Justine has enrolled her daughter in a prestigious preschool called Garden of Happiness and soon discovers her ex, Harry, is one of the school dads. But both keep their previous relationship a secret from their partners. The preschool is run by the autocratic Margaret, who makes sure that the parents fork over plenty of cash as they toe the line. But this year Margaret is under extra strain – she’s in the midst of divorcing her husband, who wants half of the school she has strived so hard to establish. There’s also father of twins Ruben, a stand-up comedian who is staying home to write and pitch a TV script. On his wife’s directive, he must also get involved with a school committee. This story, which revolves around these three characters, exposes the crazy expectations of elite early education. It’s a smart, witty read and gets a big tick for evoking sympathy for the expected villain – preschool owner Margaret.
