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Ever since the women of Wisteria Lane broke the myth of the happy suburban housewife wide open, desperate housewives have been all the rage. So in her debut novel, Four Wives, Wendy Walker introduces readers to four new housewives: the women of Hunting Ridge.
Living in beautiful suburban homes with successful husbands and their adorable children, these four women appear to have it all—but so much in Hunting Ridge is only skin-deep.
Gayle came from old money—and her greatest act of rebellion was choosing Troy as her husband. But as she watches Troy’s growing frustration with his inability to keep up with her family, she begins to worry about her marriage—and her son.
Love was a rising intellectual star before everything came crashing down. She’s been running from her past—but now she may have to face it again.
Marie wanted a lawn—and she got a suburban nightmare. Stuck in a world of soy lattes and plastic surgery, she wonders if she’ll make it out alive.
Janie never thought she’d be unfaithful to her husband—even though she stopped loving him years ago. But when it happens, she finds herself wondering how she can keep the excitement but lose the risk.
As all four women work together to try to plan a huge charity event, each pastes a smile on her face, hoping the others won’t notice that she’s secretly falling apart.
Four Wives is a dishy page-turner about the deep, dark secrets of the rich and fabulous—the ones who seem to have it all. Even if you don’t live in a mansion with your own household staff, you’ll be able to relate to the characters—as well as to many of the challenges that they face in dealing with others and with themselves: fear, guilt, anxiety, confusion, frustration. And the story will hold your attention from start to finish—mostly because Walker does a good job of stringing readers along, giving hints that there’s more dirt to come if you’ll just keep reading. What’s Love’s big secret? Who’s Janie sleeping with? You’ll just have to keep reading to find out. And though the technique is frustrating at times, it works. It’ll keep you reading.
At the same time, though, the stereotypes sometimes feel a bit overdone. After a while, it seems like one would need to be a brainless sheep (or a Stepford wife) not to be horribly dissatisfied with her life. In Four Wives, anyone who seems to be happily married or successful or satisfied with her life is obviously hiding something huge. And while it may make you feel better about your own little problems and your own minor gripes, it offers a pretty grim take on just about everything that comes with being an adult.
Overall, though, Four Wives is a good first effort. The characters are well-developed, and the story—though not necessarily original—will keep you interested. All that’s really missing is a touch of wit to take off a bit of the cynical edge.
