The Fun Times Brigade - by Lindsay Zier-Vogel (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

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 an acclaimed children's musician, and her sense of self is unravelling. To make matters worse, her bandmates have seemingly abandoned her.

In flashbacks, we see Amy's journey to success--her stumblings as a solo singer-songwriter and her eventual rise to fame as a member of the Fun Times Brigade. But as the novel progresses--and Amy grapples with a devastating loss--we come to understand how precarious definitions of artistic success can be.

The Fun Times Brigade examines the enduring challenges of reconciling being an artist with being a mother. It is also a timely reflection on forgiveness and 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.

Review Quotes

"A fun, easy-to-read book - despite some of its challenging subject matter - well suited to taking along on a summer road trip." --Thalia Stopa, Scout Magazine

"As Amy's story unfolds and she works through her most complicated feelings about how she might be judged as both a mother and an artist, we see it is more true to accept that meeting all the expectations is impossible. That, instead, a full life is fashioned from the striving and creating, from the screwing up and making amends, and from the deep connections we make along the way." --Jane Ward, MER Literary

"The contemporary take on a familiar story, the mix of nostalgia and Canadiana, the modern discourse around marriage, all blend into a riveting novel.." --Jeff Dupuis, The Miramichi Reader

"This is a beautiful story and a fun read... I highly recommend this book. The last 100 or so pages may make you ugly cry, so read them in private and bring tissues." --Pamela Sinclair, The Seaboard Review

"You don't have to be Canadian to appreciate the book's setting, but it helps. Whether it's Sleep Country Canada jingles, references to Tim Hortons and Long & McQuade, or binge-watching Schitt's Creek, this is a pleasantly familiar world." --Matt Robertshaw, The Heavy Feather Review

The Hamilton Review of Books' Independently Published Bestsellers List: May 2025 --Hamilton Review of Books

"The Fun Times Brigade is a true page-turner, one of those books you'll think about long after you've finished reading." --Ottawa Review of Books

"In the moving novel The Fun Times Brigade, a woman navigates new motherhood, hoping not to lose herself as an artist in the process." --Foreword Reviews

"Lindsay Zier-Vogel's The Fun Times Brigade is a breathtaking and brilliant novel that so accurately captures the indie music scene, new motherhood, and the deeply complicated path of becoming a mother. Zier-Vogel gives words to many thoughts I was never able to express as a new mom, and her story will stay with you for a very long time." --Dani Kind, actor, Workin' Moms

"Lindsay Zier-Vogel writes with lightness about love and loss and loyalty. The Fun Times Brigade truly sings." --Carrie Snyder, author of Francie's Got a Gun

"The Fun Times Brigade is a precise evocation of the love, isolation, and identity crisis of early motherhood, beautifully colliding in this novel with ambition, creative drive, and the bumpy road to finding ourselves. Tender, honest, and human in the best ways." --Heidi Reimer, author of The Mother Act

"With pitch-perfect descriptions of the love and panic of new motherhood alongside fresh and authentic stories of music and musicians, Zier-Vogel balances hope and sadness in a truly unique and beautiful story. I could not put this one down." --Jennifer Whiteford, author of Make Me a Mixtape

About the Author

LINDSAY ZIER-VOGEL is a Toronto-based author and the creator of the internationally beloved Love Lettering Project. After studying contemporary dance, Zier-Vogel received her MA in Creative Writing from the University of Toronto. She is the author of the acclaimed novel Letters to Amelia, and her first picture book, Dear Street, was a Junior Library Guild pick, a Canadian Children's Book Centre book of the year, and was nominated for a Forest of Reading Blue Spruce Award in 2024. The Fun Times Brigade is her second novel.