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  • Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes

  • Written by: Kathleen West
  • Narrated by: Julia Whelan
  • Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (5 ratings)

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Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes

Written by: Kathleen West
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
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Publisher's Summary

Perfect for fans of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Small Admissions, a wry and cleverly observed debut novel about the privileged bubble that is Liston Heights High - the micro-managing parents, the overworked teachers, and the students caught in the middle - and the fallout for each of them when the bubble finally bursts.

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.

Isobel Johnson has spent her career in Liston Heights sidestepping the community’s high-powered families. But when she receives a threatening voicemail accusing her of anti-Americanism and a liberal agenda, she’s in the spotlight. Meanwhile, Julia Abbott, obsessed with the casting of the school’s winter musical, makes an error in judgment that has far-reaching consequences for her entire family.

Brought together by the sting of public humiliation, Isobel and Julia learn firsthand how entitlement and competition can go too far, thanks to a secret Facebook page created as an outlet for parent grievances. The Liston Heights High student body will need more than a strong sense of school spirit to move past these campus dramas in an engrossing debut novel that addresses parents behaving badly and teenagers speaking up, even against their own families.

©2020 Kathleen West (P)2020 Penguin Audio
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What the critics say

"A cutting and witty examination of modern parenting that excels in suburban relatability, West's debut novel will pique the curiosity of fans of Maria Semple's Where'd You Go, Bernadette." (Booklist)

"Just as good as Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies." (Kirkus, starred review)

"Helicopter parenting and high school politics at their worst--and funniest. A smart, fast-paced, and deliciously entertaining debut!" (Meg Donohue, USA Today best-selling author of You, Me, and The Sea)

What listeners say about Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes

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Entertaining and Relatable

This book delivered everything I love in a contemporary women’s fiction novel. Characters I get invested in, emotions that feel real and relatable, a “villian” that gets under your skin and just enough drama to not feel over the top. I am so impressed that debut author Kathleen West manages to cram all of those elements into an incredibly engaging and fast-paced package.

The story is told from multiple POVs—both male and female, young and old—with short chapters that keep the story moving crisply forward. Voiced by the talented Julia Whelan, each of the characters is distinct in voice, making it easy to keep each perspective separate.

This book was thought provoking, relatable and there were many times where I found myself laughing out loud. This was easily a five-star listen for me and one of my favourites in this genre this year.

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