Name: Jennifer van der Kleut: The Better Mother
Start: 2026-03-06T18:30:00-05:00
End: 2026-03-06T19:30:00-05:00
Location: Frederick Book Arts Center

Jennifer van der Kleut: The Better Mother

Join us at Frederick Book Arts Center on Friday, March 6, from 6:30-7:30 pm for a thrilling evening with author Jennifer van der Kleut as she discusses her debut novel The Better Mother with fellow author Kathleen Barber. Following a surprise pregnancy after a fling with Max, Savannah decides to reach out to him and his girlfriend, Madison, about co-parenting; however, Madison’s initial excitement turns into obsessive control, challenging Savannah’s own life plans. Following the discussion, Jennifer will answer questions and sign books. Copies of The Better Mother will be available for purchase at the event.
Location: Frederick Book Arts Center - 127 S Carroll St, Frederick, MD 21701
This event is free and open to the public, presented in partnership with the Frederick Book Arts Center. For accessibility requests, email [email protected] at least two (2) weeks prior to the event.
About the book: A modern spin on Fatal Attraction meets The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, perfect for fans of The Last Mrs. Parrish.
Still recovering from a devastating breakup, 34-year-old Savannah Mitchell has finally managed to put her life back together when she gets the shock of her life—after a brief fling with a man named Max, she is pregnant.
When she gets in touch to tell him, he reveals that he’s just gotten back together with his ex, Madison, and he will need time to break it to her. Surprisingly, Madison isn’t upset—in fact, she’s excited, and wants to help.
Max insists Madison has the best of intentions, but Savannah finds her efforts—popping by uninvited, demanding lifestyle changes, and pretty much trying to take over the pregnancy—anything but helpful. When Savannah finally stands up for herself, Madison’s treatment of her goes from casually cruel to downright dangerous.
All Savannah wanted to do was form a friendly co-parenting relationship with the father of her child—but his new girlfriend obviously has much more sinister plans in mind.
She has no plans to co-parent at all.
About the author: Jennifer van der Kleut (née McBride) is an award-winning former journalist of both print and digital publications, including the D.C. affiliate of ABC7 News. A graduate of San Jose State University, she spent most of her life in the San Francisco Bay Area before moving to the Northern Virginia suburbs of D.C., where she currently lives with her husband and two sons. For nearly a decade, she was the lead singer of the Bay Area-based band SweetDuration, and performed with artists like Jason Mraz, Big Country, Chantal Kreviazuk, and Stabbing Westward. When she’s not writing, she loves going to the beach with her family, going to concerts with her girlfriends, and getting lost in the pages of a book. Jennifer is also an enthusiastic book reviewer on Bookstagram as @‌jennvdk.
About the moderator: Kathleen Barber is the author of Truth Be Told, which was adapted by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine as an award-winning series on AppleTV+, Follow Me, and the forthcoming Both Things Are True and Sisterhood Above All, and a certified book coach. A graduate of the University of Illinois and Northwestern University School of Law, she now lives and writes in Washington, DC, with her husband and children.