The Love Contract, by Australian author Steph Vizard, is the winner of the 2022 Banjo Prize.
The romantic comedy stars 35-year-old Zoe, who is “amazing, beautiful, smart, fun”.
She wants a baby, but none of the men she dates seems to like the idea.
So Zoe has a baby through IVF and everything’s been going according to plan – until a childcare drought prevents her from returning to work.
Desperate, she strikes a deal with her nemesis and neighbour Will, a lawyer eager to make partner in his law firm.
The deal is mutually beneficial.
On the one hand, pretending to be the father of Zoe’s baby allows Will to take parental leave, a move that enhances the law firm’s progressive outlook while making workaholic Will appear more down-to-earth and relatable.
On the other hand, having a babysitter for three days each week allows Zoe to work and make a living.
It also gives her time to find a trustworthy and affordable childcare centre, which is increasingly rare.
It’s rather predictable that Zoe and Will become attracted to each other – the enemies-to-lovers trope.
However, the author’s ambition is clear as she explores various social and cultural issues through wit and humour.
To start with, there’s relentless pressure for people to perform at work, for them to maintain productivity and efficiency at all costs, while prioritising corporate success over individual welfare and subjective well-being.
Equally overwhelming are societal, cultural and even familial expectations for young people to be ambitious and preserving, to “hang in there” and “never say die”, while measuring their success by academic performance, athletic distinction, financial wealth, and/or social prestige.
Most significantly, Vizard sheds light on motherhood.
Through the eyes of her female characters, we see matrescence – the process of becoming a mother – as being not just physical and emotional but also involving considerable social and cultural shifts.
Zoe and her older sister Camille try their best to be resilient and independent for their respective families, but no one can juggle their multiple responsibilities as spouse and parent flawlessly while managing a successful career.
It’s OK to let others share some of life’s burdens.
Meanwhile, Zoe’s best friend Sofia learns the precious lesson that motherhood doesn’t come naturally and easily.
Rather, it’s a mental and psychological construct, and it takes time to adjust and adapt to such fundamental and momentous change.
Vizard tackles the widespread “perfect mother myth”, where women “naturally” believe they should take things in their stride while internalising their anger, frustration and helplessness, for fear that they would come across as “bad mothers” otherwise.
Indeed, The Love Contract gives us a unique set of strong female characters who are complex and somehow flawed, and yet are intelligent and competent as to recognise their own vulnerabilities and accept help when they need it.
