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A review by ridgewaygirl
The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens
4.0
Mary Brody is in a rut. She's committed to living her life in the routine it's grown accustomed to. She also struggles with her weight (which she calls the obeast, an issue affecting her daily life, her confidence and her relationship with her husband. When he leaves her on the eve of their 25th wedding anniversary, Mary is forced to take action and she decides to go and find her husband.
What elevates The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens is the fairy tale tone of the story, with ordinary events and suburban locations described in a way that feels like a fable. Lansens simultaneously allows for a sense of the fantastic (conjoined twins in cornfields, a fairy godmother in the form of an Israeli limousine driver) while keeping the story grounded in reality. The transformation of Mary Brody depends not on a man (present or missing), weight loss or supernatural influences, but on her own intrinsic good nature. Here, a willingness to help out by cleaning a kitchen or babysitting a trio of pre-schoolers is what is rewarded, rather than her beauty or especial goodness. She stumbles with that willingness to help, too, with clumsy but heart-felt attempts to do the right thing. It's impossible not to root for Mary as she negotiates situations she's avoided her whole life.
What elevates The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens is the fairy tale tone of the story, with ordinary events and suburban locations described in a way that feels like a fable. Lansens simultaneously allows for a sense of the fantastic (conjoined twins in cornfields, a fairy godmother in the form of an Israeli limousine driver) while keeping the story grounded in reality. The transformation of Mary Brody depends not on a man (present or missing), weight loss or supernatural influences, but on her own intrinsic good nature. Here, a willingness to help out by cleaning a kitchen or babysitting a trio of pre-schoolers is what is rewarded, rather than her beauty or especial goodness. She stumbles with that willingness to help, too, with clumsy but heart-felt attempts to do the right thing. It's impossible not to root for Mary as she negotiates situations she's avoided her whole life.