A review by tiredtannah
Animal Wife by Lara Ehrlich

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Animal wife as a whole book ends the short stories, as the first explores a child longing to find her mother, and the last explores a mother who is lost to her child. In between is all the stories of women trapped inside their marriages, or grief, or their own mental illnesses, their hypochondria or their insecurities and doubt. Some stories are much stronger than others, animal wife itself being the strongest throughout. Most of the other stories are unmemorable, but animal wife has stuck with me already. A lot of these stories are eerily whimsical and indulgent in rich metaphors and allusions. I can’t say that I enjoyed this book in the sense that it was gripping and exciting and fun, but I enjoyed this book in the sense that it was challenging and well written. I’m going to think of the tale of animal wife and all that it means for a long time.