The Mad Wife - by Meagan Church

About the Book

"In the 1950s, nothing is valued more than conformity, and Lulu Mayfield has spent the last five years molding herself into the ideal housewife. But after the birth of her daughter, Lulu's carefully constructed life begins to teeter. Exhausted by expectations and haunted by tragic memories, Lulu looks to her new neighbor, Bitsy. Bitsy, always the model of a perfect housewife, is not quite what she seems and Lulu knows something dark lurks beneath Bitsy's constant smile. Increasingly fixated on Bitsy and her perfectly crafted life, Lulu's mental state begins to fracture, and memories she had suppressed long ago begin to rise to the surface. Soon, Lulu is forced to confront the possibility that she might be headed down a path much darker than she could ever foresee. Set against the backdrop of a post-war era defined by tradition and constrained femininity, The Mad Wife weaves together a coming-of-age search for identity with a psychological drama so poignant, you won't be able to put it down"--

Book Synopsis

From bestselling author Meagan Church comes a haunting exploration of identity, motherhood, and the suffocating grip of societal expectations that will leave you questioning the lives we build--and the lies we live.

They called it hysteria. She called it survival.

Lulu Mayfield has spent the last five years molding herself into the perfect 1950s housewife. Despite the tragic memories that haunt her and the weight of exhausting expectations, she keeps her husband happy, her household running, and her gelatin salads the talk of the neighborhood. But after she gives birth to her second child, Lulu's carefully crafted life begins to unravel.

When a new neighbor, Bitsy, moves in, Lulu suspects that something darker lurks behind the woman's constant smile. As her fixation on Bitsy deepens, Lulu is drawn into a web of unsettling truths that threaten to expose the cracks in her own life. The more she uncovers about Bitsy, the more she questions everything she thought she knew--and soon, others begin questioning her sanity. But is Lulu truly losing her mind? Or is she on the verge of discovering a reality too terrifying to accept?

In the vein of The Bell Jar and The Hours, The Mad Wife weaves domestic drama with psychological suspense, so poignant and immersive, you won't want to put it down.

Review Quotes

"A gripping portrait of 1950s suburbia with a sinister undercurrent, this novel peels back the manicured lawns and perfect smiles to reveal the secrets we bury--and the strength it takes to unearth them. A haunting, hopeful tale of resilience, reckoning, and the redemptive power of truth." -- Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author of The Amalfi Curse

"The Mad Wife is a gripping and heart-wrenching portrait of a 1950s housewife at her wits end, struggling with the alienation and claustrophobia of midcentury suburban life. In this one-sitting read, Church offers unforgettable characters, a beautiful window into life in the Fifties, and a stirring tribute to the strength of women. This should be at the top of every book club's list this fall." -- Ashley Winstead, USA Today-bestselling author of This Book Will Bury Me

"The Mad Wife is a propulsive story of motherhood, societal expectations, mental health, and resilience that is set during a time when women were often misunderstood and underserved. It's a book that does what I love best about historical fiction--illuminates a unique time and place that is new to me while exploring universal themes that hit close to home. A must-read for women of all ages." -- Adele Myers, author of The Tobacco Wives

"A vivid novel that deftly places you into the mind of a seemingly normal 1950s housewife, exposing the demands of motherhood and societal exceptions, while at the same time unraveling a tale of mystery and unexpected sorrow. A surprising narrative so cleverly crafted you never see the twist coming." -- Serena Burdick, author of The Girls with No Names and A Promise to Arlette

"In a world where a woman can attain local fame for her Jello salads, what wife dares to complain that a dishwasher isn't the gift of her dreams? A rigid version of suburban propriety haunts the women of The Mad Wife, with their private griefs and their public smiles. But just when you think you know exactly what's going on, Meagan Church slips the area rug out from under you, and tumbles you into a new understanding of the ways love can surprise you." -- Mimi Herman, author of The Kudzu Queen

"Meagan Church's The Mad Wife, is a story that is both historical and pointedly of-the-moment when the old adages assigned to hysterical women abound yet again. With an unflinching eye, Church shines a light on the sorrows, secrets and shames lurking behind the carefully curated lives of 1950s wives and mothers--and the quick and terrible consequences of so-called cures for what ails them. Lulu Mayfield is a courageous character whose important story will speak to mad women everywhere." -- Kimberly Brock, award winning author of The Fabled Earth

"Once again, Meagan Church deftly lights a dark corner of the past. At its heart, this story is an unflinching and evocative portrait of a woman--a wife and mother with a carefully crafted life--gradually losing herself and seeking a way back. Powerful and achingly real, The Mad Wife will linger with you long after the last page." -- Kelly Mustian, author of The River Knows Your Name and The Girls in the Stilt House

"I devoured The Mad Wife, bite by savory bite. Church's novel expertly captures the paradox of being a 'perfect' housewife in the 1950s, all while drawing a subtle parallel to the plight of the 'ideal' woman today. The suspenseful unraveling of women's secrets--not to mention, their minds--kept me turning pages late into the night" -- Kristen Bird, USA Today bestselling author of Watch It Burn

"In a quietly devastating wink-and-nod to The Bell Jar, set firmly in thriller and suspense territory, Meagan Church delivers a piercing portrait of a young mother unraveling in the grip of 1950s suburbia, where Jell-O molds collapse, dishwashers invade, and card games with neighbors turn into emotional battlefields. With razor-sharp insight and aching lyricism, The Mad Wife traces a woman's descent through sleepless nights, domestic disillusionment, and buried guilt, capturing a haunting tension between what is said, seen, and silently endured until she no longer can." -- Lee Kravetz, The Last Confessions of Sylvia P.