Tiny Imperfections by Alli Frank, Asha Youmans
Publication Date : May 5th 2020
Publisher : G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre : Women’s Fiction / Fiction
Pages : 336
The Wedding Date meets Class Mom in this delicious novel of love, money, and misbehaving parents.
All’s fair in love and kindergarten admissions.
At thirty-nine, Josie Bordelon’s modeling career as the “it” black beauty of the ’90s is far behind her. Now director of admissions at San Francisco’s most sought after private school, she’s chic, single, and determined to keep her seventeen-year-old daughter, Etta, from making the same mistakes she did.
But Etta has plans of her own–and their beloved matriarch, Aunt Viv, has Etta’s back. If only Josie could manage Etta’s future as well as she manages the shenanigans of the over-anxious, over-eager parents at school–or her best friend’s attempts to coax Josie out of her sex sabbatical and back onto the dating scene.
As admissions season heats up, Josie discovers that when it comes to matters of the heart–and the office–the biggest surprises lie closest to home.
*** Note: I received e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to PRHGlobal for free copy. ***
Tiny Imperfection was entertaining fiction that revolved around Josie’s life and school admission season. It was about admissions at private school, drama, love, friendship, and at its heart of all it was about Bordelon family.
Tiny Imperfections was written in first person narrative from Josie’s perspective. Her witty and refreshing voice gave the story so much heart, emotions, and soul. It was set in San Francisco, divided in four parts- First season- that narrated Josie’s life story, about her job, and her dreams and worries for her daughter; Mid Season- narrating hilarious parent interviews and Josie trying hard getting her daughter to apply for academic college rather than art college; Stress Season that brought lot of drama and big revelation at the end; and Next Season which was more like an epilogue telling how things settled down after the storm of drama.
I enjoyed reading Josie’s backstory and her background in first few chapters, how she met her best friend Lola, turns of her career path from nanny to modelling to now 39-years-old admission director at San Francisco’s most famous private school, Fairchild Country Day, and in middle of all how she conceived at 21. She was wonderful character.
Josie was black mom living with her aunt Viv in San Francisco. She was sassy, snarky, sexy woman. Being diverse worked well for her as student and as employee at Fairchild but she had brains along with her beauty and diversity and loved kids and her job at Fairchild.
Author portrayed her personality as ex-model and single mother brilliantly. Her emotions were heartfelt. I rooted for from the beginning. I could see how it must be for her 4-years-old self to accept her mama abandoned her with an aunt whom she didn’t know existed, coming out of spell of big city and money, and coming back with lost dreams and a her own 4 years-old baby Etta at Aunt Viv’s doorstep, left with heart broken and unsuccessful relationships later. I was glad she found job, raised Etta with her aunt and kept her head high.
I understood her wish to secure her daughter’s future by making her apply to best college where she can major in academic subjects and have a high earning job but Etta had other plans. She was best Ballerina, wanted to be professional dancer and attend Art college. Everybody could see that and even Josie but she couldn’t ignore DNA and the possibility of Etta ending up the same as she did at her age. I liked the way she found a third way and made Etta apply to her choice of college and also let Etta apply to college of her own choice.
It’s not always easy when 3 generation women are living under same roof but Bordelon women cared and supported each other. I loved mother-daughter-grandmother banter. Aunt Viv was full of life, wisdom and love. I loved seeing her flirt with Golden Boy, taking Etta’s side and reprimanding Josie. If it wasn’t mentioned I would have thought she was Josie’s birth mother not aunt.
Lola and Roan were best friends one could ever had. Lola was mother of three sons and Josie’s best friend. She worked in rival school of Fairchild and yet that never bothered to their friendship. Their Tuesday drink day after school and their humour dripping chats were fun to read. Roan was gay and Josie’s colleague, her best hire and two worked together on admission applications and selecting right little students and parents like friends. Both created best and fun work place environment that made me wish to join them.
I hated that art director who looked down on Josie, always telling her she didn’t know her own daughter and how to raise her. How easy it was for him to judge Josie! Nina was another character I despised. Clearly, she was not best head for any school and I hated her for taking away one thing Josie wanted to do. I’m glad to read what happened to her later.
Golden Boy, Ty was fun to read. When he entered Josie’s life with his husband for their daughter’s admission, I found Josie’s attraction towards Ty a bit weird. It was smooth in the beginning Josie making a joke with her attraction and not giving it much thought by focusing on admissions and college application but then that parent interview and text banter implanted doubt in readers’ mind. I wasn’t shocked when Ty revealed the truth but it was fun to see where this was going. I loved him, he was total gentleman, a lovely doctor, perfect friend and brother. I wish I could see him more after his big revelation.
Romance wasn’t big part of the book. We aren’t even sure if there is possibility of romance until climax. Best part of the book was application and emails from parents and Josie’s sarcastic replies that she never sent. It was hilarious to read.
I liked the way author showed competitions between parents and how far they went to get admission in private school, how private schools carry out admissions, and that ‘the richer the better’ concept. It made me think how tough it might be for single parents or average income parents to get admission. Momsters fretting over their 4-years-old kids’ admission and praises they sung or activities they made their kids do to make their application strong was baffling. And my goodness, that mom saying, ‘I would die if my kid turned out normal’ was most shocking. At that point I really admired Josie for handling it smoothly because I know I would have snapped at that mom if I was in her place.
Climax was great. I was curious to know what will happen after whole drama with Nan and how Etta’s interview will go. I couldn’t place Aunt Viv’s weird behaviour and when the reason was revealed it was surprising. I liked their conversations afterwards and what Aunt Viv had to say about whole thing and it answered everything. I loved end and the way things turned out for Bordelon women at the end. A bit predictable but I’m not cutting star for that as I enjoyed it.
Overall,
Tiny Imperfections was laugh out loud, feel good, and diverse women’s fiction with great characters and many hilarious scenes. I recommend this to fan of this genre.
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