Deborah Disney

Up and In offers a hilarious yet surprisingly thought-provoking look at the the pressure moms often feel to fit in with other moms.

The story, which shifts between present and past events, is told from Maria’s perspective. For several years, Maria has managed to successfully fit in with the hoity toity mothers of her daughter’s private school friends. Unfortunately, one false move puts her on the outs with the alpha female of the bunch, Bea. As a result, both Maria and her daughter, Kate, suffer the consequences.

At first I was skeptical that I’d be able to keep track of the large cast of characters, which consists of seven girls and seven sets of parents. However, Disney did a spectacular job of bringing each character to life with distinctive personality traits and quirks. I was actually surprised by how well I felt I knew most of these characters by the end. I was also pleasantly surprised by how much I could relate to Maria and her experiences as a mom, a wife, and an adult trying to fit in with other adults for the sake of her child.

I love Disney’s conversational tone and her style of humor. Some of the things these characters say and do and so many of Maria’s thoughts had me in stitches!

If you’ve ever tried to fit in with a group of parents you don’t exactly relate to and enjoy funny chick lit, I recommend you give this gem a read.… (mehr)

Up and In by Deborah Disney begins when a distracted Maria politely declines to buy two handmade hair ties while watching her daughter's Saturday morning netball match. It's an unintentional snub that makes her the target of icy disdain from Bea, the 'queen' of Maria's social circle made up of the mother's whose daughters attend the exclusive, and expensive, Riverton school. Maria is torn, she should be relieved that the pressure to fit in with Bea and her cohorts has eased, but instead she finds herself trying to regain her status, while obsessing over the subtext of group email exchanges. There is, after all, her daughter, Kate, to consider, who faces rejection from her own social circle led by Bea's spoilt daughter, Mirabella.

Up and In is told in part by flashbacks that reveal the genesis of Maria and Kate's relationship with the 'bea's' from Kindy to the present day. It reveals a litany of highs and lows as well as a pattern of passive aggressive behaviour from all parties. Many of the situations have the ring of truth, albeit slightly exaggerated for dramatic and comic effect. The interactions that place between the mothers at the girls netball games, especially the upset over positioning, are unerring though.

I can relate to Maria in some ways, it is difficult to resist the desire to fit in, and Bea can be absolutely charming when she chooses to be. Negotiating the social hierarchy can also be tricky when it affects your children's friendships, and poor Kate is caught in the crossfire between the adult power plays. Disney does a good job of exploring Maria's inner conflict though I wish Maria had developed a bit more of a backbone.

I have to admit being disappointed somewhat by the ending, the decision Maria makes to reach out to her nemesis isn't a magnanimous gesture - it's a foolish one, a woman like Bea would not be grateful and Maria would swiftly find herself trapped in the same situation she has been trying to extricate herself from for the length of the novel.

An entertaining and quick read, any mother who has had to negotiate the perils of playground politics will no doubt appreciate the characters and scenarios of Up and In.… (mehr)