Mums on Strike - Laura Kemp (2014)

Lisa Stratton has been a mother for about six years and she never expected the big changes she has had to get used to. Somehow, she has found herself in a marriage where it is solely her responsibility to keep the house clean, to make sure the kids get to and from birthday parties, and everyone has enough clean clothes to last them through the week. Before the arrival of the children, Lisa and her husband used to take it all on together, as a couple, and she sees no reason why it shouldn't go back to the way it was. So, Lisa decides there's only thing for her to do if she wants things to change: a strike. Mums on Strike has an original idea at its core which I thoroughly enjoyed; you often hear about mums who feel there is still a rather old-fashioned idea out there in the world that it is the woman who has to do the ironing and keep the house clean, instead of this being a team effort. Laura Kemp used this idea and managed to turn it into a funny and captivating read that focuses on a mum going on strike and forcing her husband to rethink the task division in their home, including the troubles and difficult moments that come with this decision. Lisa is a lovely heroine and a true example to many female readers. She is strong, ambitious (I really liked how she wants to be a great mother and a wonderful wife, but also an independent woman who has her own dreams and ambitions) and she stands up for her beliefs. Laura Kemp shows both sides of Lisa's strike; the pros and cons and how it influences everyone around her, including her young children, which is part of what makes this novel good. Mums on Strike is an entertaining, funny and feminist read and I wouldn't be surprised if this puts ideas in the heads of wives and mothers all around the world! (JoH)

Mums on Strike, by Laura Kemp, is about a mother who has finally had enough. The summary says: "It was just a squashed grape on the kitchen floor. Hardly a reason to get upset, right? But six years of motherhood has left Lisa Stratton feeling like a skivvy. Every morning before she's opened her eyes, she starts her mental inventory of jobs to do. And just like yesterday, the day before and every day since she became a mum, she's woken up knackered. So when her husband deliberately steps over the grape because it's 'her responsibility' to run the house, it tips her over the edge. He wasn't always like this - they used to share everything. Then the kids came along and he saw it as an excuse to sit back. But this time things are going to change. Lisa has made a decision. She's going on strike." Mums on Strike is out in January 2014.

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