The Fun Times Brigade

The Fun Times Brigade by Canadian author Lindsay Zier-Vogel explores motherhood, identity, grief, friendship and marriage as one woman tries to figure out who she is and what she wants out of life.

Set in two timelines, the present-day story follows Amy, who has made a name for herself as part of a popular Canadian children's music trio. Now a mother, Amy struggles with her new role as a mom and through her, Zier-Vogel tackles the often ignored challenges and realities of motherhood for many women - the sleeplessness and isolation, the feelings of being overwhelmed and not good enough - as Amy tries to balance it all and handle her guilt at wanting to be more than Alice's mom.

The second timeline is set in the not-too-distant past when Amy attempts to make a name for herself in what she deems as a more respectable music career. With her family life, marriage and friendships on the line, readers are pulled into Amy's emotionally complicated world and her uncertainty of what she truly wants. 

This is an emotional story about the messiness of learning to adult, make lasting relationships, becoming parents, being a friend and creating found family. It will make you smile with its pop culture references and humour, have you wiping your eyes at its emotional bits and feeling nostalgic for your favourite childhood music (Sharon, Lois and Bram, anyone?). And for my fellow parents, you may feel unexpectedly wistful for those tiring, joyful and sleep deprived first years as we took our first steps into parenthood while still trying to figure out who we are.  

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Lindsay Zier-Vogel

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Canadian

Type and Source: trade paperback from public library

Publisher: Book*hug Press

First Published: May 1, 2025

Read: Sept 9-16, 2025

Book Description from GoodReads: From acclaimed author Lindsay Zier-Vogel comes an insightful and heart-rending exploration of motherhood, grief, and the search for identity.

Amy is a new mother, navigating the fog of those bewildering early days and struggling with a role she feels ill-prepared for. It’s the first time in a decade that she hasn’t been living the busy life of a successful children’s musician, and her sense of self is unravelling. To make matters worse, her former bandmates have seemingly abandoned her.

In flashbacks, we see Amy’s journey to artistic success—her stumblings as a solo singer-songwriter and her eventual evolution into acclaim as a children’s entertainer. But as the novel progresses—and Amy grapples with a devastating loss—we come to understand how precarious definitions of artistic success can be and how hard it is to truly find our place in the world.

The Fun Times Brigade examines the enduring challenges of reconciling being an artist with being a mother, and how we ultimately fail and find the need to forgive those we love. It is also a timely reflection on what it really means to have a good life in a world that demands we have—and be—it all, and asserts that amidst the chaos, we can find our way back to our genuine selves.