Review: Normal Women

Normal Women by Ainslie Hogarth
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Thank you to Booklist for the ARC.

Dani Silver has recently moved back to her hometown and commits to her new role as a stay-at-home mom to daughter Lotte. But she soon starts to feel idle and worry about her husband, Clark—what if Clark died? What would Dani and Lotte do? Restless and uncertain, Dani searches for new meaning in her life. She rekindles relationships with the Normal Women, her childhood friends who are now all mothers too. She also meets Renata, the owner of a yoga studio called The Temple. Renata convinces Dani that her calling is to help people, which might include providing therapy through sex work. Dani is intrigued, but when Renata suddenly disappears, Dani’s fears of abandonment become reality. Hogarth (Motherthing, 2022) has a talent for writing depth and invoking lavish mental pictures, but in this instance, the anecdotes become repetitive, and the promised mystery is short lived. Dani can be unlikeable—wishy-washy, judgmental, and paranoid—but there are some positive nuggets too, such as the importance of self-care and much-needed support for mothers.— Carmen Clark Booklist 2023

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