Books in Brief.(Book Review)

amanda bright@home, by Danielle Crittenden (Warner, 368 pp., $23.95)

In this charming novel, Danielle Crittenden gives us a year in the life of Amanda Bright: mother of two, wife of Bob Clarke, and resident of Washington, D.C. Amanda is a graduate of Brown who gave up her career to stay home with the kids. Bob is a Justice Department lawyer. His public-sector job is a source of pride for them, but also the cause of their money shortage.

Having finally convinced his boss to pursue antitrust litigation against software-giant Megabyte (think Microsoft), Bob becomes wrapped up in his work and the notoriety the high-profile case brings. Meanwhile, Amanda continues her act in the ladies-who-lunch circus, feigning interest in its chief stunts: gabbing about money, redecorating the house, and undergoing plastic surgery. With Bob off crusading, Amanda feels invisible, lacking identity; she yearns to return to work.

Fiction allows Crittenden freely to explore the ideas contained in her wise polemic What Our Mothers Didn't Tell Us. Her portrayal of the struggles encountered by at-home mothers is sensitive and convincing. The usual compliments -- "I really respect what you do," "Staying at home is the noblest calling" -- however well-meaning, fall flat. We see Amanda's self-doubt, and even wonder if perhaps she should go back to work. She flails about, looking for meaning, even contemplating a romantic affair. But a simple plot turn causes the second "click" within Amanda's soul (the first came when she realized how much she needed to stay home with her son). She realizes that the sense of accomplishment and identity she sought had been there all along, in motherhood.

NR readers will recognize some of the characters, such as Cathy O'Toole, hard-hitting pundit at National Standard magazine. Insiders will discern even more character likenesses. amanda bright@home is a fast read, ...