Review of 'The Mother of Calamities' by Lisa Moule
Release date: March 3, 2026
Publisher: Allen and Unwin
REVIEW
The Mother of All Calamities is a well written contemporary debut novel by Lisa Moule. But whoever said first novels cannot be exceptional, have not read this one. Experience can come in many forms and it appears this author is no amateur in the realm of communication (she is an actor and voice artist) and it shows.
The statement about school mums has bite. “They ran their kid’s lives better than small businesses.” This satire on the modern parenting culture and the cracks that lie therein, along with the false perceptions of others, hits hard and with purpose. It makes you stop and look at the culture and cliques many finds themselves in. The social politics in schools, among teachers and parents. The competitions and conflicts between students, too. This story exposes it all and shows the cracks and blemishes, the human imperfections that are hidden by social graces and pretences. It analyses relationships, expectations and communication. Veiled secrets are uncovered in the midst of searching for identity and popularity. Encompassing the desire to be both hidden and seen while discipline and discipleship, desire and denial are revealed. These are just a few of the common issues dealt with in the novel, that are a clear and honest reflection of today’s society and the effects of its problems.
The novel cleverly follows the school terms (1-4) so we see a gradual progression of character development and events. Set in the typical suburb of Greengully which feels, as we would expect, familiar. Although this community appears perfect as the word green in its name suggests, it is far from that. Some thoughts about the name Greengully come to my mind. Green often symbolises nature, growth, prosperity and restfulness but coupled with the word ‘gully’ makes it a contradiction for that word means rut, furrow or chasm (and I might add chaos!). Like its characters, the town with ‘gully’ in its name, is hiding behind the façade of the calmness of the colour green. For it is anything but calm. Pretences are rampant.
The story has four points of view. One is Chrissy: a teacher who has lost a top position to a not so bright, less deserving/underqualified male teacher. And she has been mentoring him! His attitudes are appalling. The unfairness comes through loud and clear that he got the role over her when she is the one with all the experience. So typical and something we have all seen in many job situations! This plays a bit of havoc with her self-purpose. But she has been a good teacher to her students in the classroom. Plus dealt with the emotional issues of their parents. And “…in Chrissy’s experience, parents were riddled with prejudice and corruption, like the vilest of politicians. When children went to school, they worked out their parents’ traumas.’ Wow, heavy perception.
Jenny has the opening chapter and we learn a lot about her on the first few pages. She has been the Parent’s Association president a fair while. She is one of the school mothers, very organised with a high attention to detail. Makes cupcakes for class. Worries about her son who has major behavioural issues which she tries to hide. But has high hopes if he gets Miss Petty as a teacher, things will get better. She desperately wants her son to be accepted and have friends.
Tattooed Viv is as excited as a child on her first day back at work in a ‘male-dominated industry.’ In this cop setting she is not prepared for the brutality she encounters –‘a terrifying chorus of pain echoed through these (crime scene) pictures.’ Viv worries that this job might trigger some bad memories from the past and expose a secret she has kept under wraps for years.
Estelle, another school mother, ‘had a dysfunctional relationship with time,’ returns to the neighbourhood with her difficult daughter Harmony. She recognised Jenny from her ‘old house share days’ but did not take much notice of her back then. But Jenny’s friendliness captivates her and they become best friends after Jenny introduces Estelle to the whole school. But in time, trouble erupts…and Harmony is a nightmare until her grandmother gets involved and that sets off another whole change of events!
As we follow of each of these woman, the plot sends us on a roller coaster ride that is filled with truths, humour and sadness. The conflicts are epic and the drama is frantic but real. The writing style, phraseology and exceptional comparisons throughout— shine with originality and it left me opened mouth so many times. It has a vast audience of people who would find this very relatable and impressive for its accurate descriptions and observations.
The title suits this novel: The Mother of All Calamities – a phrase that often means “the single, root cause or biggest factor behind a series of overwhelming disasters or massive problems.” In this novel, it is the parenting politics, the cracks in modern parenting beliefs plus the hidden secrets that erode trust and threaten relationships. We see it happen in this novel but it doesn’t end there. There is hope and restoration, too. The realisation that nobody is perfect and it is okay to give yourself permission to be human. This is one of the biggest messages in the novel. Definitely get a copy of The Mother of All Calamities. Lisa Moule is an author to watch. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank to Allen and Unwin for my paperback review copy.
