Class Mom Jen Dixon is back. After taking a break from being class mom, Jen has decided that for Max’s third grade year, she can bring all the sassy, funny snark back to the class emails. And though her life is more complicated this time, with her mother having some health issues, her adult daughters being less transparent about their lives and relationships, and her best friend moving away (and taking Jen’s favorite personal trainer with her), Jen is still up for the challenge of leading the third grade class to greater heights.
Then she gets volunteered. The new head of the PTA is setting up a new system for the school’s safety patrol. Now it is up to Jen to organize the older students and their parents to make sure that both the morning and afternoon drop-off times are covered. The stakes are high, as the kids’ safety is important, and Jen wants to make sure everyone is safe out there and that the new program is a big success. But this is a bigger school project than she’s ever taken on before.
And while she’s taken on being class mom, and working on this new safety program, and trying to support her husband as he puts in longer hours and insists the family clip coupons to save money in order to expand the business, and trying to figure out just what it is her adult daughters are keeping from her, and keeping in touch with her bff who moved away, and wondering if her and her husband’s new friends are investors or possibly swingers, Jen has her hands very full just getting herself and her family through each week.
But the thing about Jen Dixon: she never gives up. And everything is an adventure.
Laurie Gelman is back with one of my favorite fictional characters in You’ve Been Volunteered. The follow-up to 2017’s Class Mom, You’ve Been Volunteered is another rollicking, rib-tickling, roller coaster of a delight, and I wish I could just go around and hand out copies of this novel to friends, family, coworkers, and complete strangers. I loved it that much. So much fun!
Galleys for You’ve Been Volunteered were provided by Henry Holt & Company through NetGalley, with many thanks.