I finished our April Top Pick The Lost Wife’s Tale, by the light of my iPhone one night when Sleepy couldn’t keep up with my night reading. Did I let that stop me? No. As is the case with most great books, I couldn’t put the darn thing down.
Here’s the description from the publisher:
Once Edith Lutz had a life, a husband, and a home. Why did she run?
Edith doesn’t want to be found, so she’s taken on a new look, a new name, and an anonymous new life in New York City. Hoping to escape her past and start over, she’s now working as a live-in housekeeper for wealthy, recently divorced publisher Adam. Edith is a breath of fresh air in her lonely employer’s empty home, and she soon becomes more than just the woman who cleans the kitchen. But Adam knows nothing of the real woman he’s falling in love with—or just how shaky the foundations of their blossoming relationship truly are. And Edith can never be sure that her dark history won’t catch up to her. In fact, it’s closer than she thinks.
What did I think?
McGilvary writes liquid prose, my absolutely favorite kind. You just melt with the story and there you are floating down the literary river until you’re dumped off the waterfall in a magnificent crescendo. Or something like that.
The protagonist – the “lost” wife – is not entirely likable, which I also enjoy reading. We aren’t sure WHY we don’t like her, though we do know that she is secretive and perhaps a bit dangerous and not to be trusted. And yet we sympathize with her because whatever reason led her to run away from her life must’ve been a doozy.
Nope, I’m not going to tell you much more than it’s a suspenseful, well-written read that will keep you wondering until the near end. You will probably disagree with some of our heroine’s decisions, but then again, you may not. The point is: you WILL be carried away with the story. I need Marion to feed me some more words ASAP. I’m going to go hunt down some more of her. One way is of course to check out her website. – Malena
About the Author
Marion McGilvary was restaurant critic for the Financial Times for three years and was short-listed for a Glenfiddich Food and Drink Award. She has written for numerous publications in the UK, including The Times, The Observer, Vogue, Marie Claire, Women’s Journal, and GQ. She has written and illustrated several children’s books and is the author of two books based on her columns in the Times and Observer. She lives in London.
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