The Mad Wife: A Bestselling Novel of Motherhood and Madness
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
From bestselling author Meagan Church comes a haunting exploration of identity, motherhood, and the suffocating grip of societal expectations that will leave you questioning the lives we build--and the lies we live.
They called it hysteria. She called it survival.
Lulu Mayfield has spent the last five years molding herself into the perfect 1950s housewife. Despite the tragic memories that haunt her and the weight of exhausting expectations, she keeps her husband happy, her household running, and her gelatin salads the talk of the neighborhood. But after she gives birth to her second child, Lulu's carefully crafted life begins to unravel.
When a new neighbor, Bitsy, moves in, Lulu suspects that something darker lurks behind the woman's constant smile. As her fixation on Bitsy deepens, Lulu is drawn into a web of unsettling truths that threaten to expose the cracks in her own life. The more she uncovers about Bitsy, the more she questions everything she thought she knew--and soon, others begin questioning her sanity. But is Lulu truly losing her mind? Or is she on the verge of discovering a reality too terrifying to accept?
In the vein of The Bell Jar and The Hours, The Mad Wife weaves domestic drama with psychological suspense, so poignant and immersive, you won't want to put it down.
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Readers say *The Mad Wife* is an emotionally intense, haunting novel exploring 1950s womanhood, motherhood, mental health, and societal pressures. Rev...
Lulu Mayfield has spent years creating the perfect 1950s suburban life, managing her home and raising her children while keeping up appearances. After the birth of her second child, she begins to feel exhausted and disconnected as buried memories and grief resurface. When a new neighbor named Bitsy moves in, Lulu becomes suspicious of the life behind her neighbor’s flawless exterior. As her curiosity grows, Lulu must confront difficult truths about herself and the reality she has been living.
The trigger warnings for this book may be considered spoilers; they are listed at the end of this post. Skip them or read them!
A story about a 1950s housewife sounded intriguing, especially since there’s that underlying truth that back then, a woman was only supposed to be a wife and mother and keep the house running and operating. I didn’t know where the book would go, but I was captivated immediately. This book reeks of darkness and eeriness and you just know something bad is lurking around the corner. But when it actually hits you, it’s an absolute gut punch.
I felt this was a great read but I do understand how it can be especially triggering for certain individuals so read with caution.
Trigger warnings: miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss, postpartum depression, grief, chronic illness, mental illness, medical trauma, forced institutionalization, medical gaslighting, trauma bonding, suicidality, substance use (prescribed drugs)
"Together does not mean sameness. He didn’t know—wouldn’t know—what it felt like inside my body and mind."
Completely unsettling read. Even before I read the Author's Note, I got strong vibes of The Yellow Wallpaper and Victorian Psycho.
What's disturbing is that we have not progressed much further since the 1950s in the way women's physical and mental health issues are handled. There is still a cross-section of medical professionals that downplays women's pain, leading to misdiagnosis or even denial of treatment.
"For now, I needed to look him in the eyes and appear as normal as I could. For now, I needed to smile the smile he wanted from me so he could save me. I just hoped that when he got around to it, there would still be someone worth saving."
Maybe some day women will have full autonomy over their bodies as well as agency and proper support.
Some day.
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