A More Obedient Wife

Natalie Wexler
Kalorama Press (2006)
ISBN 0615135161
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (3/07)

When you read a book and you get what you expect, it is a good thing; however, when you read a book and it exceeds your expectations, it is a wonderful thing!
“A More Obedient Wife” greatly exceeded my expectations. My reading preferences tend to lean more towards fantasy-escapism type books. Knowing that the author, Natalie Wexler, combined fictional accounts with true historical events, I wanted to read her novel to broaden my horizons and increase my knowledge of American history. Well, in addition to expanding my knowledge of American history, Ms. Wexler also totally managed to get me caught up in the story.
Ms. Wexler does a great job describing her scenes, to the point that you actually feel like you are there. She accomplishes this with her words, more so than most movies that I have seen are able to. It was not surprising to find out that she actually visited some of the places that she includes in her story.
This story involves the lives of two Hannah’s. Hannah Iredell, is in her forties when her story begins. She is a shy, plain, yet intelligent woman. Her husband, whom she refers to as “Mr. Iredell,” is appointed to the Supreme Court and has work obligations take him away from home for long periods of time. He is younger than his wife, yet appears to be very devoted to her. She isn’t as confident of his loyalty and spends a great deal of time worrying about his fidelity to her, especially in regards to the other Hannah.
Hannah Wilson was just 19 when she met James Wilson. He was a 51 year old widower who was instantly smitten with her. He was a Justice who had to travel frequently. He was also one of only six men who had the privilege of signing both the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. After he married Hannah, he took her home to take care of his six children, one of whom was actually older than her. Society and his family speculated on Hannah’s reasons for marrying him. Most assumed that it was to gain access to his wealth and to enjoy his status in the high society. This was proven wrong when he ended up heavily in debt, in trouble with the law and has lost everything. Hannah still stood by his side until his death.
The two Hannah’s lives intersect at various points during their lives, mainly when their husbands are interacting. They do not have much in common and initially are not friends. As Hannah Wilson struggles through the conflicts brought on by her husband’s poor choices, a mature woman begins to emerge and she gains the respect of Hannah Iredell.
“A More Obedient Wife” covers a lot of historical information, yet it has more dimensions added to it with the personalized accounts of each woman’s life. They both dealt with financial worries and the loss of a child. They had to struggle through illnesses with their children. They also had to carry much weight on their shoulders with their husband’s frequent absences.
I highly recommend this novel. I really enjoyed it and found myself unable to put it down. It would be a great book for discussion for a woman’s readers group. This is definitely one not to be missed!

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