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A review by novelesque_life
Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown
3.0
RATING: 3 STARS
2020; Viking/Penguin Random House Canada
Recipe for a Perfect Wife was a difficult book to rate for me. The story instantly grabbed me, and both Alice and Nellie were interesting characters in the beginning. Around the halfway mark, I wasn't rooting for Alice anymore. Alice is the contemporary "housewife". She has been let go from her job, for reasons that unravel later, and tries to hide from her husband by playing up his dream of a family. She will be working on her novel (that she has "always" wanted to write) and having a baby. Except Alice doesn't want any of that. In fact, she is resentful of any chore she has to do as it puts her in role of a 1950s housewife. I was beginning to sympathize with the husband when the lies she told were the true making of all the blow ups. The way it ends, just makes me really dislike Alice. She could be a realistic character, but her selfishness just rubbed me the wrong way. I was invested in Nellie (a Housewife from the 1950s) and her life, right up until the end. As the novel edged to the end I basically let go of all expectations and harrumphed when I finished. I liked how the chapters opened with quotes from books that were referencing how a "housewife" was supposed to be. Instead of the ending being unique, or predictable but satisfying, I just felt a bit cold. I get that both women were trying to break the chain of being the perfect wife, but I just felt like it reinforced the idea that there is a perfect housewife. I may have read this a different way, but I do think this is a wonderful book to discuss within book clubs and group reads (especially when you can talk spoilers). I would like to try another novel by the author in the future. And, what a gorgeous cover, my true reason for requesting this one.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
2020; Viking/Penguin Random House Canada
Recipe for a Perfect Wife was a difficult book to rate for me. The story instantly grabbed me, and both Alice and Nellie were interesting characters in the beginning. Around the halfway mark, I wasn't rooting for Alice anymore. Alice is the contemporary "housewife". She has been let go from her job, for reasons that unravel later, and tries to hide from her husband by playing up his dream of a family. She will be working on her novel (that she has "always" wanted to write) and having a baby. Except Alice doesn't want any of that. In fact, she is resentful of any chore she has to do as it puts her in role of a 1950s housewife. I was beginning to sympathize with the husband when the lies she told were the true making of all the blow ups. The way it ends, just makes me really dislike Alice. She could be a realistic character, but her selfishness just rubbed me the wrong way. I was invested in Nellie (a Housewife from the 1950s) and her life, right up until the end. As the novel edged to the end I basically let go of all expectations and harrumphed when I finished. I liked how the chapters opened with quotes from books that were referencing how a "housewife" was supposed to be. Instead of the ending being unique, or predictable but satisfying, I just felt a bit cold. I get that both women were trying to break the chain of being the perfect wife, but I just felt like it reinforced the idea that there is a perfect housewife. I may have read this a different way, but I do think this is a wonderful book to discuss within book clubs and group reads (especially when you can talk spoilers). I would like to try another novel by the author in the future. And, what a gorgeous cover, my true reason for requesting this one.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***