Seeing as this story was supposed to be about postpartum depression and divorce, I had been stealing myself for another depressing read. However, I was surprised by how witty and light the writing was. Chidley manages to address some pretty serious issues in this book while maintaining a steady plot progression, compelling characters, and a little bit of humor (even if wry). I raced right through it and I'd definitely be interested in more of her work. I loved the premise of this novel—one day a very tired and cranky Lizzie fires off an email intended for her sister Janie but it goes instead to her husband James. He thinks she wants out of the marriage and so decides to divorce her. We’ve all had those “do over” moments, when if we could just, as Cher would sing, turn back time.But in this novel as is often in life, Lizzie doesn’t get what she wants but she gets what she needs. Exhausted and depressed from having twins and no real support system, Lizzie decides to improve herself so that James will want her back. But the improvements actually help Lizzie more than James—she learns to love running, pursues her dream of being a children’s writer, and gets her self confidence back. Only then does life get better for her, with or without James.Like many novels with relationship troubles, problems arise not because there is a “bad” person, but because of a couple’s inability to communicate. In real life I wished Lizzie and James had sat down and talked about their problems, but then the story would have ended at chapter one and not made a novel.The novel is well-written with a strong story. I love the British humor and language and recommend it to anyone who wants to read a funny, engaging story about a woman’s journey to rediscovering herself. I'm looking forward to her next book!
What do You think about The Wrong Sort Of Wife (2000)?
2.75. Liked the plot, wrapped up too quickly though.
—bayougirl
Chick flick of a book---light reading and funny.
—Clairemarie105
