I wasn't fully sure what to expect from this book, but I loved the dual storylines and how Karma shows that what people see on the outside of a relationship is not always what is going on behind closed doors. The little addition of old recipes was really cool too, and I loved how you can see in the next chapter Alice incorporating those recipes into her own life. Definitely a great read!

Recipe for a Perfect Wife

This book follows a house wife in the 1950s and a house wife in present day.

I do not think I would of been a good house wife in the 1950s. Cooking, baking, house cleaning, gardening all while keep your appearance perfect!

I mean I bake occasionally but Greg does most of the cooking and that bc he doesn’t like a lot of my go to meals I would usually make.

Tho I think there is still just as much judgement passed between women as there was back then on how you keep your home!

Tho women today have more of a voice with their husbands, well most.

I really enjoyed this book! I honestly had no idea what it was about but def one of my fav reads.

I generally enjoy books by Karma Brown, and this one was no exception. Intriguing, solidly paced and atmospheric! 4 stars from me.

I've read several Karma Brown books in the past, and this one wasn't exactly what I was thinking it was going to be but I quite enjoyed it. I enjoyed the time line changes and some characters more than others. You better be careful of what you put in your garden. Who knows what anyone is going to be using their plants for these days.

The story with 2 points of view was easy to follow, which I love. How 60 Years apart, 2 women could lead such similar lives in the same house is pretty crazy! Although they never meet, how their stories entwine was written seamlessly.

I really enjoyed this story and have loved Karma Brown's previous novels.
Recipe For A Perfect Wife is a captivating dual narrative novel. A present day woman finds inspiration in hidden notes left by her new home's previous owner, a model 1950's housewife. She begins to question the foundation of her own relationship with her husband as she discovers notable parallels between this woman's life and her own. Both women refuse to become defined by their roles as housewives and I enjoyed their self discovery and assertiveness.
I enjoyed the eeriness the story seemed to have.
The recipes added a nice touch to the story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

After Alice Hale loses her job in publicity and follows her husband to the New York suburbs, she finds herself at a loss. After the way that she chose to leave her job she can't go back there, and her manuscript is at a definite standstill. Their new (old) house is filled with character and a history but it's also quiet and lonely while her husband works long days. When Alice finds an old recipe book she also finds clues that reveal the story of Nellie Murdoch, an oppressed housewife from the 1950's, not to mention old letters addressed to her own mother.

As Alice reveals Nellie's decades-old secrets she begins to see how Nellie's story parallel's her own and begins to realize some hard truths about her own life in the process.

I've been a fan of Karma Brown's since her first novel, Come Away With Me. I've even had the privilege of meeting her in person at a book signing in Burlington, Ontario! This book had a distinctly different feel than Brown's previous books and I definitely enjoyed it. While I don't read a lot of fiction that takes place in the past I do really enjoy it when I come across it and the dual narrative in this book, weaving together the past and the present, was very well done and enjoyable. I was curious as to how both stories would unfold.

I enjoyed the story of both of these women as well as the surprising ending, which has stayed with me even though I have read several books since this one. While I enjoyed the story of Nellie more than the one of Alice, and would have liked to have read more about Nellie, both story lines piqued my curiosity and kept me eagerly turning the pages. Even though it's a departure from her usual fare, this is a worthy read by Brown.

After Alice Hale loses her job in publicity and follows her husband to the New York suburbs, she finds herself at a loss. After the way that she chose to leave her job she can't go back there, and her manuscript is at a definite standstill. Their new (old) house is filled with character and a history but it's also quiet and lonely while her husband works long days. When Alice finds an old recipe book she also finds clues that reveal the story of Nellie Murdoch, an oppressed housewife from the 1950's, not to mention old letters addressed to her own mother.

As Alice reveals Nellie's decades-old secrets she begins to see how Nellie's story parallel's her own and begins to realize some hard truths about her own life in the process.

I've been a fan of Karma Brown's since her first novel, Come Away With Me. I've even had the privilege of meeting her in person at a book signing in Burlington, Ontario! This book had a distinctly different feel than Brown's previous books and I definitely enjoyed it. While I don't read a lot of fiction that takes place in the past I do really enjoy it when I come across it and the dual narrative in this book, weaving together the past and the present, was very well done and enjoyable. I was curious as to how both stories would unfold.

I enjoyed the story of both of these women as well as the surprising ending, which has stayed with me even though I have read several books since this one. While I enjoyed the story of Nellie more than the one of Alice, and would have liked to have read more about Nellie, both story lines piqued my curiosity and kept me eagerly turning the pages. Even though it's a departure from her usual fare, this is a worthy read by Brown.

RATING: 3 STARS
2020; Viking/Penguin Random House Canada

Recipe for a Perfect Wife was a difficult book to rate for me. The story instantly grabbed me, and both Alice and Nellie were interesting characters in the beginning. Around the halfway mark, I wasn't rooting for Alice anymore. Alice is the contemporary "housewife". She has been let go from her job, for reasons that unravel later, and tries to hide from her husband by playing up his dream of a family. She will be working on her novel (that she has "always" wanted to write) and having a baby. Except Alice doesn't want any of that. In fact, she is resentful of any chore she has to do as it puts her in role of a 1950s housewife. I was beginning to sympathize with the husband when the lies she told were the true making of all the blow ups. The way it ends, just makes me really dislike Alice. She could be a realistic character, but her selfishness just rubbed me the wrong way. I was invested in Nellie (a Housewife from the 1950s) and her life, right up until the end. As the novel edged to the end I basically let go of all expectations and harrumphed when I finished. I liked how the chapters opened with quotes from books that were referencing how a "housewife" was supposed to be. Instead of the ending being unique, or predictable but satisfying, I just felt a bit cold. I get that both women were trying to break the chain of being the perfect wife, but I just felt like it reinforced the idea that there is a perfect housewife. I may have read this a different way, but I do think this is a wonderful book to discuss within book clubs and group reads (especially when you can talk spoilers). I would like to try another novel by the author in the future. And, what a gorgeous cover, my true reason for requesting this one.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. Thank you to the author the publisher and to Netgalley. This is the third book that I have read by Karma Brown, and I have really enjoyed all of the books...I give this book 4 stars. This was a fast paced book, constantly changing between Nellie's and Alice's lives (60 years apart).
I have recommended Karma Brown to friends in the past, and this book is no different, I would recommend it

I’m a big Karma Brown fan so I was eagerly looking forward to this book. I went into reading this one knowing it was going to take a different slant than her previous books. I’m happy to say that this book, while different, is also very entertaining and kept my interest throughout. The story is told through dual timelines which is a style that I find compelling. We meet two women, Nellie in the 1950’s, and Alice in present day. Alice and her husband move into a house previously owned by Nellie. The move has Alice at loose ends and as she finds an old cookbook and letters of Nellie’s in the basement she begins to immerse herself in how Nellie lived. As both women have struggles in their marriages we see how each of them deal with the challenges. I was eager to see where their stories would take us. The author has included many recipes from the 1950’s and that was a fun addition to the book.

"Don't expect your husband to make *you* happy while you are simply a passive agent. Do your best to make *him* happy and you will find happiness yourself.--Blanche Ebbutt, Don'ts for Wives (1913) This is just one of the quotes from various books that advise women how to be good wives, and they are included throughout this book, demonstrating some of the apparent standards women were expected to uphold when they became wives.

When Alice and her husband move into a new house away from the hustle and bustle of the city, she uncovers an old recipe book that the previous owner used. I loved how the recipes were incorporated into the stories of both women, and that the recipes were complete with ingredients and directions so that anyone could make them if they so choose. Alice slowly discovers more about Nellie with the help of her elderly neighbor and also discovers more about herself and her own marriage in the process. The character of Alice was hard to take at times, but I also think she was a believable portrayal of a young woman who is trying to figure herself out, making plenty of mistakes along the way.

Recipe for a Perfect Wife takes a look at marriage, how much things have changed but also how they've stayed this same. It also examines what it is to a be a woman, through the lenses of two different women: one a fairly typical 50's housewife; the other a modern-day woman who goes from having a career to suddenly being a stay-at-home wife. It was a more serious book than I expected, but I really enjoyed it. It takes a good look at what happens in a marriage behind closed doors and also how societal expectations have changed and play a part in what is presented to the outside world.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an egalley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so good!

This story follows Alice in 2018 and Nellie in 1956. Alice has just purchased the house that Nellie lived in until her death. They both had private struggles in their lives as housewives. They had very different experiences, since the stories take place six decades apart, but there were some similarities. For example, they both had secret and creative ways of preventing themselves from having children.

The two storylines of Alice and Nellie reflect each other but they are separate. Sometimes characters in other books with mirroring lives, like these ones, end up having their stories blend together so they seem like one person. These two characters had similarities but they had very different stories.

There were also some very tense moments. I found myself holding my breath until the end because I didn’t know what would happen. There were some dramatic twists that I didn’t expect.

This was a great novel!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

RECIPE FOR A PERFECT WIFE is the perfect read for a cold winters day. It tells the story of two “housewives “ Alice Hale and Nellie Murdoch.
Nellie’s story begins in 1955. Swept off her feet by the mature Richard Murdoch the two are married. Richard runs a chewing gum factory and is very much a man of his generation. He wants a dutiful wife and children. Nellie was brought up by a single mother because her father abandoned the family. Nellie’s mother suffered from depression especially during the winter months which forced Nellie to take of them both at a young age. The result being Nellie developed an independent nature that didn’t sit well with Richard’s tyrannical personality.
Alice’s story begins in 2018. Alice unbeknownst to her husband has lost her job. She tells Nate she quit and wants to focus on being a writer. Despite being in need of numerous repairs and updates Alice and Nate buy Nellie’s old house. The plan is for Alice to work on her book, fix up the house slowly and try to start a family..
Alice discovers some boxes left behind by Nellie. Alice starts to read the old letters Nellie wrote to her mother but never mailed. She begins to learn what life was like for Nellie as a 1950’s housewife and thinks this might be the inspiration she needs for her novel.
I loved this story. It is easy to read and the characters are engaging. It is told from the two women’s perspectives Alice’s chapters begin with tips for being the perfect wife from various sources. Nellie’s chapters begins with popular recipes from the 1950’s. The tips were interesting and gave you a sense of how people viewed women during that postwar era. Loved reading the recipes which too provided an insight into the time period.
The book is selling well in Canada and has appeared on best sellers lists . I believe the publishing date was pushed head but I can’t remember exactly why. The earlier date seems to be working as well as the marketing.
Would recommend Karma Brown’s book to readers who like Good women’s fiction.

Another great book by Karma Brown! I have to say this one was a little bit more darker than I expected from her. I think she could have easily turned this into a psychological thriller but I like the direction she went with.

First off, I love the title and I love the cover! I'm always intrigued about the life of a 1950's housewife so I just had to read this. This has two timelines which I enjoyed equally. Present day and mid 1950's. In present day Alice and her husband Nate want to leave the hustle and bustle of Downtown Manhattan and decide to go to the suburbs (Greenville) and purchase a house. Alice is feeling a bit lost as she has left her job at a popular publishing house. When she is cleaning up the old house she finds a box full of old 1950's magazines in the basement. Also in the box is an old cookbook. Alice is on a quest to find out who it belonged to and trying to fill up all her extra time she begins to cook some of the old recipes for dinner. The old cookbook belonged to Nellie who used to live in the house with her husband Richard in the 1950's. Nellie was an excellent cook, fabulous dinner party hostess and a fantastic gardener. She seemed to be the epitome of a 1950's housewife.

While Alice keeps investigating Nellie's life could it be it was not so perfect after all? Alice herself has a few secrets up her sleeve. This book makes you really examine how a woman's role in marriage and society has changed. I enjoyed the old recipes that were also included in the story. I thought it was very clever to include at the beginning of each chapter tips for the perfect housewife (from antiquated books on marriage.)

I really enjoyed reading this book. My only disappointment might have been the ending. Overall a well written and researched novel. I think Book Clubs will love this one!

I enjoyed the storyline and characters in this book. I loved the dual timeline and how the house connected the characters from different times. It was a little slow at first but it picked up after a while. I thought the story had a few holes & details missing (I’m left with some questions) but overall I did enjoy the book.
.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent book, had a feeling it would be a 5 star read for me as soon as I saw the cover and read the synopsis and it was! I’m so pleased.
Recipe for a Perfect Wife tells the story of Alice, a former publicist who has left the life she loves in Manhattan to move to a 1950s fixer-upper in the suburbs. Alice isn’t much of a housewife, but as she finds old cookbooks, magazines and letters from the houses prior owner, Nellie, Alice finds herself becoming more domesticated as her life starts to spin a bit out of control. I love how the author alternated most chapters between Alice and Nellie with dual storylines and perspectives, and also added recipes that were relevant to that chapter, as well as interesting quotes and anecdotes taken from vintage literature. Overall, this was an unputdownable book.

Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown

Synopsis: This dual narrative novel is told between Alice, in the present day and Nellie, in the 1950’s. Newlyweds Alice and Nate, purchased a beautiful home in the suburbs of New York. One day, while Alice was in the basement, she discovers a box with old magazines and a cookbook. Throughout reading the material, Alice learns about the previous home owner, Nellie. Soon enough, Alice is immersed in the 1950’s, learning what life was like for women during that time, from the letters Nellie wrote. Nellie’s life seemed to be perfect however, it’s not always as perfect as it seems.

 

Review: I can’t stay this enough, I love dual narrative novels, the transition between Alice and Nellie remained seamless throughout the entire book. I found I was more interested in Nellie’s storyline, what was expected of women in the 1950’s, and how she felt about the situations she was in. I found myself constantly annoyed with the life decisions Alice made… experiencing being recently married, I thought I would connect with her character, unfortunately, I couldn’t. Overall, it was a entertaining read, with some interesting recipes… I’m tempted to try several!  

 

3.5/5                                                                                                                     

 

Thank you @netgalley and @penguincanada for my review copy!

This was an entertaining read that had me thinking about what marriage and motherhood truly meant. Through the narratives of two women Alice a 20th century career focused city girl and Nellie a 1950's housewife this book examines how some things have changed and how some things have not for women. Alice and her husband have just moved into an older house in the suburbs when she finds an old box of women's magazines along with an old cookbook from the previous owner Nellie. Through these old recipes and notes, Alice is transfixed on this fascinating housewife from the 50s and she tries to imagine what life was like for her then. Through the narratives we find that Nellie appeared to be that "perfect" wife but had her fair share of secrets. As Alice is conflicted in her own life with career, marriage and the pressure of a baby she tries to figure out what she truly wants for herself. I enjoyed hearing both narratives but was more into Nellie's story line. I found myself a little aggravated with Alice and some of her choices. Some feelings over motherhood and the pressure all women face came up for me as I was reading. Although we have come a long way in expectations of what being a women is the pressure is still there and it is the women who truly has to make sacrifices to bring a child into the world. Overall I really liked this book. I love how Karma really committed to the story with adding in recipes and quotes from magazines from the 50s. So fascinating! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

There are two narratives in this novel. In the one set in 2018, Alice Hale has just unwillingly moved with her husband Nate from Manhattan to the suburbs. Having left her job, she thinks she will write a novel but suffers from writer’s block until she chances upon a vintage cookbook and letters left by Nellie Murdoch, a previous resident in the house Alice and Nate have bought. Alice slowly becomes aware of the secrets Nellie hid about her marriage.

The second story is set in the 1950s and focuses on Nellie and her life with her husband Richard. That life consists of little other than cooking, cleaning, and entertaining. Gardening is her solace, especially because her marriage is not a happy one since Richard is domineering and physically abusive.

As the title and dedication indicate, the book examines the expectations with which women have had to contend. Certainly, women were expected to marry, and one of the most interesting elements in the novel is the advice women were given about fulfilling the role of wife. Interspersed throughout are quotations from actual books offering advice like “Be a good listener. Let him tell you his troubles; yours will seem trivial in comparison” and “Happiness does not flourish in an atmosphere of dyspepsia” and “Do your best to make him happy and you will find happiness yourself” and “From the wedding day, the young matron should shape her life to the probable and desired contingency of conception and maternity. Otherwise she has no right or title to wifehood” and “your most important job is to build up and maintain his ego” and “in case of an occasional lapse on the part of the husband . . . forgive and forget.”

It is obvious that Nellie tries to follow this advice. She outlines her “education on what it meant to be Richard Murdoch’s wife”: “the most important thing she could do was stand by his side, take care of him, give herself over to him bit by bit. He needed her to look pretty, cook him hot meals, open her legs to him without feigning a headache or lady troubles. She was to keep her opinions to herself while also keeping his dozen or so white dress shirts sparkling and clean of other women’s lipstick.” The reader cannot but feel sympathy for her; she has few options.

Alice, however, does not elicit any sympathy. She constantly lies to Nate and keeps secrets, even asking at one point, “What did it say about her, and her marriage, that she hadn’t simply been honest with Nate from the beginning?” Her deceptions show her to be immature, selfish, and manipulative. Her position is nothing like Nellie’s because Alice has many opportunities to speak up for herself but she doesn’t take them. Nate is certainly not Richard because he is not abusive and allows his wife to express her opinions. Granted, he does make some decisions without consulting Alice, but since she chooses not to communicate her feelings, she bears some responsibility for misunderstandings. Sometimes, Alice is just stupid: in 2018, an adult, who could not but be aware of the health dangers, would take up smoking and even go so far as to cut off the filters?

There are hints that the house is haunted by Nellie and that she gradually is taking over Alice’s personality. When she and Nate first see the house, Alice sees “movement out of the corner of her eye. A flutter of curtain from the top left window, as though someone was pushing it to the side.” Alice starts cooking Nellie’s recipes, wearing vintage clothing and using Nellie’s cigarette holder. The realtor pointedly mentions that Nellie died in the house; there are references to temperature changes; Alice comments that “’the house likes it when I cook’”; and Nate comments that “’Maybe we never should have moved here. . . . It’s not good for you, or me. . . . This goddamn house.‘” Closing references to Alice’s planting certain flowers so the housewife would be “pleased to see how well her beloved gardens were faring” and Alice’s “invoking the housewife’s ghost” suggest that Alice can always do what Nellie did!? This supernatural element is unnecessary and just muddies Alice’s narrative in a way that the author probably did not intend.

I enjoyed Nellie’s story but found Alice’s much less compelling. Alice presents a poor portrait of a feminist if she is supposed to be seen as one. Surely, the author does not intend to suggest that feminists are dishonest, non-communicative, and manipulative? Perhaps the two stories are supposed to be parallels, but it is difficult to see many parallels between Nellie and Alice. Nellie is a victim of society’s expectations of a wife whereas Alice, if she is a victim, has only herself to blame. In the end, I’m left confused as to what the author was trying to communicate.

Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.