The Mummy Bloggers live their lives under the social media microscope with Shares, Comments and Retweets the KPIs by which they measure the relative success of their working lives but it’s the accumulation of Likes that will ultimately determine who will win the Blog-ahhs, the Oscars for those seeking the pot of gold at the foot of the emoji rainbow.
Stylish Mumma, Green Diva and Working Mum are the last bloggers standing in the race for the title, each advocating a distinct vision of parenting. Elle, Abi and Leisel are respective disciples of aspirational, idealistic and pragmatic lifestyles but they all have one character trait in common, principles are there to be compromised in the quest for the prize.
Wainwright has captured the 21 st century zeitgeist for information overload with the three main characters providing the shop windows for all that is admirable yet tragically flawed in exposing your soul to a pack of gossip hungry strangers.
The power of this medium to divide opinion and generate hatred is soaked into the narrative which like an open wound emanates the triviality, superficiality and toxicity that stalks this communications tool and often undermines its legitimacy. An underlying fissure, rippling through the façade of a generation seeking immediate affirmation, is that although offering an alternative to a virtual red top with real people replacing reality frauds the truth still remains tantalisingly out of reach, floating somewhere in the ether.
Stylish Mumma Elle in many ways has the star appeal but her journey from a feral outback upbringing to lifestyle guru is a rags to riches morality tale that is more materialistic than altruistic. With their lives intertwining reality soon becomes stranger than fiction with the final act having more twists than a vengeful troll.
This is a relatable story line which will give pause for thought for those immersed in a world where personal space and security seemingly have no boundaries and relationships become corrupted by the need to post rather than the need to talk.
The Mummy Bloggers by Holly Wainwright (Published by Legend Press. Price £8.99). Get the book at Amazon.
