Review : The Glass Wives by Amy Sue Nathan
The Glass Wives by Amy Sue Nathan
Pages : 288
Genre : Fiction
Stand alone
My Rating : 3,5/5
From the back of the book :
Strapped for cash, Evie cautiously agrees to share living expenses—and her home—with Nicole and the baby. But when Evie suspects that Nicole is determined to rearrange more than her kitchen, Evie must decide who she can trust. More than that, she must ask: what makes a family?
My Thoughts :
I read The Glass Wives right after reading The Lost Husband, and in some ways I felt it did affect my appreciation of the book. Both books have slightly similar themes, telling the stories of widows grieving and raising their children alone. The mood was incredibly different though : where The Lost Husband had been light and fun and super cute, I found The Glass Wives to be quieter, heavier and more serious. Not in a bad way, just in a different way.
I have to say I found this novel’s idea incredibly interesting; what would you do if your ex-husband died, leaving another wife behind? The wife would be easy to forget if one wanted to; but what about other children, linked by blood to your own children? It seems there may be more than one right answer in this situation, but it certainly a question that can lead to some very interesting discussions. Their situation might sound unique, but I found it to be very actual in fact.
Despite the subject, I had a bit of an emotional disconnect to Evie. I felt she was a bit closed off, even though she spent a lot of the time questioning her own actions and motivations. I guess I was surprised that she had very little emotional reaction to her ex-husband’s death. On the other hand, they had been divorced three years after his latest affair, and he died leaving her in a financial mess. Her priority was to make ends meet, to be sure that her children were doing good. It made sense.
The relationship between Evie and Nicole was a bit strange, unusual, and definitely awkward, as one could expect. Nicole was a bit weird to me, and I had a very difficult time saying whether her motives were good or bad, or somewhere in between. That kept me reading for sure, but in the end, I found that the author portrayed the whole situation very realistically. Nicole, like Evie, was complex and very well written.
On a side note, I loved how big a presence Evie’s friends had in the novel.
The Glass Wives wasn’t a perfect fit for me, but I have no hesitation to say that I enjoyed the story and found the ending to be very satisfying. I also have no doubt that readers of women fiction will find the story compelling, and I can see The Glass Wives creating very interesting discussions.
The Glass Wives is available for sale right now! Thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin for generously providing a digital copy of the book for this review.
Interesting. Not sure it’s for me but great review. I do love the cover too.
I have read a lot about this book, and I think that for me, it would be an interesting read. So many different things to think of in this book. I wonder how I would act, given that this situation ended up in my lap? I liked your review and that you were candid enough to say that it wasn’t the best book you’ve ever read, but it was ensnaring in it’s own way.
That’s really what made the book, for me. Even though I couldn’t fully connect to the characters, I felt it was due in part to the fact that I had no idea how I would react. Their situation is so far from my own, I had a hard time to relate but I couldn’t judge either.
And thanks! 🙂
This sounds rather emotional but I think I’d still like to read it.
I have The Glass Wives (and The Lost Husband) on Sparky, my Kindle…I haven’t decided which one to read first, but they’re both calling to me.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts….I’m thinking I’ll read The Lost Husband first, as I’m in the mood for a fun read.
Yes, if you want something fun and light The Lost Husband is definitely the way to go! It was full of feel-good moments 🙂
Oooh, I loved The Lost Husband — and really appreciated how it took such a serious subject matter and still shaped it into a warm, satisfying read. I’d be interested in this one for the same reasons, though it sounds like they’re two very different stories. Adding to my wishlist!
Yes, The Lost Husband was exactly as you put it. Such a heartwarming story, for a theme that could have been really sad. The Glass Wives had more of a realistic approach – but it also gave me much more to think about! I’ll be really curious to hear your thoughts on it if/when you do read it!
This certainly sounds like an interesting read to me. I’m definitely trying to read more women’s lit too. I am constantly on the lookout for new women’s lit reads to entice my students who still believe that women’s lit is all about whiny weak women looking for romance.