Mom lit meets chick lit in The Mommy Tree, an entertaining debut by Margaret Graves. Disarmingly tender, this perfectly pitched novel proves to be as funny as it is wise as it delves into the lives of four very different mothers who meet under an oak tree as they wait for their children after school. There's Missy who has recently become a stay at home mom after a rewarding career in the military-and for once, she feels like a total mess. There's Gina, strong and brave; she juggles with the constant demands of motherhood against her physical limitations after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and Ana, a driven immigrant who loathes her thickening mid-section and is willing to try anything to curve her appetite and her belly. Rounding off the motley crew is Tammy, a single mother who works as a waitress in a casino and insists on looking for love in all the wrong places. They prove that no one's life is perfect, and that together their strength is immeasurable.