The Mommy Club

Torments both hilarious and distressing befall Trudy, the dreamer heroine of this witty and bittersweet novel, as, delivering on a promise made to herself when she had an abortion years before, she becomes a surrogate mother. A 38-year-old sculptor of whimsical clay objects who works at the San Antonio (Tex.) Museum of Folk Art, Trudy agrees to provide a baby for her infertile yuppie boss, Hillary Goettler. Moving into the Goettlers' posh and highly organized home proves problematic as their idealized plans to have Trudy produce the perfect baby clash with her own more spontaneous lifestyle. Nauseated by the health food Hillary imposes upon her, resentful at being treated more as a breeding vessel than a person, annoyed by Hillary's ``sympathetic pregnancy'' and suffering her own all-too-real cravings and physical changes, Trudy seeks affection from her old love, a sexual dynamo named Sinclair. Bird's ( The Boyfriend School ) incisive humor, deft characterization, especially of the unpredictable, strangely enviable Trudy, and the surprising, poignant resolution make this unusual tale memorable. (May)