Single Wife - Softcover

Solomon, Nina

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1616206268 ISBN 13: 9781616206260

Publisher: Algonquin Books, 2015

Synopsis

Grace Brookman's husband is missing. He wasn't kidnapped or murdered (she's fairly certain); he just seems to have run away from home. He got up one morning, and with an offhand "Gracie, I'll be back in a little while," he was gone. Laz had left before, but this time, when several weeks pass and he doesn't return, Grace copes with the situation by pretending to family and friends that he's still around. At first, Grace covers for Laz in little ways: rumpling the sheets on his side of the bed every morning for the housekeeper, turning up his favorite music so the neighbors will hear it, leaving the doorman a daily cup of coffee, just as Laz always did. Soon Grace's life is completely consumed with re-creating his life. Over time the deception takes on a life of its own as her charade becomes more elaborate and she begins lying to friends and family, even her overbearing, ever-present Upper East Side parents. Grace finds herself steeped in denial about the truth of her husband's disappearance--and the truth about him, as clues arise to suggest that he isn't the man she thought he was. In the spirit of Laura Zigman and Jennifer Weiner, Nina Solomon gives us a portrait of a young woman unraveled, who attempts to pull herself back together in the face of a most unusual crisis.

About this title

Review

In her enchanting debut novel Single Wife, Nina Solomon presents a witty, heartfelt, and utterly engaging book with the rare Manhattan heroine who a) isn't single, and b) doesn't work in publishing. In fact, Solomon's Grace Brookman doesn't even count calories, even when the salesperson at Barney's suggests she may want to go up a size in the new Katayone Adeli suede skirt. These reasons, plus the page-turning pace and a delightful cast of supporting characters, make Single Wife's somewhat unbelievable premise and sometimes contrived coincidences mere afterthoughts to an otherwise captivating read.

The book opens with the disappearance of Laz, Grace's dynamic yet somewhat disturbed husband. Laz has disappeared before, only to return after a few days with renewed love and affection for his faithful wife. So when days turn into weeks and months, Grace lets everyone believe that Laz is still around, simply away on business or recovering from a rough night on the town. Soon, the lie takes on a life of itself, and Grace finds herself slipping farther and farther away from the once-perfect life she thought she led. Adding color to the drama are Grace's parents and their friends the Sugarmans, whose Scrabble-potluck dinners provide a constant supply of amusement in the form of Seinfeldesque New York neurosis (the first time Laz disappeared Grace's apartment was overtaken by noodle kugels and whitefish salad).

Single Wife does not always make sense; sometimes it feels as if too much is going on at once and it gets hard to keep track of all the details. At times you may want to shout at Grace to get a clue. But it will still keep you awake until 2 A.M., promising to put the book down as soon as you finish one more delightful chapter. --Gisele Toueg

About the Author

Nina Solomon received her MA from Columbia University. She lives in Manhattan with her son, Nathaniel.

About this edition

• Publisher: Algonquin Books
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1616206268
• ISBN 13: 9781616206260
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320