Girl dinner by Olivie Blake

Sociologist Dr Sloane Hartley has a distinguished academic career but that means nothing to 18-month-old Isla, the daughter she loves so entirely that she feels she will never be a good enough mother, a feeling reinforced by her scrolling the social media sites touting the cult of perfect motherhood. Husband Max is logical, condescending and patronising about her concerns, pointing out that Isla needs to start daycare so Sloane can join him at the university, enhancing his position. Sophomore Nina on the other hand is quite clear about her abilities, however as a female she needs not only achievements but connections for success, as well as being beautiful and participating in acceptable philanthropy. Not being white is an extra hurdle but joining a prestigious sorority at a prestigious college should give her the career edge she needs. At the fall recruitment Nina sets her sights on ‘The House” the most exclusive of the campus sororities and uses her frequent calls to her dismissive twin sister, Jas, to explain her decision to join and find an all-female cohort that is supportive and connected to success. Nina’s first year was marred by trauma, and she needs this safe space. The rituals on joining involve initiation followed by the indulgent Monday night dinners where women eat together “unencumbered by shame” p99. Once Sloane has Isla at childcare she starts work at the college and is befriended by Alex, who appears to be a prefect mother to 3-year-old Theo and seems to understand Sloane’s anxieties. Alex is an alumni advocate for The House sorority, and she asks Sloane to become a volunteer faculty advisor.

This satire looks at power and lust in an eat or be eaten world where women need to take drastic steps to succeed in a world based on the patriarchy. The increasingly relevant social media successes like that of “The Country Wife” point to a disruptor in some of the usual pathways. Olivie Blake’s writing on motherhood feels genuine and timeless, like the feeling that there will come a time “when Isla would be less dependent on her, and Sloane would no longer be desperate to be left alone for two fucking seconds – unlike the current state of being, where a toddler was constantly tugging her clothes down for something, a less (more?) demoralizing version of a randy husband.” p107. Blake's sharp observations on the American campus life and what it takes to succeed were interesting and quite foreign to Australia. I wasn't convinced by the cannibalism,  I would have been more willing to entertain a conjuring of magic in the sorority than the idea of wellness being associated with human flesh. Like Blake's other works I enjoyed the insightful writing and the wry look at where we find ourselves in today’s world.

Themes: Women's fiction, Satirical social commentary, Power and ambition.

Sue Speck