Minor Dramas and Other Catastrophes by Kathleen West

Ooooohhh…This one is a goodie! Minor Dramas and Other Catastophes by Kathleen West is more like major dramas in a posh town. We have Isobel Johnson, an incredibly engaging liberal teacher loved by students suddenly receiving some anonymous criticism on her answering machine and on a private parent Facebook Group where parents criticize the school community freely. It only takes one leading comment by site facilitator “Lisa Lions” (whom no one has met in person) to start a chain of discontent. We have super helicopter mom Julia Abbott, doing her absolute best to manage her two high school kids and husband. When an unfortunate video of Julia at the high school goes viral, she is shunned by her community and cannot help but fight back. What proceeds is a fast paced process of bringing these dramas to a head, told from everyone’s perspective. The back and forth between characters really builds the suspense and excitement, and tells the story seamlessly. Characters are so flawed and frustrating, it is hard to know who to root for and if they will ever change enough to be worthy of a good ending. If you flip to the author page, you will learn that Kathleen West taught in a school like the one in this debut novel for many years, and has an inside track on a variety of character foibles. No spoilers! Read Minor Dramas and Other Catastrophes to find out!