5 stars. Set circa 1950, this follows Lulu Mayfield, housewife and mother of a young son and new baby.. with tasks of following the Good Housekeeping cleaning schedule, green stamp books and her beloved jello molds.. perfection is everything. Or at least it was. The story follows Lulu’s inner thoughts as she begins to lose sight of herself as her mental state changes drastically, actions becoming erratic.. with her doctor prescribing pills, dismissing it as hysteria. And Lulu’s become fixated on the empty house across the street, then transfers that fixation onto the new neighbors that move there. She’s obsessed with thinking something isn’t right with them. I loved the sense of place and time.. the 50s vibe, food, items. The story delves into motherhood, mental health, silence the norm not the exception.. so many harsh realities for women back in the 50s. I really enjoyed this, and that twist.. completely unexpected. So engaging, am still thinking about it. Do recommend. Pub. 9/30/25

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

The title and cover of this book immediately caught my eye. It is about a housewife, Lulu, in the 1950s. I am not sure how to adequately review this book except to say I love Sylvia Plath and I experienced what the 1950s would have described as postpartum “hysteria” and “housewife syndrome” after the birth of my third baby. So this book was a mashup of many personal things for me.

Sylvia was present throughout the novel for me (Esther Greenwood!) and so I was delighted, but not surprised, when I read the author’s note that mentioned her.
This book had a slow kind of dread about it and felt very much like a haunting ghost story. In the first half something definitely felt “off” but you could never quite put your finger on it which made the book hard to put down. The twist was very shocking at first, but then it began to make sense. After the twist the second half felt a little rushed and incomplete to me which is my only gripe about this book. I wanted more!

I really appreciated the extended author’s note at the end. (As well as the note in the beginning addressing the heavy themes in the book). We have definitely made strides in maternal mental health but BOY do we have a LONG way to go. I’m not sure what the solution is to this ever-present crisis because the causes are so numerous and varied (too much social media, lack of a village, demonization/belittling of motherhood, ETC!) - but I am so glad these topics are no long as taboo and secretive as they once were.

Overall a very propulsive read that I’d recommend especially to all my mom friends. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advanced copy. “The Mad Wife” will be released on September 30th.

I wanted to love this book! The summary seemed like something I’d greatly enjoy. Instead, I found it difficult for me to get into and the beginning of the book felt very repetitive. The idea was wonderful, I just wish that it had been executed differently. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

This was a 5 star read for me! On the outside, Lulu is living the perfect 1950s housewife life, keeping up appearances and following good housekeeping's weekly cleaning schedule. However, the reader is given access to her inner monologue, in which this life is caging her, the expectations are too high and she's silently screaming into the void. The book deals with dark themes, however Church's depiction of female mental health issues and the struggles of motherhood is both poignant and raw. The Stepford wives meets The bell jar. One of my favourite books of the year!

This is not a book I would have picked up just by the description, but I'm so glad I did. I read it because the author is coming to a local library program that I've been wanting to attend. I flew through this in two nights (very quick for me) and stayed up late both nights! I really liked the author's writing style and being in Lulu's head. I don't want to spoil any of the plot but it had me feeling all kind of emotions for/with her. Definitely read the author's note at the end of the book. I'll be reading her other two books!

“Babies are blessings, they say. But what often goes unsaid is that blessings aren’t always what we expect. And sometimes when we focus on the light they bring, we miss the shadows that lurk behind.”

a polarizing look into how women’s health has been oversighted & misdiagnosed for nearly 100 years.

i think every woman over the age of 18 would benefit greatly from reading this book. at some level, you find a character who you closely relate too. whether it’s a parent, a guardian, a friend or even yourself - which makes it all the more terrifying.

like many other reviewers, the ending is really rushed & not well fleshed out. while the authors note does a good job of tying up the story with a neat bow, i wish she would have let lulu tell the ending i was looking for.

thank you to the author & sourcebooks for the eArc of this title!

The Mad Wife looks at the lives of housewives in the 1950s. If you don't realize how far women's roles have come since this time period, you will after you finish this book. A women during this time period, went to college to find a husband and after she got married her main role in life was to have babies and keep her husband happy. Women were expected to play their role without complaint; to always have a good dinner on the table, take care of the kids, keep the house clean but always always dress for their husbands and be totally invested in his career and his problems.

This book takes place in suburbia and is about Lulu Mayfield and her family. Lulu strives to be a perfect housewife despite the fact that she has a young child and is pregnant with her second. She is known in their neighborhood as the wife who makes towering gelatin salads that are the talk of the neighborhood. But after Lulu has her second child, her life begins to unravel. She isn't following the housewife list of rules of which days to clean and which days to grocery shop plus she is beginning to be suspicious of the new family who moved in across the street. They just don't seem to be the people that they profess to be and the wife, Bitsy, is obviously hiding something. The more Lulu learns about Bitsy, the more she questions everything she thought she knew about herself and her life. Soon her husband and neighborhood friends begin questioning her sanity. But is Lulu truly losing her mind? Or is it just normal Housewife Hysteria that the doctor diagnosis. As Lulu gets worse, the author presents us with a surprise that I didn't see coming that made the story even more intriguing.

This well written look at life for women in the 1950s is about family and friendship. It's a look at the role of women in this time period as they worked to become perfect housewives for their husband and family and often ignored their own needs as women.

Officially rating 3.5 ☆

I love the setting and atmosphere of this story. I'm a sucker for the 50s housewife stories. They are a true horror. The author did great at capturing the essence and nuances of that time period.

The downside for me was the pacing of the story. The first 60% or so was a little slow then all of a sudden the story takes a 180 and goes in to speed mode. I feel like soooo much happens in the last 30% of the book. I'd have liked a little more in the first half. That is just my preference. I still very much recommend this book! Definitely worth a read.

I have such a conflicting feeling about mothers deep in depression - as a mom of four it just hits differently and sometimes it’s hard to stomach. The first part of this book was tough and I didn’t think i could finish but once the twist came I was like HOLY S*&% I DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING and breezed through that last half. This is a niche book and not for everyone but i didn’t hate it and not I really need to know more about lobotomy’s in the 50s. Good read for any mother that isn’t too squeamish. I loved The Girls We Sent Away and I feel like Church really hit her stride with this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book had a chokehold on me. I could not put it down.
1950’s suburban housewife Lulu lives her life as one would expect during those times, being a perfect wife and mother. But, what happens when things aren’t so perfect? What happens when behind closed doors not everything is how it seems? This book explores mental health and how it was treated during those times, the times when silence was the only way, especially for women. This book broke me and made me think about my grandmother, who suffered mental health issues but stayed silent.
The plot twist shocked me. I wasn’t expecting it.
Overall, I would recommend reading this book! I really enjoyed it and I will be checking out the other books by this author.

This book was an eye opener and resonated in so many ways I never expected...

We meet Lulu, a 1950s housewife, who has a young son, a rising star of a husband and a nice suburban house. All seems well until Lulu becomes pregnant with her second child. The pregnancy seems to go well and they bring home a new daughter, Esther. Lulu then finds herself exhausted, sore, unable to sleep. A rash develops and her actions become more erratic...dismissed as "hysteria", she is given pills and told she will be fine. What follows is tragic, sad and as relevant today as it was seventy years ago.

This novel addresses depression, motherhood, chronic illness and the mistreatment/belittlement of women and their bodies. It is sad that we are still in this situation and that so little has changed. Lulu's journey does not have a tragic ending but there were (and are) many who do. A haunting read but one that everyone should read.

The Mad Wife
by Meagan Church
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
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.
I flew through this one! Riveting!
What starts as a seemingly straightforward story transforms into something entirely unexpected—one that will undoubtedly spark conversation. Set in the 1950s, The Mad Wife follows Lulu Mayfield, a traditional housewife whose mental state seemingly deteriorates following her second pregnancy… When a mysterious new neighbor arrives in town, Lulu’s growing unease about Bitsy’s secrets sets the stage for a slow-burning, riveting twist. Church expertly crafts a deeply character-driven narrative, weaving in suspense without venturing into thriller territory—yet the result is undeniably thrilling.

I knew this book would be interesting when it started with a quote from Sylvia Plath. This story takes place in a time when housewives were all trapped in domesticity doing things like raising children, and making jello salads. In other words, the 1950s. The main character, Lulu, has one child and then finds she is pregnant with a second. The story details her thoughts as she transforms into madness. She is obsessed with the house across the street because she was close to the people who moved out. When a new family moves in, her obsession transfers to them, and she can't stop thinking that something isn't right about them. This book has a fifties suburbia vibe to it, and I loved the women who lived in Lulu's neighborhood. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the ending was great. I would recommend The Mad Wife.

Oh sweet, sweet Lulu. This book shattered me.

Lulu is a housewife with a wonderful husband who adores her, a son Wesley who’s just turned 4 and she’s pregnant with her second child. Her pregnancy with Wesley wasn’t easy, and the postpartum depression she suffered after his birth was worse- but she’s better, and excited for the promise of the completion of her family. Her life is sweet, she loves her neighborhood and friends, and is the so-called “Queen of the Molds” for her gelatin salads- but she has a new neighbor, and she starts to obsess about the woman next door. Bitsy is an odd woman. She speaks in short sentences, always looks strained, and she clasps onto her daughter like a human leash- and when Lulu finds out about the woman in Bitsy’s of neighborhood choosing to end things, she gets even more invested. Lulu stops sleeping, she’s not the housewife she once was, and as she settles into the next phase of her life, something is really, really wrong.

My heart breaks for Lulu. This story is a poignant reminder of how far women have come from the 1950s housewife era. I found myself wanting to save her, scream for her, cry with her, hug her. This is a powerful story, well written, and thought provoking. I read this in a single setting and I couldn’t put it down. Beautifully executed. Easily 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the privilege of reading this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was heavy. Meagan Church did an excellent job of conveying just how suffocating the life of a 1950s housewife could be under the weight of societal expectations (keeping up with housework, children, grief, appearances etc). The small comforts in Lulu’s (FMC) life seemed to be meted out via stamp books. The ending was a bit of a letdown as it seemed anticlimactic.
3.5 stars rounded up.


Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This felt like a real bait-and-switch for me. The first 70% seemed to be the story of a stifled '50s housewife—interesting in its details, though occasionally frustrating (and not just the vicarious frustration on behalf of the protagonist). Then, wham!, a twist, and we have a different type of tale. Okay, I'm still in, though there are a few implausibilities... and then boom! another twist, almost like a Hail Mary to quickly wrap up the story in a way that wasn't ultra depressing. It almost made me feel that my investment in the story—and I was invested in the characters and their milieu—was made under fall pretenses.

Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A psychological thriller set in the ‘50s that had a twist I did not see coming. The book is very character driven and the break down of Lulu Mayfield felt real and made me feel on edge

The Mad Wife- ARC review

Wow.

“The Mad Wife” is a historical fiction story set in the 1950’s that details the experiences of women who often navigated a world where health concerns (mental and/or physical) were silenced or misunderstood.

I was completely immersed in this world and I think Meagan Church is a wonderful historical fiction writer. The attention to detail, character building and psychological suspense had me hooked. I appreciated the depth to which Church portrayed post partum depression, especially since I suffered from PPD myself.

There was a slight lull in the middle of the book….. but then the twist hit and I was right back to being engaged and was completely shocked!!! I did NOT see that coming. 4 stars!

Trigger Warnings- do not skip the note before beginning the story. I knew this would be heavy, but this story is raw and heart wrenching and I know I will continue to process through it over the coming days.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this ARC coming out in September.

This was a very emotional and difficult read and probably should’ve come with some spoiler alerts at the beginning.

This book is set in the day of jello molds, grocery store stamp books and sanitariums. There were some plot holes for me that I struggled to get past and mainly that her diagnosis did not negate or explain the other things and it was behavior that while didn’t warrant being locked up, did warrant further medication or therapy. The relationship with her husband and friends needed some more depth for me as well.

Overall I ached for her. I mourned for her. This was heart wrenching in many aspects.

One thing I know for sure, I’m glad I’m not a 1950s housewife. This was an introspective deep dive into the mind of a woman who is struggling in a time when that was brushed off completely. When hysteria was a common diagnosis. When a lobotomy was a common treatment.

What appears to be a straightforward story of a housewife with one child and one on the way who is unfulfilled in certain aspects of her life, turns into a descent into the mind of an unreliable narrator who is struggling much more than it appears.

By part two, I was hooked and didn’t want to stop reading. There were some shocking revelations, while all feeling natural and organic within the story.