Breakaway Books

Authored by Rufi Thorpe; Published June 2024; Fiction

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🏖️

I have never read a novel quite like Margo’s Got Money Troubles. It has a zany air, but at its heart is a heartfelt plea for empathy: for single mothers, for women who engage in sex-related professions, for humanity.

In Margo’s Got Money Troubles, college student Margo drops out of school after becoming pregnant with her professor’s child. Forced out of her waitressing job because of childcare issues, she discovers Only Fans and creates her own account to post alluring videos to sustain herself and her son Bodhi. Her father, a retired professional wrestler, is initially resistant but eventually becomes a key advisor in her efforts to make a living. And Margo’s endeavor appears to be flourishing… until her professor asks for custody of their child.

The entire narrative of the novel entreats the reader: What would you have done in Margo’s shoes? What different decision would you have made not to end up where she was? Margo, though young, comes across as eminently reasonable, genuinely trying to be a good and moral person—is her decision to create an Only Fans account the sole mark required to judge her as immoral? To me, Margo was so obviously a gifted and creative individual, and the repeated hardships she encountered served only to prove how meritocratic our society is not. Without wealthy parents or a supportive partner, she seems destined for poverty. Even the way her father, an addict clearly trying to recover, is treated, is a condemnation of our legal system.

I found Margo’s musings on how to make money through Only Fans, and the wisdom she borrows from pro wrestling, quite enlightening. Her father, as he recounts story after story of the business of pro wrestling, lends a note of joy and humor to the entire novel, despite his historically flawed work as a parental figure. Margo’s mother, on the other hand, was difficult not to rage at. Yes, she raised Margo by herself, but in the end, her support for Margo falls short, her allegiance seemingly switching instantly and fully from her daughter to her new evangelical husband. Her abandonment of Margo when it seems she needed her most left a bad taste in my mouth.

Overall, Margo’s Got Money Troubles was extremely compelling, entertaining while communicating an important message. I would recommend it to just about anyone.