In this captivating dual narrative novel, a modern-day woman finds inspiration in hidden notes left by her home’s previous owner, a quintessential 1950s housewife. As she discovers remarkable parallels between this woman’s life and her own, it causes her to question the foundation of her own relationship with her husband–and what it means to be a wife fighting for her place in a patriarchal … patriarchal society.
When Alice Hale leaves a career in publicity to become a writer and follows her husband to the New York suburbs, she is unaccustomed to filling her days alone in a big, empty house. But when she finds a vintage cookbook buried in a box in the old home’s basement, she becomes captivated by the cookbook’s previous owner–1950s housewife Nellie Murdoch. As Alice cooks her way through the past, she realizes that within the cookbook’s pages Nellie left clues about her life–including a mysterious series of unsent letters penned to her mother.
Soon Alice learns that while baked Alaska and meatloaf five ways may seem harmless, Nellie’s secrets may have been anything but. When Alice uncovers a more sinister–even dangerous–side to Nellie’s marriage, and has become increasingly dissatisfied with the mounting pressures in her own relationship, she begins to take control of her life and protect herself with a few secrets of her own.
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I already knew that Karma Brown’s contemporary novels are exemplars of thoughtful, compelling, and truly original fiction. What I didn’t know before reading Recipe For a Perfect Wife is that she is equally at home when writing historical fiction. In her hands, the constrained and often suffocating lives of 1950s women — illuminated in a deftly handled dual narrative that alternates between the present day and 60 years ago — are revealed with real sensitivity, depth, and at times tenderness. And true to Karma Brown, this is also a nail-biter of a tale, and one that kept me up long past my bedtime. This is a delicious and thoroughly satisfying book.
Interesting1950’s recipes for herbs and flowers
Enjoyed. And found it a little repetitive at timea
A fun read that juxtaposes two different eras of cooking and wifely expectations.
Liked the way it moved between different decades and two different families.
Lots of twists and turns.
It helped me see clearly something I knew intuitively: women are still second class citizens in the USA
Enjoying this read.
Told in a dual timeline from 1950’s housewife Nellie to current day Alice who has (unhappily) relocated with her husband from New York to live in Nellie’s former house in a nearby suburb. Alice has been recently fired and plans to write a novel, but has a major case of writer’s block. As she rambles around the big house, she discovers old housekeeping magazines and becomes captivated by Nellie’s life. Each chapter begins with an early to mid-1900’s quote about how to be a “good wife,” and 1950’s recipes are peppered throughout the book. I really liked seeing this historical perspective. Women have come far from the days of little to no choice in their marriages — and yet, as Alice discovers, many of the same inner struggles remain. Very enjoyable read.
Alice and her husband decide to leave the city and buy a home in the suburbs. One day when cleaning up the basment, Alice happens upon a cookbook that was used in the 1950’s with family notes and recipe additions added in. Throughout the story, the reader is taken back and forth through the 1950s and present time, stringing together each female owner’s life. I found the recipes interesting and enjoyed reading about Alice trying them on her own. I also enjoyed the rawness of the new marriage and the look at the past family’s history.
Presented in dual timelines, the two timelines are connected by a house and a collection of letters. Alice Hale has moved from the hustle and bustle of NYC to the suburbs. She’s not in love with the idea of settling in to the suburbs and trying to get pregnant, but she finds herself with no job and this is her husband’s dream so she decides to give it a try. Alice also wants to write a novel but finds herself with a house that is full of needed repairs, an overgrown garden, and a case of writers block. While cleaning out, Alice finds some old cookbooks and magazines that belonged to Nellie, the former owner. When her neighbor gives her some old letters of Nellie’s, Alice finds herself immersed in the world of the 1950’s house wife. A page turner of a read about two women taking control of their marriages.
I absolutely loved this creation! Absolute pure dark genius! I mean it! Really, really fabulous. I think that’s what I said aloud, at least, as I closed the book after reading the final acknowledgements. I loved the recipes, and the quotes at the beginning of the chapters. The story of the past and the story of now and how they coexisted was spectacularly formed and woven, and it was funny, dreadfully awful, and inspiring all at the same time. How do you DO that? And why don’t more people DO THAT?! You did it! I loved reading the little recipe in the back, and seeing some other author names you listed made me happy because I have their their books too. I was so happy they are part of your recipe! This book drew me in from the very beginning and never lost me for an instant and never disappointed me in any way, and was better than I had expected. I had read some snippet about this book from BookBub and put it on my Goodreads “to read” list and waited through the holiday and then the coronavirus (and we’re still kind of there, but at least now finally the library was cubside open and I could finally get this book) and it was worth the wait. I will read it again, or own it even. Loved it! It’s going to sit with me for a while, and I’m so glad.
This is an extremely fast read. Once I started it I loved the dual narrative or Alice in the present and Nellie in the 1950s. When I think about 1950s housewives, I had never really contemplated the challenges that they faced before reading Nellie’s story. I liked how Alice learned things from Nellie and from the cookbook and how it changed her in some ways. I also enjoyed the recipes that were included. I did not like how easy it was for Alice to lie to her husband, but understand how it added to the story, and was wondering what he was keeping from her also. I suspected what had happened in one aspect of the story, but not exactly how it was going to turn out and was surprised by it. Overall this was an enjoyable book by a new author to me.
I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I found this book so intriguing that I could not wait in the long hold list at the library so I purchased it, best money I ever spent on a book!!! I loved the way it was written with the telling of two time periods in the same house. Two married women who question their marriages for different yet not so different reasons their marriages are unhappy. This book is a must read for all who enjoy a good book that holds it’s secrets until the end.
“Even in pain Nellie understood her role – the wife who bowed to her husband, who apologized for things out of her control, who made his life easier even if it made hers harder. The perfect wife.”
When I first picked up this novel I was expecting a light satire, but boy was I wrong. In Recipe for a Perfect Wife you see two women paralleled, in two different time periods. Nellie is the typical housewife in the 1950’s, and Alice is the modern working woman living in 2018. Both women end up living in the same house, only 60 years apart. When Alice finds Nellie’s old family recipe book, this seemingly sweet story takes a very sinister turn, and connects both women in a very twisted way.
Each chapter starts out with actual quotes from publications from the 1950’s that will either make you cringe, or roll your eyes, with their outdated ideologies, but add such ‘flavor’ to the story. Nellie’s chapters also have a recipe from her book, which was also a cute touch, but the cuteness stops there.
There is a tremendous amount of sinister subject matter, including adultery, sexual harassment, and even rape, that is incredibly difficult to read, yet so spellbindingly written, it’s like a car accident that you can’t tear your eyes away from. The incredibly dark subject matter was stifling and oppressive, yet was written so powerfully that I was glued to every word, yet hating what I was reading at the same time.
The ending was surprising yet not unexpected, considering the context, and all I could think of when I put this novel down was, “Man, this would make a crazy movie!” Recipe for a Perfect Wife is definitely a darker read than what I’m used to, but WOW is all I can say!
*I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through NetGalley. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.
I loved this book. I was captivated by both Alice and Nellie’s stories. Brown does a beautiful job of structuring the story and juxtaposing the two women’s lives. I also loved how she intertwined the vintage quotes, the recipes, and the language of flowers. So well done and I highly recommend!!
I loved how Karma Brown kept the two main characters connected through the entire story and how the main character from today was slowly turning into the 1950s wife. It was a great story and I enjoyed every chapter!
An old house, an old cookbook, notes in the cookbook that reveal the life of Nellie, and Alice who has some secrets of her own is what the reader finds in this lovely read.
We meet Alice who was fired from her job because of something she leaked and we learn of a box she finds that is filled with books, magazines, and a cookbook that inspires Alice to try some of the recipes.
Along with the cookbook, Alice finds notes about the life of a woman, Nellie, who lived during the 1950’s.
The cookbook helped Alice pass her days since she no longer was working and really didn’t like her new home.
Nellie who owned the books was a stay-at-home wife from the 1950’s who wasn’t happy and whose husband was a domestic abuser.
The stories of Nellie and Alice are told in alternating chapters as Alice finds similarities in their lives and meets the next door neighbor whose mother knew Nellie.
Alice was a bit unlikable, but her husband was sweet.
Alice’s neighbor found old letters in her basement written by Nellie to her mother and brought them to Alice. Could these old letters trigger an idea for the book Alice was supposed to be writing?
RECIPE FOR A PERFECT WIFE is an endearing and nostalgic trip back in time with the letters taking us back to the 1950’s and influencing Alice’s present-day life.
Women’s fiction fans, readers who enjoy a dual time line and a story line that keeps you wanting more will enjoy RECIPE FOR A PERFECT WIFE.
A truly, enjoyable, makes-you-feel-good read.
Loved it. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Karma Brown has written a book that is jaw-dropping, unexpected, and original. This brilliant story is told from two points of view, two women living in the same house, 60 years apart, each caught in a marriage where their own ideas, needs, and desires are quashed by domineering husbands. Each chapter is interspersed with household hints, recipes, and rules for a happy marriage from 1950’s and earlier, a very clever way to compare and contrast the two timelines. Although there are humorous moments in this book, there is a dark side as well, with a poignancy underneath it all. Nellie and Alice are incredibly compelling characters, and their stories intertwine slowly and subtly in the most fascinating way. Recipe for a Perfect Wife is perfect for book clubs; it is a book that you will want to discuss with your friends! Karma Brown has captured the essence of the 1950’s, bringing the reader into that era skillfully and organically. But it’s the emotions of the two women, the intricacies and challenges of their marriages, the lies they are forced to tell, the truths that they hide, that are the heart and soul of this story.