Teena rated it 2 of 5 stars

This could have been a really good book but .... I didn't like any of the characters except Made and I really didn't like the place the story took us. I liked the chapter about the Balinese woman Made - the author chose not to give her an abusive husband. My favorite part is where Made talks about happiness and how it is a Western concept - people in Bali are content if they have enough food to eat. The Mothers Group was simplistic and unsatisfying and if it hadn't been for Made's voice of reaso...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

I will start this review by saying that I have never attended a Mother's Group of my own, I have sat in on my sisters once and after that experience I knew Mother's Groups weren't for me.

Why? I find them too bitchy, a little too "Ginie."

To start off with the book was split into Chapters which covered each member of the Mother's Group.

Chapter 1 was Ginie, an older mum at 39 who is a lawyer and used to having a fast paced life.

She came across very judgemental, holier-than-thou and quite frankly n...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Carla Coulston rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I knew almost nothing about this book and don't really know why I purchased it, except perhaps the theme (Mothers Group) appealed to my 39-week pregnant, baby-obsessed brain.

But I'm glad I did. What was immediately obvious was that it was an Aussie novel... unfortunately I've found these a bit hit and miss at times, but Higgins did not disappoint.

The Mother's Group shares a lot in common with the controversial novel 'The Slap' in terms of straight-talking dialogue and in particular, the device o...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Amber rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: winter-challenge-2012, 2012

Once I started reading this book I didn't want to stop, although life always interrupts, especially if you have kids, right!? Anyway The Mother's Group is a fairly light and easy read, although I was moved to tears by the last act. This book is a bit of a downer in some ways. There were a few light-hearted moments, but some quite depressing situations lead up to the sad finale. However it's nowhere near as gritty as The Slap and was certainly a more enjoyable read for me. Good suspense and a mo...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure what to expect from a book called 'The Mothers' Group' but Australian author Fiona Higgins has done a fabulous job of connecting the reader with a group of 6 very different first time mothers. Nothing can prepare any of us with first time motherhood but Higgins very easily highlights the highs and lows, showing such insightful, thought provoking storylines, i found it hard to bring the book to a close. A completely honest portrayal of motherhood, friendships, marriage and also grie...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Kirstin rated it 2 of 5 stars

It was about 75% of the way through that I realised it wasn't a great book but it did have some interesting points to make about women. Then the last part of the book was just horrifying and unnecessarily awful. I thought the perception of the woman with two kids was pretty negative on the whole and the situations so contrived. However I suppose it did show some indepth to how woman think and perceive others - most of the time before knowing each other very well.

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Aug 08, 2012 Anna001 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Loved this book.
All the characters in this book were fantastic, rich and complex.
And also really realistic.
It doesn't sugar-coat motherhood-rather, it acknowledges its great worth, but also sheds some light on how hard it can be to be a mother.

The only down side to this novel is the fact that I would like more. the ending was a little bit too open-ending, and I would have appreciated more POVs of all the main characters.

But overall, Fantastic!

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Apr 23, 2013 Just rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another book I had trouble putting down. I found some parts of the book confronting as it really tapped into my experience of first time motherhood. However, given societies expectations that women should be grateful and be able to do it all it is often women that struggle in silence as they aren't living up to societies expectations of how a mother should be. It is great to finally read a book that doesn't sugarcoat the motherhood experience.

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