My Hollywood
Mona Simpson
Knopf, Aug 3 2010, $26.95
ISBN: 9780307273529

Before relocating to Southern California, Claire the composer and Paul the comedy writer shared raising their son William reasonably equal. However, in Santa Monica, Paul works long hours as a TV comedy writer; which leaves the raising of their baby almost totally to Claire.

With no time for herself or her career, Claire hires fiftyish Filipino Lola to help with William. Lola sends most of her earnings back home for her children to attend better schools. Besides caring for William, the nanny tries to help her high powered employees remain a coherent family unit as Claire and Paul seem continents adrift. Other parents realizing Lola's full value try to buy her loyalty.

Except for those who believe marriage is a sacred constitutional right, the readers will relish this stinging jocular indictment of the American marital system. Ironically the Hollywood pair lives in the same house while the nanny's family is across the Pacific, but seemingly the latter is much more content and helpful to others than her American counterpart. As Claire and Lola rotate leads so the audience can determine honesty and pretentiousness between the two mothers and their social circle this novel will make readers think about what is really important.

Harriet Klausner