The Mommy Fund

By Madeleine K. Jacob

Best friends Kate Thompson and Dani Strauss are contemporary moms who are struggling to keep it all together. Kate, a devoted wife and mother of two boys, seeks answers in self-help guides, while Dani, a wise-cracking, skeptical attorney, navigating the new waters of joint custody and the single life, looks for the solution in glossy magazines. When fate drops a million dollars into Kate?s hands, the girls impulsively take it on the road to get the time to themselves? their busy lives never seem to allow.They head to New York City?the land of fabulous clothes, expensive makeovers, sexy men, and unlimited adventure?and it doesn?t disappoint. But fulfilling their fantasies also offers a surprising perspective?and suddenly their lives back home don?t look so bad. In the end, a renewed Kate and Dani recognize that they?re not the only moms who could use a break, and The Mommy Fund is born.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0452285763
• ISBN13: 9780452285767
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Plume
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.5" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Dreaming of a local Mommy Fund ...

I fell in love with this book!! It is a combination of Shopaholic and Motherhood with a twist. What a great idea!! The story and character lines were written so well, I felt like I was actually shopping along with them. I completely related to Kate, she is almost exactly like me. Great novel with a surprise twist ending that brings everything to a COMPLETE full circle and opens your eyes. This is a great book for the tired Mommies to treat themselves with!

A great read

I loved this book cover to cover --- Madeleine K. Jacob really nails it. This is a story about two women, Kate and Dani, who through a series of fortunate events end up in New York City with a million dollars to spend. They both have kids making demands on their time and energy and emotions, and even though both Kate and Dani love their families with all their hearts, they need a break --- what mother hasn't felt that way? I'm a mother of three and all my spare change seems to be spent on diapers and juice boxes, and sometimes I dream of having an extra twenty-dollars to spend on myself. A million would definitely work too. Yet in the end this book isn't really about the money or the Prada shoes or the spa treatments. It's about friendships, and the way women support each other, and the love of family and all the things that money can't buy. "The Mommy Fund" is sort of an escapist romp and a hilarious fantasy, on one hand, but it has a lot of heart too. When you read the scene, for example, where Kate and Dani try to have an elegant dinner party and the whole thing just disintegrates into chaos before their very eyes, you can't help but wish you could take them out and buy them coffee and tell them everything is going to be all right. By the end of the book, everything is, but not before Kate and Dani (and the reader) have all had a great time getting there. They believe in each other, and the reader believes in both of them as a result. I read this book in one sitting, and now my book group is going to read it. If you need a break and want to treat yourself a little bit, like the characters in "The Mommy Fund," then buy this book.

Better than chocolate: the perfect indulgence for busy moms

As a working mother who dreams, now and then, of taking a break from my busy life, I found The Mommy Fund to be the next best thing to a fabulous getaway. Reading this snappy, funny, fast-paced, and wildly entertaining book was satisfying in every way. Dani and Kate are sympathetic, recognizable, less-than-perfect, and completely engaging--the kind of women I'd love to invite to my house for coffee and hours of great conversation. When Dani and Kate come unexpectedly into a lot of money and head to New York for a week, I was right there with them, living out my most extravagant fantasies and enjoying every minute of it. And yet the book is much more than a fantasy, which is what separates it from other novels like it. Yes, the characters get to buy gorgeous new clothes, get glamorous makeovers, and go dancing in late-night clubs (hooray)--but throughout it all they grapple with very real problems of motherhood, marriage (or the lack of it), career, and personal fulfillment. There is unexpected depth to this story, an appeal to the heart that resonates beyond the fantasy fun. The story ends with a surprising twist that ties things up wonderfully and manages to combine both fantasy and reality: the perfect ending to a modern fairy tale. I can't wait to read this book again. My advice? Put the kids to bed, make some tea (or pour yourself a little wine!) and settle in bed with The Mommy Fund. This book is a real treat-- a gift to reading mothers everywhere.

Really fun read! Can I come on the next shopping trip?!

I packed this book along with others for pool-side reading on a recent much-needed weekend get-a-way. It was my favorite! I could really relate to the two main characters, Dani and Kate. They are moms who are exhausted by it all and need a break. Sure, they love their kids and husband like we all do, but they'd like a little something for themselves sometimes! And, boy, do they get it in this book! Dani and Kate luck into a million dollars (that may or may not be really theirs) and before they know it, they've embarked on a girls' weekend to end all girls' weekends in New York City! I hope they take me next time. The story was really entertaining, but I also liked how it dealt with the realities of mommyhood: how you can love it and also have it drive you crazy at the same time. The ending is great, too. Not what you'd think.