Katie Crouch keeps getting better and better. In this book, the main characters include two wives living in Namibia, following their husband's embassy posts. They are fishes out of water but not flailing. There is Amanda, who has agreed to leave her high-end tech job and transfer from California to Namibia for 2 years while her husband Mark works on his Fullbright-granted work. Their 9 year old is enrolled in International School with children of other embassy families and rich locals Including Persephone, who has lived abroad for years and become skilled in being an embassy wife; her husband is emerged in embassy work, transferring posts every few years. Their husbands have secrets—and lies. Some are told to the reader, some are not. Then there are the local women, Mila a beautiful Namibian mother who's daughter attends the International school and has issues with the other mothers and big secrets of her own. And snippets of the women who work for the mothers, and their lives. Their flashback scenes are blended in beautifully, there are twists you do not see coming, and the dialogue is terrific. Some parts, such as Amanda's background and Persephone's children do not get enough attention. And there is a bit of a rush to wrap up in the end. But that doesn't change my rating. I love Katie Crouch's writing. She is very entertaining and absorbing.

I’m a fan of the author’s earlier works (particularly Girls in Trucks), but this one left me cold. The plot was creative and would have been engaging, except that the characters were insufferable and stunningly unlikeable. But if you love plot-driven books, give this one a try. Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.

Embassy Wife doesn't fit the typical mystery/thriller category that most would think of - it is more of a satire focused on expatriates and locals in Namibia - including the wives of government/state department employees. It is definitely not the most politically correct novel - there were some cringeworthy parts. It was a pretty entertaining read with characters that kept me interested in the story. Amanda, Mila, and Persephone were all very well developed characters. Their husbands aren't particularly likeable and the three women find themselves in some ridiculous situations - but this definitely adds to the humor of the novel. Overall, Embassy Wife was a clever and funny satire. Thank you to NetGalley and FSG for giving me the chance to read this book.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!! I promise you, someone is going to purchase the movie rights for this. The characters are delicious - I could truly imagine each one down to the maids for the Embassy families. I loved the description of Namibia - could literally picture everything so clearly. There is a little mystery/intrigue, there is love, there is corruption - the best way to start off the summer reading season! Highly recommend!!

Requested this as I was a fan of Katie Crouch’s back in the days of “Girls in Trucks”. This is vastly different surprisingly, but still enjoyable!

The setting: a diverse group of women in Namibia. Persephone Wilder, wife of Adam, an American diplomat--suspects her husband is not the ambassador's general counsel, but a CIA agent. "Ever the embassy wife, she takes the new trailing spouse, Amanda Evans, under her wing." {trailing--as in trails spouse to post.] Amanda, gave up her reumunerative Silicon Valley job, to accompany her husband Mark on his Fulbright. Mark was in Namibia in the Peace Corps two decades earlier--leaving secrets--[a woman] behind. And, there's more.

This was a very easy and fast-paced read. Writing was fine. Story has a bit of a mystery [or two]. I very much liked learning about the Namibian culture [and corruption] and how the embassy wives fit in/adapted--or not. The cultural differences between the Americans and the Namibians.

And humor. To wit [pun intended]: "All State Department houses, other than the ambassors', of course, were furnished with exactly the same government-issued furniture, designed by an American who could only be a depressed, color-blind man in some cider=block basement."

And the whole other story with Mila and her husband Josephat; their daughter Taimi--and her relationship with Meg--Amanda and Mark's daughter. I quite enjoyed this side story.

There also was much dysfunction among the couples/families.

I figured out some of the twists, but the story kept my interest. I thought this was a lightweight, entertaining, "fluff-plus" read.

But the ending... not so much.

3.5, but rounding up because it kept me going and did not offend.

Persephone is a well-versed pro at being the picture perfect embassy wife - because her life is far from perfect. As the wife of a diplomat stationed in Namibia, Persephone follows the rules she's laid out for herself: how to dress, how to prevent pitting out beautiful dresses, how to hold her liquor, how to appreciate the local culture, how to be a steward, but never find herself in the spotlight. So when a new embassy wife arrives, Persephone takes her under her wing.

Amanda, fresh out of Silicon Valley, lands in Namibia to accompany her husband during his Fulbright stint - and finds much more than she bargained for.

Lush with corruption, family dysfunction, hidden secrets, and the question of what it means to be an American abroad - Embassy Wife is a thriller that's not to be missed!

Thank you to NetGalley and FSG for advance access to this title!

I so thoroughly enjoyed this! In fact, it’s probably the most entertaining novel I’ve read so far this year.

Welcome to the American embassy in Namibia, the West African nation just north of South Africa, where the heat can be oppressive, the landscape beautiful or intimidating, the wildlife (and especially rhinoceri) need protection, and citizens have their own not-very-American ways of doing things. Centering on three women—two Americans and one Namibian—and their somewhat feckless husbands, “Embassy Wife,” explores the perils and pitfalls of life as a “trailing spouse” within the embassy community.

I found this to be a wonderful comedy, written with style and wit, featuring charming, believable characters I enjoyed spending time with (even when they were being jerks). Author Katie Crouch has done a wonderful job depicting life in Namibia, where she has spent time, as well as skewering the vanity, self-importance, and pettiness one can encounter within the top tier of any society.

And I came away from the novel believing I’d learned something about a place I’ve never been.

All in all, this is a five-star treat.

I requested this book after being pulled in by the description and premise. I’m interested in the idea of travel abroad, adapting to new, cultures, and being an outsider in a new place. None of these topics were addressed in an emotionally interesting way. This book was problematic at best and at many time I found it racist, stereotypical, and tone deaf.

This story has potential but there is little to no self awareness in the characters. I found them extremely unlikeable but not in a way that made it clear the author also considered their behavior abhorrent. We are meant to sympathize with characters who are all horrible people.

While I fully understand that not every book is meant to tackle race relations and the brutal history of colonialism, this author made a choice to set her book in Namibia and then failed at addressing those topics in a meaningful way. If this book had been set in a predominantly white country I would not have had the same issues. I am tired of seeing Africa and Latin America as an interchangeable backdrop for rich white women complaining about their privileged lives.

Enjoyed this farcical novel about the wives of US Embassy employees in Namibia during the Trump administration. A little vibe of Where’d you go, Bernadette?

This was such a funny book....I loved every minute of it! With all the shenanigans going on it was hard to put it down. There were always twists and turns, most of them somewhat unexpected. It really emphasized how laughable the things people can do are. It has some serious topics of course, but the author did an amazing job with the satirical writing.. There are author notes at the end, and it was really nice to read that she had actually lived in Windhoek, Namibia where this took place. She met many locals as well as US state department employees, all of whom she greatly admired, and made the comment that she hoped they’d forgive her for making this into such a comedy of a book.

What an enticing novel! The storyline focused on US Embassy wives (or those pretending to be such) and the lengths they will go to in order to protect their own.

Embassy Wife by Katie Crouch (2021). I laughed. I cringed. I missed my time as an expat in Madrid. And, I was filled with wanderlust for Africa. Perhaps especially during covid safety precautions it was nice to travel with Ms. Crouch's wit and images for a bit. I also greatly appreciated the fact this story cleverly initially hid targeted critiques of race, privilege and power in the world, and specific to this novel, in Namibia.

NOTE = The Book Jam does not post reviews until the books are available for purchase. Thus we plan to feature this book in July as part of our annual Books for Summer Camping - a list of great books for summer vacations and back yards and docks and tents and ...

Abroad by Katie Crouch was one of my favorite books. I devoured it and pimped it out to everyone as if she was a family member I was proud of.
I also loved Girls In Trucks.
To say I'm disappointed in Embassy Wife would be an understatement.
It started off well, I was hooked and invested in these characters, though they were all shallow and unlikeable, and one was an outright idiot (who unbelievably is offered something at the end of the book that was ludicrous).
Towards the last half of the book, there became far too many coincidences. For most readers, coincidences in fiction are a killer. And then it just becomes a total farce.
Putting politics into this book might make it appealing to some readers, but most readers I speak to, are tired of politics. Politics has seeped into everything: from Peloton to Sports to Corporations. Readers desire escape, not the authors political agenda. I feel none of these characters actually grew by the end of the book. One other sticking point, Crouch will throw in many Namibia references (animals, food, sayings) but won't give a brief explanation. At least describe the food! I'm giving this two stars, probably because Abroad was SUCH A GREAT BOOK and I expected better.

EMBASSY WIFE by Katie Crouch.


There are plots and coincidences and characters galore in this face paced whirl based in Namibia. And then there are , Nazis, Furries, Boers and the Peace Corps, not to mention the US State Department representing the last administration. Anyone who has ever been an Ex-Pat will find a lot to agree with in this blithe, if not always kind, novel.
The readers gets in on secrets the characters are not to know. When there are all these points of view in this frantic veering between farce, satire and melodrama it is wise to stay nimble. Katie Crouch surely is. She is able to have characters’ humor or angst reflect the society from which they come, be it self anointed gentry or the help.

The characters are vividly created and they are given individual thoughts, Some are uncomfortable But where do these thoughts come from? For example, there is an assumption of bigotry when mocking someone’s complexion or writing in dialect This is particularly dangerous artistically. Is it beautiful Mila being patronizing to the help? Or Persephone organizing the entire American Community abroad? Or Amanda making fun of the Afrikaners?
Then there is the setting-Namibia is positioned as Africa. Angola is mentioned once as a border country and Namibia’s history is a plot device into a romantic past and contemporary girlish prank. The School may as well be a coffee shop since it is another device to get lots of people together to pass judgment on each other.

I began with my back up and with a disclosure: I taught in 8 or so International schools for 25 years, on three continents, including Africa where there are 54 countries. Namibia is one of them. And, I attended the University of Santa Clara described as a “lame school” early on by highly privileged Los Gatos Silicon Valley cooking salmon in her sous vide. So at the beginning of this book I had to be convinced it was worth it. I finished it and I still am not sure. Think of how the Afrikaners must feel!

Katie Crouch's Embassy Wife is a delight. A look at a part of Africa most of us have never heard of, but would, at least, have the grace to learn how to pronounce. Satire. Misunderstandings. I loved it.

I simply loved this book. Set in Namibia, we get a fascinating glimpse into the culture and daily life of expats and locals and how they live their lives both together and apart. The characters are distinct and often humorous. And there are twists and turns and a mystery going on as well. There are some great lines and beautiful descriptions of both nature and people. The story itself seems preposterous, but yet who knows in this day and age. Once I started reading it, I did not want to put it down and I did not want it to end. This book should appeal to a wide variety of readers and I'd recommend it to just about anyone. It's a unique and satisfying read.