Corey Ann Haydu has been a popular author for younger readers for a while now. With MOTHERS AND OTHER STRANGERS, she is writing for adults for the first time, but still with an eye toward the complexities of growing up --- and how dynamics established in youth can evolve, collapse or grow rigid over time. 

In a brief prologue, readers see Sydney and Mae as adults. They are on the verge of a reunion after an extended separation, the cause of which isn’t fully explained until much later in the novel. Even this initial glimpse helps establish their characters. Mae is chaotic, messy and somewhat insecure. Sydney, at least by all appearances, has her life perfectly in order (though that assumption is soon called into question in a major way).

"[R]eaders will remain intrigued by the shifting relationships among the characters throughout. They also will appreciate Haydu’s thoughtful reflections on girls’ and women’s relationships, among both friends and family."

The book then switches gears to a far-distant past, when the girls meet as three-year-olds on the playground. The preschoolers take an instant liking to one another; their mothers, on the other hand, require a bit longer to warm up. Sydney’s mom, Beth Ann, is a perfect suburban stay-at-home parent. Her days are dictated by routines of errands, playdates, enrichment lessons for her only daughter, and cooking dinner for her family. Mae’s mom, Joni, appears somewhat of a fish out of water in Sommersette, a fictional Massachusetts suburb. She’s free-spirited and permissive, easily bendable to Mae’s whims, and an aspiring artist. 

But, as sometimes happens when children become fast friends, proximity, circumstances and more than a little loneliness result in Beth Ann and Joni also becoming good friends over time. They often share meals at one another’s houses and even go on occasional family vacations together. As the girls grow older, however, the family dynamics take a darker turn. In the wake of a tragedy and some resulting revelations of secrets long kept, Sydney and Mae’s lifelong friendship collapses spectacularly after they’re both young adults living in the city. 

The novel goes back and forth between sections labeled “Then,” focusing on the early years of the family’s interactions, and “Now,” alternating perspectives between an adult Sydney and an adult Mae as they entertain the idea of a reconciliation. On Sydney’s side, these attempts to rekindle a friendship are largely prompted by her hope that Mae might be enticed to join the multi-level marketing scheme that, thanks to Beth Ann (who is now a true believer), she has become involved with. Mae’s motives are perhaps purer. Newly single and expecting her first child, she longs for a connection that resembles the closeness she and her best friend once shared. 

Pretty much everyone in MOTHERS AND OTHER STRANGERS is holding on to multiple secrets, many of which aren’t revealed until very late in the story. Some of these are hinted at, while others are more of the bombshell variety. Although the novel’s pace slows down somewhat in the middle, readers will remain intrigued by the shifting relationships among the characters throughout. They also will appreciate Haydu’s thoughtful reflections on girls’ and women’s relationships, among both friends and family.