The Wife App

The novel opens with an epigraph from Silvia Federici, a theorist and scholar who has advocated for the idea that domestic work is unwaged labor and who started a movement called Wages for Housework. Do you see a world in which the primary caregivers and homemakers in a family unit could be paid for that labor? How do you think that would change the family dynamic and the value we assign to this work and to the people (often women) who perform it?

The concept of the Wife App is initially presented as a joke at Lauren’s divorce celebration, but quickly becomes a reality. What are your thoughts on the concept of the Wife App? What are your thoughts on the idea of monetizing the mental load? Would you hire a Wife?

What are the potential downsides to the Wife App, and to apps like these, created in the name of efficiency? Who benefits from these apps and from the gig economies that support them? If you were creating the Wife App, what protocols would you put in place to make sure that it benefits both the users and the workers who take on the gigs?

The book touches on the idea of societal expectations placed on women, particularly in the roles of wives and mothers. How did the Wife App challenge these expectations?

Each of the main characters, Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie, have their own motivations for joining the Wife App venture. How do their experiences and desires shape their involvement in the project? Did you find their reasons relatable?

The app in the book offers a practical solution for monetizing work people often do for free in relationships. What are other common problems or imbalances you’d like to see targeted by apps? Do you have any ideas as to how an app could help?

Friendship between women is central to the story. How did the friendship between Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie evolve throughout the book? Were there any moments that particularly stood out to you in terms of their bond and support for each other?

Motherhood also plays an important role in the book. How do Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie’s relationships with their children propel the story? Were there any moments or aspects of their relationships you particularly enjoyed?

 Love and romantic relationships—or ex-romantic relationships—have a significant role. How did the characters’ romantic entanglements impact their experiences with the Wife App and their lives in general? Were there any relationships that resonated with you? What did you think of the way the book left Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie’s relationships?