This ebook contains a bonus essay from the author about the inspiration for the book!From award-winning author Lynne Hugo comes a witty, insightful, refreshingly unsentimental novel about one woman’s unconventional path from heartbreak to hope . . . After losing her husband, Harold, and her beloved grandson, Cody, within the past year, Louisa has two choices. She can fade away on her Indiana … can fade away on her Indiana family farm, where her companionship comes courtesy of her aging chickens and an argumentative cat. Or, she can concoct A Plan. Louisa, a retired schoolteacher who’s as smart, sassy, and irreverent as ever, isn’t the fading away type.
The drunk driver who killed Cody got off scot-free by lying about a deer on the road. Harold had tried to take matters into his own hands, but was thwarted by Gus, the local sheriff. Now Louisa decides to take up Harold’s cause, though it will mean outsmarting Gus, who’s developed an unwelcome crush on her, and staying ahead of her adult son who’s found solace in a money-draining cult and terrible art.
Louisa’s love of life is rekindled as the spring sun warms her cornfields and she goes into action. But even the most Perfect Plans can go awry. A wounded buck, and a teenage boy on the land she treasures help Louisa see that the enduring beauty of the natural world and the mystery of human connection are larger than revenge . . . and so is justice.
“I adored this fun yet poignant book.”
—Diane Chamberlain, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Marriage
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I want to thank Suzy Approved Book Tours and Kensington Publishing for sending me a copy of this book. I absolutely loved the characters, the story, the twists and turns. I fell in love with Louisa. She is quite a character. She’s snarky, and nutty, and loving, and hurt, and healing, and caring, and grateful, and vengeful. Her grandson was killed by a drunk driver and then her husband committed suicide because of his grief. Now she wants to enact her revenge on the killer, who she feels didn’t get the proper punishment. She loves her chickens and her son, who drives her nuts, and her sister, who is her voice of reason. It really is a story about healing…and also what happens when you don’t heal. Beautiful book.
I recommend this book.
Oh, how I loved The Testament of Harold’s Wife! Louisa is a quirky retired teacher who has recently lost her grandson and her husband. I loved Louisa, her quirky personality and the way she talked to her chickens and cat almost made me forget they were animals! I laughed out loud, shared her frustration and her tears as she struggled with her grief and her quest for revenge. I am a born and bred Indiana girl and loved that this story is set in the Hoosier state and the mention of my small, blink and you’ll miss it town of Rossville! This is the first book I’ve read by Lynne Hugo but not my last!
This book was such a great read. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I decided to read it. I am so glad I read it. It was a journey through Harold’s wife’s grief but not in a morose way. It was interestingly told and the characters were wonderful. Terrific read!
I enjoyed this author’s writing style. Sad but true commentary on life lived to get justice and revenge. Was anyone satisfied when it was all said done? Doubtful. No amount of justice or revenge can make up for the lost life of a loved one.
Good story, did not go where I predicted it was going to go.
My review on New York Journal of Books:
https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/testament-harolds-wife
Review
Linda Zagon’s review Nov 08, 2018 · edit
it was amazing
Lindas Book Obsession Reviews “The Testament of Harold’s Wife” by Lynne Hugo Kensington, Sept. 25, 2018
Lynne Hugo, Author of “The Testament of Harold’s Wife” has written an unusual, emotional, intriguing, riveting, captivating and intense novel. Also in this unique story is some satire and wit. The Genres for this story are Fiction, Women’s Fiction. The timeline for this story is the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The author describes her quirky, dysfunctional and unstable characters as complicated and complex.
Louisa is an older woman, and has dealt with the deaths of her grandson Cody and her husband Harold. Louisa blames Larry, the drunken man who ran Cody over, and said that he thought it was a deer. Larry is walking around as a free man. Louisa also blames Larry for the death of Harold who failed in carrying out his plans for revenge against Larry.
Is it for Justice or Revenge? Louisa lives on a large farm, and her best friends are her chickens and temperamental cat. Often they have “tea” parties with a little bourbon to discuss the issues on hand. Louisa is determined to carry on with Harry’s Plans to take care of Larry. Her only obstacles are Gus, the sheriff, who keeps checking up on her, and her son, who is looking to see if Louisa has lost her marbles. Louisa’s son Gary seems to be looking for some sense of purpose, and he has found some help from Jesus. Louisa does have a wicked sense of humor trying to keep her son off her tracks.
Now Louisa is a retired teacher, and knows that she has to study her subject to continue with this plan. How is Louisa going to manage this? One thing Louisa does know is Larry is a trophy hunter and kills deer. How is she going to use these facts to help her plan?
I appreciate how the author describes the plants and animal life that make up Louisa’s life. The beauty of nature that surrounds Louisa is amazing. It is nice to see how Louisa does appreciate the environment. I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy a thought-provoking story with wit and satire. Happy Reading !!!
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PUBLISHED BY LINDASBOOKOBSESSION
The Testament of Harold’s Wife is a novel of strong characters, especially Louisa, Harold’s Wife. Lynne Hugo uses humor, tragedy, redemption and more to tell her story. A captivating read!
This is a delightful book. The characters are individually dealing with family tragedy in very different ways. Humor is sprinkled throughout the novel. I enjoy this book so much that I immediately bought, and read the sequel. Hoping for another to complete the trilogy.
It’s strange to say a book is both whimsical and tragic but this one is. The plot is based on a tragedy and explores how the main character deals with it. She is very likable, a little strange and sometimes funny. Certainly not the best book I ever read, and I skimmed a few parts, but definitely entertaining.
Louisa has experienced more than her fair share of tragedy in recent years. Living alone with her chickens, cat, and the wild critters wandering around her rural home, she’s had enough. It’s time to fight back. She has come up with A Plan.
No spoilers–Louisa’s Plan is the center of her life, warding off all the demons that would otherwise drive her over the edge. Sometimes comical, sometimes tragic, sometimes simply frustrated, her efforts pull the reader along without realizing they’ve been snared until there’s far fewer pages left to read than have been read.
Louisa is a refreshing “old lady” character. Feisty and rebellious and still ready to take the bull by the horns, so to speak. This is a great book for rainy weekends, snowstorms, or idling away hours on the beach.
I eventually stopped reading this book, I just couldn’t get through it.