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A review by mec8337
Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Each chapter begins with a quote from a publication between 1895 and the 1950s about what it means to be a good wife. Those may have been my favorite parts of the book simply because some of them made me gasp. My partner and I have been joking about how he gets to go out and have fun and my fun will come from hearing him tell me about it later.
As far as the actual story goes, I loved Nellie in the 1950s. I thought she was well-developed and extremely likeable. Alice in 2018, on the other hand, is a deeply unlikeable character. Neither Alice nor her husband are perfect, but what we see her do is way worse than anything Nate does. In a way, I do think it added to the exploration of what feminism means and how society has changed from the 1950s.
Overall, a very enjoyable read although I found the ending somewhat rushed and I would have liked one more chapter from Nellie’s perspective.
As far as the actual story goes, I loved Nellie in the 1950s. I thought she was well-developed and extremely likeable. Alice in 2018, on the other hand, is a deeply unlikeable character. Neither Alice nor her husband are perfect, but what we see her do is way worse than anything Nate does. In a way, I do think it added to the exploration of what feminism means and how society has changed from the 1950s.
Overall, a very enjoyable read although I found the ending somewhat rushed and I would have liked one more chapter from Nellie’s perspective.