(75)Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon

Monday, May 28, 2012

Wife 22

Publication Date: May 29, 2012
Pages: 400


44 year old Alice Buckle is feeling a bit disconnected from her husband, William. They have been married for a very long time and have two wonderful kids, Peter (who Alice is sure is gay) and Zoe (who Alice is sure has an eating disorder) and busy careers, well okay, William's career is busy and Alice's is mostly busy only at the end of the school year. Keeping their busy calenders straight long enough to spend time alone takes a herculean effort.  One moment, in a fit of extreme stress Alice decides to take part in a study regarding her marriage and relationship with her husband.  To keep the anonymity she is assigned the name of Wife 22 and she has agreed to honestly answer the questions that Researcher 101 presents her.  During the process, the questions become extremely personal and the relationship between Wife 22 and Researcher 101 crosses the line into unethical.  What will Alice do when she realizes that she has developed feelings for a man that she has not even met? Is she willing to throw away her marriage for Researcher 101?

First let me tell you that I laughed out loud while reading this book.  Alice is a funny, witty wife, mother, and friend.  Her fears, concerns, and observations are not that different than any other mother's.  And I think that may be one of the reasons why I laughed so hard, because the way those fears manifest is really quite hysterical.  The book has several Facebook posts, emails, and chat dialogue.  And some of those Facebook posts are so funny, because I have seen similar posts show up in my News Feed.   Alice is a familiar character, you will recognize yourself and your friends in her thoughts, comments, and mannerisms.

Being a mother and wife is hard.  There are ebbs and flows that can, at times, leave a woman feeling  discouraged and lost.  I can understand that feeling. Alice chose to deal with some of those feelings by participating in this "study" and in the process found what was missing in her marriage.  But what happens when Wife 22 meets Researcher 101 will shock you.  Bottom line is this, Wife 22 will make for a great Summer read.


Sara Lucinda Bell said...

This one sounds cute... but I'm hearing "If You Like Pina Coladas" playing in my head. =]

Ελλάδα said...

There is so much humor in this book, but there also a lot of truth and so much that women can relate to, both younger and older than Alice's character. Honestly Alice annoyed me a little bit now and then because she was being so negative and not looking at all the wonderful things about her life, but she redeems herself in the end I guess you could say. This is a quick read and one that many can identify with!

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