The Calendar Mums — Lauren K. McKellar

A gorgeously warm, funny and heartbreaking book about what it means to be a mother.

The Hickory Creek Community Centre is a lifeline for new mums. So when a bad case of black mould threatens to end the only women's services available in their small town, a new mothers' group bands together to save it. Their plan? Create a fundraiser calendar featuring themselves ... in the nude.

As the mothers bare all, it doesn't take long for them to start baring their secrets too. Stay-at-home mum Rhea is hopeful this project will be enough to distract her from the gnawing guilt she's been feeling about her dissatisfaction with being 'just' a mum. Single mother Samantha is recovering from a heartbreaking loss and isn't sure if the anxiety she's feeling is normal or not. And everyone says new-to-town Tahlie is so lucky to have such a present and supportive partner in Hamish, the town's golden boy. So why does she feel so lonely?

As the calendar takes shape, the women begin to reclaim their identities, embrace their imperfections and forge new friendships. And perhaps the most unexpected result of all, in their bid to save the community centre, they just might also save a life ...

Perfectly balancing light and dark, this stunning debut touches on issues of identity, post-partum mental health and community, and is a reminder to mothers that they were women first, women who are strong, capable and not to be underestimated.