A review by lwspotts
The Good Wife by Stewart O'Nan

3.0

This was an ok book...definitely an interesting take on how a family functions when the husband/father is incarcerated for a long time (28 years in this case). This was a dysfunctional family to begin with, as Patty is fairly naive and clueless about her husband's after hours activities. It's never made clear exactly what Tommy's role was in the incident over which he & his friend are arrested, but it is clear that Patty believes him to be the more innocent party, and in that respect I tend understand more her decision to stay with him throughout his incarceration. Dysfunctional though it was, she did keep her family intact and in touch, and in the end she was able to pull them out of the rut of poverty they were in, find a stable job for herself and make a life for her family. Her mother's sacrifice(s) on her behalf are astonishing, and given the tenuous relationship between them, it was gratifying to see that when push came to shove, correct decisions were made with regard to their welfare, and rather than breaking up even more, they created stability and found a way to live together peacefully.