The Professors’ Wives’ Club by Joanne Rendell
First line: “Even though the sky was heavy with rain clouds and an eerie morning gloom hung over the city, Mary didn’t take off her dark glasses.”
Rendell, the wife of an NYU professor who lives in faculty housing, turns out a thoughtful debut about very different women connected by their ties to the fictional Manhatten U. The theme of the book could well be described as “fighting for what you really want” as the wives not only fight to keep the university garden from being demolished for a parking garage, but fight to come into their own in their relationships and careers. The two wives who get the most attention are Mary, a professor herself, who is married to the evil dean who not only wants to destroy the garden for monetary gain, but hits his wife. Then there’s Sophie, mother of three, including newborn twins, who never let a thing like breastfeeding keep her from digging up secrets about the dean and the mystery of the garden, and acting as the glue that holds these women, and the story, all together. Rendell’s PhD in literature comes shining through, not only with her sharp writing, but with the addition of the literary thread of Edgar Allan Poe and the Raven. Poe plays an even bigger role as the story unfolds. Like many skilled writers of women’s fiction, Rendell understands the struggles women go through, and she’s packed the novel with many – domestic abuse, beauty-vs.-brains, being true to themselves and taking on the “establishment.” Don’t let the cover mislead you. It’s not a light chick lit romp about well-dressed women in heels. It’s a spot on journey about getting by – and getting what you want – with a little help from your friends.
For: A warm, thoughtful story about friendship and standing up for what you believe in. – Malena Lott