Emma Sasaki deftly lures readers with an insider exposé in It's a Privilege Just to Be Here. Sasaki sets her debut novel in the fictional Wesley Friends School, a thinly veiled facsimile of one of the most elite private educational institutions in Washington, D.C. For Aki Hiyashi-Brown, being a Wesley teacher "means loving the students and tolerating the parents"--especially those with too much power, money, and time. Aki (with her employee discount) is also a Wesley parent to 17-year-old lifer Megumi. As seniors receive their Ivy (and adjacent) early decisions, someone defaces the arts building with the message "Make Wesley White Again."
The following 300 pages reveal, of course, who- and why-dunnit, but likely more enticing will be glimpses into the lives of D.C.'s most overprivileged families. The parents are "just like other parents, only with shinier teeth, alternative energy cars, custom-built firepits, and multiple board memberships." By senior year, their children, beneficiaries of Wesley's annual $51,000 price tag, "are four-faced: one face to their friends, one to their parents, one to their teachers, and one to college admissions officers." Sasaki's delightfully biting insight is undeniable, even if she occasionally veers toward eye-rolling dialogue ("Mother, the dominant paradigm replicates itself if you simply leave change to institutional decision-making!") and unbelievable scenarios (Aki outing a manipulative parent's extramarital affair during a meeting by declaring, "You care so much about your son you've been sharpening the guidance counselor's pencil"--before being promoted to head of the upper school!). But then again, remembering this is fiction should be enough for readers to believe--and just enjoy. --Terry Hong