Novel About My Wife by Emily Perkins

Addressing the realities, insecurities, fears and joys of modern life, Emily Perkins takes us into the world of Tom and his wife, Ann. Perkins invites us into an intimate connection with this young couple trying to hold their complex lives together. Set in England, the story opens after Ann has died and Tom is seeking to make sense of her death and of her life. Sensitively and honestly, Perkins uses Tom’s voice to carry us back into their lives before her death and into the sense of fragility that haunts them. The descriptions of their love, the excitement of their pregnancy and of the challenges, both seen and unseen, they face drew me deeply and quickly into the story. Knowing that Ann has died, I followed along wondering if her death was caused by the hooded man who she’s seen following her, a health problem or some other incident. While this suspense is one focus of the book, it by no means overshadows the story. The writing moves along quickly but not without the well-written details and descriptions of subtleties that made me feel as if I knew Ann and Tom as friends. This is a great book for readers who enjoy a bit of suspense without ending up being kept awake by nightmares! It also offers an insightful tale of what it’s truly like to live in these times. - Reviewed by Cassandra