Author ORCID Identifier
0009-0007-1982-990X
Date of Award
Spring 6-14-2025
Document Type
Thesis (Master's)
Department or Program
Master of Arts in Liberal Studies
First Advisor
Alan Lelchuk
Second Advisor
Barbara Kreiger
Third Advisor
Anna Minardi
Abstract
The Magdala Moms of La Jolla is a satirical novel set at The Magdala School, an elite Christian academy in La Jolla, California, where social status, curated faith, and community performance are indistinguishable. The story follows Mitzi Madigan, a brash, ambitious mother whose carefully constructed persona hides a troubling past. Her world begins to unravel when Caroline—a single mother working in construction—is granted a scholarship for her daughter, Emma, to attend Magdala.
As Emma enters the private school’s polished social ecosystem, she begins to uncover the secrets buried beneath the sun-drenched surface. The Mag Moms, a clique of hyper-polished, scripture-quoting women who pride themselves on appearances and piety, quickly close ranks. Emma’s presence threatens the illusion of unity and control they've worked hard to maintain.
Told through alternating perspectives, flashbacks, and a slow-burning detective thread, the novel reveals how religious language is used to mask judgment, exclude outsiders, and perpetuate privilege. The tone balances biting humor with emotional insight, exposing the rot beneath righteousness while treating its characters with layered humanity.
The result is a work that explores themes of belonging, identity, and performative faith in a community where even grace can be weaponized. The Magdala Moms of La Jolla uses fiction to satirize the power structures embedded in elite religious subcultures, asking who is allowed in, who is kept out, and what must be sacrificed to stay.
Recommended Citation
Shepard, Rebecca, "The Magdala Moms of La Jolla" (2025). Dartmouth College Master’s Theses. 238.
https://digitalcommons.dartmouth.edu/masters_theses/238
Comments
A sharp satirical novel set at an elite Christian school in La Jolla, exposing the darkly comic undercurrents of faith, privilege, and performative belonging.