The Wife’s Tale: A Novel

Lori Lansens
Little, Brown and Company (2010)
ISBN 9780316069311
Reviewed by Victoria Gonzales for Reader Views (03/10)

 

This is a beautiful, strange, and very real story that captured my attention from the front cover, to the very last page. The front cover is a beautiful photograph of a woman about to step into the ocean. The main character, Mary Gooch, is a woman who has recently lost her husband; he simply disappeared after leaving her a large sum of money and a note. Now Mary must deal with her past, present, and future without a husband to rely on and she must define herself. Mary has always had a problem with her weight and overeating, and describes it as the beast inside her. She goes on a trip, meaningful because she has never been anywhere outside of her small town, to look for her husband, but ends up finding friends and her self. Author Lori Lansen’s, previous novels have received extraordinary praise, and this novel is no exception. Her writing is outstanding; she captures the thought process of women perfectly.

It is fascinating to read about Mary’s description of her weight problem, and her struggles. Mary does not go through an outward transformation in this story, which makes it more real and relatable, but she does go through an inward transformation that makes her realize that she has great worth.

It is an absolute pleasure to read this novel; I highly recommend “The Wife’s “Tale” by Lori Lansens to all women. I enjoyed following Mary through her trip of self discovery, though I cringed at some of the low moments. What women will do for outward beauty is surprising and sometimes outright sickening. Mary is a very real character; she has made mistakes in her past, and continues to make mistakes. I think all women can identify with Mary, weight problem or not, and see a little bit of themselves in her. It is easy to make mistakes, and focus on the wrong things in life for a long time. Mary is a very specific character, with a specific set of problems, but she becomes universal as you learn more about her, and read her innermost thoughts.  Fortunately, by the end of the novel she is on her way to self-actualization, and ready to live.

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