 |
| The Doctors Wife by Elizabeth Brundage |
It's gonna be hard for me to not spoil the entire book for you, because I was so nuts about it, so I would say continue reading at your own risk.
The story starts off a bit confusing, or at least I was confused. There are close to 80 chapters in this book, but all are very short, 2+ pages long. It took me 15 chapters before I could put the book down. And I normally don't like suspense-y type books, they've just never been my thing but this one captured my attention like no other.
This book jumps back and forth between the past and the present a bit, for dramatic effect, and I didn't have too much trouble putting the pieces together. I usually could see what was going to happen before it happened, but always right before it happened, and I was always shocked. I found myself shouting out names closer to the end "SIMON!" I'd shout. "MICHAEL!" My husband thought I'd gone off the deep end.
The first few chapters of the book actually pick up during the latter part of the story. It starts one cold, snowy night when Michael gets an emergency page, when he wasn't on call to begin with, and has to go into work. It's made clear to us, the reader, that something has happened between the doctor and his wife to cause a rift, judging by the thoughts Michael has just before he walks out of their bedroom. But it's also obvious to us just how much Michael still loves Annie, no matter what she's done, no matter what he's done, he still loves her.
Once he arrives at the hospital, he gets a very uneasy feeling, like "they're after him." We don't know who "they" are until a little later, so that's what was confusing me. But he was right. "they" were after him, and just as he gets out of the car, he's attacked.
His car is found the next morning off the side of the road, burned out, a crispy body seat-belted in at the drivers seat. Michael Knowles appears to be dead.
But "they" have switched his body with that of a drifter, poor guy never saw it coming, and have taken him to an old, abandoned farm house way out in the country where he is being held captive in the basement. His eye is badly infected, his ribs and a hand are broken.
Annie is devastated by the news, but a phone call from the medical examiner changes everything. The body that they have in the morgue is not Michael. Spurred forward by the news that Michael is alive out there somewhere, she begins to think back on how things could have gone differently for them.
Annie was raised in Connecticut by her wealthy, well-to-do parents and by her 20's was married to the perfect man, a doctor, no less. Soon they added son Henry and daughter Rosie to the family and purchased a huge house in the country. Her life was pretty much perfect to anyone on the outside looking in.
But not all that glitters is gold. Michael's next step puts his family in all kinds of danger. He gets a call one afternoon from an old friend, an old girlfriend, Dr. Celina James, asking if he may be interested in coming to work for her on weekends at the Women's Free Health Clinic downtown. Essentially, she needs someone willing to perform abortions. Michael and Annie are more liberal in their thinking, and so, because it's extra cash, although not much, and because Celina is such a good friend, Michael agrees. The news that now his weekends are fully scheduled causes a rift to develop in his marriage with Annie.
Annie's mind is cloudy one afternoon and so she decides to go for a swim in the University swimming pool, there she encounters the eccentric, but handsome, art professor, and world renowned portrait painter Simon Haas. There is a bit of flirtation between the two. It's made plainly obvious that something is happening between Simon and Annie, right from the beginning.
After a while she and Simon begin a steamy affair, much to the dismay of his off-the-beam wife Lydia. Simon and Lydia's relationship is that of utter controversy. She's been the subject of his paintings for years, his muse, and had it not been for the paintings of her, he would not be who he is today. He met her when she was just 14 and after the passing of her father (which left her an orphan) Simon began to take care of her to keep her from having to go into an orphanage. He married her when she was 19. No one believes that everything was on the up and up all those years that they lived together in her father's house but it was. Simon didn't touch her until he married her. It's made quite clear to us that Simon has had to commit Lydia in the past due to her mood swings. Lydia is not a mentally healthy woman. A stunningly beautiful one, yes, but mentally, not at all. In fact at some points in the story she behaves quite like a scared child.
Lydia has found herself mixed up with a radical right wing group from her church, led by Reverend Tim. Their latest target is the abortion clinic and everyone involved.
Michael and his family begin to receive threats, strange phone calls, odd messages left around the house etc. It finally gets to the point where Michael starts wearing a bullet proof vest and carrying a gun.
Simon and Annie's relationship ends, by Annie's choice, but then things take a crazy turn and no one is safe from Lydia's unhinged sense of justice.
I should probably stop there, otherwise I'll go on and ruin the rest of it for you.
I could not put this book down. I read it in two days, and usually I take about a week to read a new novel. But nope, not this one. It was page turner, from beginning to end, the twists and the turns kept me coming back for more. I couldn't stop thinking about the book during the times I wasn't reading it. I finally abandoned a basket full of laundry that needed to be folded last night, just so I could finish this book. Well worth my time.
Everything is written with such a great detail and feeling. I've never read anything written by Elizabeth Brundrage in the past, but I was so very pleased with this book. I had no problems imagining this book into a film, and if it ever actually makes it to the screen, you can bet I'll be first in line with popcorn and Twizzlers waiting to see it!
This book tackles some tough issues. Abortion and adultery being front and center themes of this book. The politics of abortion is abandoned, which I appreciated. Some people didn't see it that way. Some reviewers found this book incredibly pro-choice but to me, this book never made a plea for me to change my thinking on the subject. This isn't a book about abortion. It's a book that mentions it here and there. There's also murder. Let's not forget murder. There is a body count by the end of this book. There is a bit of bad language throughout and some "adult situations," but nothing too graphic on that end.
If you are looking for something a bit suspenseful, a bit romantic, something that will capture your attention, give this book a try. It was even left sort of open at the end, so maybe we might see a sequel in the future!! Ooh that gets me so so excited!!
I've read some other reviews saying that this book suffered from shoddy writing and would be easily dismissive if it weren't for the abortion subplot. I don't think so. I honestly enjoyed this book. I will admit that sometimes I found the writing, especially during the love scenes, to be a bit... robotic, but I was kind of glad for that. The last book I read was Fifty Shades Freed. I was happy for a break. I wouldn't have written it that way, but this is Elizabeth Brundage's book, not mine.
I've noted that, from other reviews on this book, you either love it or hate it. There doesn't seem to be much middle of the road with this tale. I was one that loved it.
If you'd like to read more reviews (better reviews, I get so excited I just want to tell it all) HERE is the link to The Doctor's Wife on Goodreads. You'll find a wide variety of likes and dislikes. Read this book, form your own opinion!
No comments:
Post a Comment