Goodreads Blurb
Hamilton, Massachusetts is one of those suburban towns that appears untouched by the outside world where stay-at-home moms wear 2ct diamond studs to the playground, where a million-dollar property is “affordable,” and where the Parent Teacher Organization is a hotbed of controversy. Sure, some people struggle to make ends meet, but residents would say discussing such ugly matters is impolite. Hamilton has been like this forever, and everyone likes it that way. almost everyone.
It’s not that Anna Plummer doesn’t like Hamilton, but she never thought she’d be married with two young kids, comfortable, complacent…and growing more bored by the minute. So, when she realizes her second grader won’t be able to attend the “Ziti with Your Sweetie” school dance because she didn’t pay for a “Premium” membership, she snaps. She sends an email to the terrifying president of the PTO—and all hell breaks loose.
One year later, Anna is found dead in the frozen Ipswich River. Left to pick up the pieces, her husband, Denny, is shaken to his core. He’s no expert, but he’s seen enough Dateline to know that the police think he’s the main suspect. If they aren’t going to get justice for Anna, he will. Told through the alternating perspectives of Anna and Denny exactly one year apart, and with a shocking concluding twist, Valley of the Moms is a gripping look at the underpinnings of grief, the social structures of wealth, and the secrets people keep—even among friends and loved ones.
My Review: Rated 3 out of 5 stars
It is a story of a community of rich moms with power and backstabbing besties. Unfortunately, the hype for this book fell short of being a fantastic read. When the elite have the power to murder and get away with it, you know you don’t stand a chance. Status and power are everything for the PTO moms in Hamilton. Poor Ana thought she could make the PTO a fair and equal place for everyone, but her resilience backfired. Be wary of who you make friends with and who shows their true colors from the very moment you meet them. I was shocked and disappointed with the ladies who were closest to Anna, who cheered her on, dragging her to her own grave. Her husband Denny was as useless to the very end. He chose to keep the secrets at bay in order not to push the buttons of the PTO moms, as Anna had done. The story was slow with a lot of back and forth, which made the book drag on. I was hoping for an unforgettable thriller, but its shortcomings fell short from the beginning of the story.
Goodreads Author Biography
Hannah Selinger is a James Beard Award-nominated lifestyle writer and mother of two based in Boxford, MA. Her print and digital work has appeared in the New YorkTimes Magazine, the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, Eater, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and elsewhere. Her 2021 Bon Appétit essay, “In My Childhood Kitchen, I Learned Both Fear and Love,” is anthologized in the 2022 Best American Food Writing collection, published by HarperCollins and edited by Sohla El-Waylly.
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