Book Review: Schooled by Anisha Lakhani
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Living a life of power, prestige and inordinate wealth is unlike the lives of most of us, but for the parents in Anisha Lakhani's debut novel, Schooled, money can buy anything, even teachers to pass their children.Arriving as one of the new teachers at a Manhattan private school, Anna Taggert (Lakhani's main character) is forced to make the difficult decision between going against the ingrained culture of the super-rich or obediently falling in line, compromising her morals and beliefs in order to make her students and their stuffy parents happy. For Anna, the choice becomes clear: appease the parents and pass the students. And in the meantime tutor students from rival private schools, charge up to $200 an hour to write her charges' papers, and live in the lap of luxury and shopping sprees.
If you have always wanted to see how the other half lives, Schooled does not disappoint and gives a kaleidoscopic view of the lives of the very wealthy and powerful from Upper East Side posh penthouses and snooty doormen to indulgent kids parties with celebrity singers as their entertainment. Through Anna's experience, Schooled shows us how callously people use their money and influence to bypass the ethics of a sound education and moral parenting.
Lakhani, a former private school teacher and tutor, wrote Schooled to expose the denigrating underground society of tutoring. She reveals how easily rich kids skate through junior high and high school with very well paid tutors and then skip off to the Ivy Leagues, all while being coddled and sucked up to.
Schooled is a captivating read especially if you've had a nagging suspicion that ultra rich kids breeze through life with money as their ticket and largely unconcerned parents as their only saving grace.
Buy Schooled
On the Net: www.anishalakhani.com
posted by The Mom Salon Editors @ 2:38 AM,
