Odd Mom Out – Jane Porter

Flirting with Forty Author's Novel About a Mom Who Doesn’t Fit In

May 31, 2008

Marta Zinsser is an ad executive, single mom and a misfit when it comes to other moms in her wealthy Seattle suburb, and it doesn't bother her one bit.

Marta Zinsser doesn’t fit in. While the other moms at her daughter’s Bellevue, Washington, elementary school wear Manolos and volunteer on committee after committee, Marta is a single mom running her own ad agency and would rather wear combat boots than high heels.

A Fresh Start

She and her daughter have moved back to the Seattle suburbs, near where she grew up, to be with her mother as she faces advanced Alzheimer’s, and to open her own advertising agency. But Marta soon learns that it’s not all roses in the posh suburb – the immaculately groomed and accessorized moms are less than welcoming to her, and even her ten year old daughter Eva wishes she would just be normal for a change and act like a “real mom.”

Marta grew up thriving on her own individuality, and tries to pass it along to her daughter, who would rather fit in with the other girls in her new school than stand out. Eva dreams of a two-parent household and a brother or sister. She constantly has her nose in bridal magazines, planning the wedding her mom never plans to have, while her mother doesn't believe in love and romance. She has been happy being a single mother of Eva, and doesn’t regret a single decision she has made.

A Shake Up

To Eva's delight, Marta does begin to assimilate herself in her new surroundings, volunteering on the school’s committees and attending meetings. Her “real mom” status leaves little room for a social life, however -- until she meets Luke, a “mountain of a man” whose looks intrigue her and awaken feelings inside of her she has been suppressing for the last ten years. She and Luke begin dating, and while he accepts her and all of her quirks, Marta has a hard time adjusting to a romantic relationship and worries that she will end up getting hurt again.

Odd Mom Out is a fresh look at single motherhood and what it means to stand apart from the crowd. Jane Porter tells the story with wit and wisdom, and the 408-page novel is an entertaining read.

Updates

Odd Mom Out has been named a RITA finalist in the "Novel with Strong Romantic Elements" category. The RITAs are the highest award in romance fiction.

About the Author

A UCLA grad with an MA in Writing, Jane Porter wrote her first story in first grade, her first picture book in second grade and her first novel in fourth grade. She is the author of The Frog Prince and Flirting with Forty. Mom of two boys, she lives in Bellevue, Washington.

The copyright of the article Odd Mom Out – Jane Porter in Chick Lit is owned by Teresa Shaw. Permission to republish Odd Mom Out – Jane Porter in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.