The School Gates - Nicola May (2012)

Alana is a single mother trying (and largely failing) to bring up her daughter and balance her career without the father of her child. Joan is a stay-at-home mum with a large brood who lately has noticed her husband doesn't seem to be around as much. Mo is stuck in an abusive relationship with an alcoholic husband and struggling to make ends meet for her daughter Rosie. Dana is desperately trying for a second baby and wanting a bit more freedom from her husband. And Gordon is a gay man bringing up twin girls. What all of these people have in common is Featherstone Primary School, where each weekday morning they drop their children off and each afternoon they collect them. Told inventively over the course of a school year, this novel delves into the lives of these seemingly disparate characters, charting their individual ups and downs as well as the friendships and connections that join them together. It is a great concept for a novel and one that is replicated outside every school. The novel is very ambitious, with its myriad plots and characters, something of a literary soap opera, and at time it suffers as a result with several storylines feeling somewhat rushed. However, the novel offers a very innovative style of writing with the narrative shifting between characters as they literally bump into each other, which is very refreshing. A nice read, with some great emotional content. (JC)

The School Gates, by Nicola May, centres on the relationships forged at the school gates. The synopsis says: "At 3.10pm every weekday, parents gather at Featherstone Primary to collect their children. For a special few, the friendships forged at the school gates will see them through lives filled with drama, secrets and sorrows. When Yummy Mummy Alana reveals the identity of her lovechild's father, she doesn't expect the consequences to be quite so extreme. Ex Czech au pair and Earth Mummy Dana finds happiness in her secret sideline, but really all she longs for is another child. Slummy Mummy Mo's wife-beating husband leads her down a path she never thought possible, and Super Mummy Joan has to cope when life deals her a devastating blow. And what of Gay Daddy Gordon? Will he be able to juggle parenthood and cope with his broken heart at the same time? Four very different mothers. One adorable dad. And the intertwining trials and tribulations that a year at the primary school gates brings." The School Gates is out in September. May is also the author of Star Fish and Working It Out.

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