Friends and Strangers

Elisabeth, a Brooklyn-based writer and new mother, moves to a small college town in upstate New York with her husband. She hires Sam, a senior at a local women's college, to care for her infant son Gil while she attempts to work on her next book. The relationship between Elisabeth and Sam grows beyond typical employer-employee dynamics as they share confidences and form a friendship. Their bond exists against a backdrop of class differences, generational perspectives, and life transitions that neither fully grasps about the other. The narrative alternates between Elisabeth and Sam's points of view as they navigate their own challenges - Elisabeth's adjustment to motherhood and small-town life, and Sam's impending graduation and engagement to a much older man. Through their intertwined stories, the novel examines privilege, modern motherhood, female friendship, and the complexities of traversing life stages in contemporary America. The story raises questions about authenticity and power dynamics in relationships that blur professional and personal boundaries.

Readers found this novel accurately captured the complexities of female friendships, privilege, and class dynamics. The relationship between Elisabeth and Sam drew praise for its nuanced portrayal of power imbalances between employer and caregiver. Positives: - Authentic depiction of new motherhood anxieties - Sharp observations about social class and wealth - Strong character development for the two main women - Realistic dialogue and relationships Negatives: - Slow pacing, especially in middle sections - Too many subplots that don't connect - Abrupt ending left storylines unresolved - Some found Elisabeth unlikeable and self-absorbed Multiple readers noted the book works better as a character study than a plot-driven novel. Several reviews mentioned the authentic portrayal of breastfeeding struggles and isolation of new motherhood. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.5/5 (22,000+ ratings) Amazon: 3.8/5 (1,100+ ratings) Book of the Month Club: 3.9/5 "Insightful but meandering" and "brilliantly observed but needed editing" were common review sentiments.

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🔖 Sullivan was inspired to write this novel after her own experience hiring a nanny for her first child and realizing the complex power dynamics in household employment 📚 The book explores themes of privilege and class through details like Elisabeth's SAM card (for military spouses), which allows her access to discounted shopping despite her wealthy background 💫 The author conducted extensive interviews with college students about their babysitting and nannying experiences to authentically capture Sam's perspective 🏠 The fictional town of Cobble Hill in the novel is based on Brooklyn's real Cobble Hill neighborhood, where Sullivan lived for many years 📖 The book's exploration of motherhood and social media was influenced by Sullivan's observation of how Instagram and Facebook have transformed the way new mothers experience parenthood and present themselves to the world