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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Grief can make a woman a little crazy, but it can also make her very entertaining! The Testament of Harold’s Wife is part romp, part suspense, but above all, a love story. I adored this fun yet poignant book.
The Testament of Harold’s Wife is a glorious—and unique—tale of tragedy, resilience, and one kick-ass grieving widow and grandmother. I laughed, cried, and cheered as Louisa talked to her pet chickens, splashed bourbon in her tea, hid ‘Glitter Jesus’ around the house, and wrestled with revenge. Louisa captured my heart, and I will never forget her.
The Testament of Harold’s Wife is a richly told tale that explores the human/animal connection and the journey to get past tragedy. Louisa, the spunky, elderly narrator delivers a tender hymn of hope and rebirth that stays with you long after the last page.
I loved it. It was narrated by Louisa so well it was almost like sitting in her kitchen having coffee with her. A very likable character. Good plot.
I received this thoroughly enjoyable book from Goodreads, for my honest review. A new author to me, I loved the quirky characters that Lynne Hugo brought to this delightful story. It is one of loss and heartbreak, as Louisa finds solace and companionship with her shared living chickens, all named after Louisa Alcott characters.
She loses her grandson to a drunk driver, who lies and gets off scott free, as well as her husband Harold, when he commits suicide, after he is unable to exact revenge. So Louisa takes up his cause, while eluding the smitten sheriff Gus. Louisa’s sense of humor and love of life, keeps her and her non egg laying chickens dancing along, while dealing with her religious cult son. A splash of bourbon helps as well. This unique tale, told by a talented storyteller, had me smiling. Thank you Goodreads and Amazon.
A book with a unique twist — starts off very whimsical introducing the reader to possibly one of the most demented old ladies in the world. Or perhaps she is the most sane? She certainly knows her own mind and how to make a plan, then carry it out. Beth, Amy and Jo can testify to that once they finish scratching the yard.
Some of the most original voices I’ve read recently. A wonderful protagonist, dealing with tremendous tragedy, yet witty and warm in her grief. Her overcoming is wonderful to witness.
This is my first Lynne Hugo book but after reading this, I’ll definitely order some of her older books. This fantastic book had a quirky grandmother as the main character who made me laugh and who I cheered for throughout the book.
Louisa is alone on the family farm in Indiana. Her beloved grandson had been killed by a drunk driver and then her husband committed suicide at the same place on the highway. The driver who killed her grandson wasn’t charged because he claimed that a deer caused him to swerve. Louisa decides that she needs revenge against the driver and with the help of her sister, she works to come up with the perfect plan. Louisa’s closest companions are the chickens that live in her house – named after the sisters in Little Women – and the cat that she talks to all of the time. She loves her tea – with a splash of bourbon in it and is a fantastic character. You can feel the grief in her life but can’t help but applaud her as she concocts her plan of revenge.
I loved this book because of Louisa. She was a fantastic character who was aware of her age and her situation. She was eccentric and tenacious – she’ll make you laugh and make you cry but the whole time you’ll be aware that she’s a character you won’t soon forget.
Perhaps the toughest and bravest way to survive tragedy is by bearing up. In The Testament of Harold’s Wife, after losing her husband and grandson, Louisa weathers catastrophe through hard-fought wisdom, humor, and revenge served cold—fueled by a side of hot bourbon. I never left her side as she proved reinvention is possible at any age.
Lynne Hugo’s delightful page turner, The Testament of Harold’s Wife, is fast-paced, unexpectedly poignant, and fun. Louisa’s utterly winning voice propels us at breakneck speed. As a woman who has seen it all and lost it all, Louisa will take her place in the pantheon of unforgettable characters. You may never see an older woman in quite the same way again. This gorgeous new book, with its swiftly moving plot and subversive humor will stay with you long after you have finished the final page.
At the center of this moving, transcendent novel is the unforgettable Louisa. Perceptive, wry, full of righteous fury and enlarged by deep compassion…I promise you will miss her when you turn the last page. The story itself—flawlessly written and genuine to the core—takes an unflinching look at how we survive shattering tragedy and pointless cruelty and continue to love the world. Its startling life-affirming conclusion will haunt me for a long time.
“There is nothing crazier than a truly sane old lady who can’t lose more than she already has.”
An interesting story of an elderly lady named Louisa . She has lost the two people she adored most in this world and this is her story of how she dealt with these losses as well as her life on her farm.
There is humor, anger, hate, laughter and love as she attempts to right the wrongs that she has been dealt.
Louisa shares all her secrets and ideas with her chickens and her cat as they sit and drink bourbon and tea. She talks to the deer and knows they are listening.
Her son thinks his mother is plain old nuts and would like her to move out of her farm to a nice senior citizen home.
I enjoyed Louisa and her spunk!! I know many people that could be Louisa!
Although this story starts a bit slowly and oddly, once it really got rolling, I was fascinated and could hardly wait to see what might happen next. A very satisfying read.
Wonderful, witty, deeply emotional roller coaster of a story. Loved this read.
An unusual plot and fun and poignant to read.
Loved this book! Louisa is my hero!
What a pleasure to read this book and to spend time with Louisa. The Testament of Harold’s Wife is a story about a lot of things: hunting, farming, small towns, the death of loved ones and the need for closure or maybe revenge, each person’s ability to move on – or not move on, but mostly to me this was a story about the period of time where Louisa is trying desperately – desperately – to get a grip on her life, a life so totally different from the one she has so far lived. No husband Harold, no grandson Cody, son Gary not the same. She blames the drunken man who ran Cody down on the side of the road for Harold’s death, too. Harold was consumed by trying to get even with Larry, the “killer.” Louisa regrets she didn’t realize what Harold needed, couldn’t give it to him. It’s too late now that he’s gone, she feels apart from the son she was never that close to anyway, knows she isn’t and can’t help him, and fears he is trying to manage her life now, that he thinks she’s just a bit wacky and can’t manage on her own. He’s turned to God and has given her Glitter Jesus to watch over her.
The writing in this book is perfect. Louisa’s closest family now is her cat Marvelle and her chickens named after characters in the story Little Women. They spend most of the day in the house with her (when Gary isn’t checking up on her) and she has insightful conversations and tea with them all. Louisa drinks a bit too much and a bit too early these days, and as she and the cat and the chickens have tea with a boost Louisa slowly works her way to THE PLAN. Larry must pay. Simple as that. Louisa is also close with her sister CarolSue. CarolSue worries about her and checks in with her and gives Louisa fashion advice for her reconnaissance/pretend dates with the sheriff, Gus, who seems to have a crush on her. Initially the sisters develop THE PLAN together. But they aren’t that close – CarolSue lives in another state and her husband is ill and receiving radiation. So while sharing a lot, Louisa decides maybe CarolSue doesn’t need to know quite all the details of THE PLAN. And what follows is amazing and funny and suspenseful and thoroughly entertaining.
As I said, it’s perfect, real and authentic. The flow, the language, the setting, the characters – and a little mystery and a lot of suspense thrown in – are so satisfying. It’s not always a happy read because you are suffering with Louisa, feeling her grief and her tenuous hold on herself and don’t know what’s in store for her future, but it’s also wry and witty and will make you laugh out loud. And genuinely care a lot about many of these people.
A new author to me but one I will most certainly continue to read. Very enjoyable, well crafted, engaging story that made me think. I recommend author Lynne Hugo’s work without hesitation.
I really enjoyed this novel about a retired English teacher who decides to take on her dead farmer husband’s quest for vengeance for a beloved grandson, killed by a loathsome drunk driver, even though it’s clearly not something in her nature (she’d rather hang out with her chickens and cat while sharing her bourbon with them). I laughed out loud a number of times at cranky Louisa’s POV, but I also got caught up in the suspense of her campaign. It’s not the grittiest, most realistic novel about loss and moving on, but it is surely one of the most charming.
This is a novel on the study of grief and how differently each of us deal with it. Some turn to religion, some turn to loved ones, and some turn to suicide. But some concoct a plan for revenge. A laugh and tears novel you won’t soon forget.
The Testament of Harold’s Wife is an insightful, cleverly written story about a woman who is grieving the devastating losses of her grandson and husband, just six months apart. There were times that I laughed out loud, and times that my heart broke in two. I loved that the chapters featuring Louisa felt like chatting with an old friend who was taking you into her confidence. Louisa is quirky yet practical; her love for her family, her chickens, and the deer on her property filled the pages of this book.