The Pick-up

 

Last year I read the first book in this series, The Drop-off, recounting the relationships between a group of parents who regularly meet when dropping off their children at school each morning.  Time has passed and, as some of the parents can no longer stay for a chat in the morning, it is decided that they will meet for a chat at school pick-up instead.

Set in Melbourne, we once again meet Lizzie, Sam, Megan and Dave and learn more of the complications occuring in their lives. Lizzie, a midwife, is looking after four children while who husband works in Sydney for six months, Sam is looking for a new relationship and also exploring new career options, Megan is also re-evaluating her life while Dave is Dave. Megan is also involved in helping organise the grade five-six camp and convinces her friends that they should also go.

The Pick-up written by Fiona Harris and Mike McLeish provides an amusing expose of a collection of often chaotic relationships held together by mutual friendship. They may have their differences from time to time but the members of this group will always be there to support each other in times of need.

The Drop-off

One of the rituals of having children or grandchildren at primary school is dropping them off at school in the morning and collecting them each afternoon. After a while it is not usual for groups of parents to regularly congregate at these times, sometimes forming a group that may last for the duration for the child's time at school.

One such group is the focus of The Drop-off by Fiona Harris and Mike McLeish. Lizzie, Megan and Sam catch up each morning for a chat and a coffee after taking their children to Bayview Primary School. The novel provides an often amusing look at the challenges of parenting young children and of relationships in general. Each of the main characters is facing a difficult situation in their lives but through friendship they support each other. Apart from depositing and collecting school children these parents have little to do with the school until circumstances suddenly change and they find themselves helping organise the school concert.

The concept for this book began with the Drop Off web series created by the authors, a series of short films about Lizzie, Sam, Megan and Dave. Some of the plotlines of these films have been incorporated into this novel.

The Drop Off - series

or search for thedropoffshow on Facebook.