When mental overload makes you lose control.
Sophie is a woman not used to failure. She has a degree in administration and lives with Jean-Michel, whom she met during her studies. Sophie is fairly intense; Jean-Michel, on the other hand, is level-headed, calm, patient. Together they have two children. Sophie has become an attentive, devoted, but overwhelmed mother. Naps, schedules, meals—Sophie, who usually succeeds in everything she does, hits the wall. How can she keep her balance when she has so much to think about, from early morning until late at night?
Then, one day, Sophie has had enough. Enough of managing the family schedule with its dental appointments, pedagogical days right in the middle of the week, children's birthdays. Enough of cooking for ten, freezing, thawing, re- heating, simmering, packing, cleaning, scrubbing, planning. One evening, she drops everything and hits the road, westward bound, with no specific plan. During this journey, halfway between running away and taking a road trip, Sophie will take stock of her recent years and will ultimately have to make a harrowing choice.
Beginning with her sudden departure, the author retraces Sophie's first steps into motherhood to better understand what triggered this family overload. Whose fault is it? Where did she screw up? Why can she never ever let go?
A first novel that directly tackles the issue of the mental overload that mothers experience.
A direct and slightly caustic tone, which speaks honestly about motherhood (expressive swearwords included!).
The main character, Sophie, accurately represents reality for most mothers today (major family responsibilities, being torn between obligations and wants, generalized fatigue, etc.).
Few parents think of running away as an escape from mental overload! This is an intriguing idea for female readers who feel overwhelmed in their personal lives and might sometimes consider it.
The author, long interested in family and parenthood issues, approaches them here via a major event: a mother's escape.
As she is also a journalist, the author began writing this novel by discussing the subject with subject-matter specialists, thus grounding it in well-founded arguments.