
Gwendolyn & Eddie
by Michael O.L. Seabaugh
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date Feb 18 2025 | Archive Date Jun 01 2025
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Description
" . . . a thoughtful and highly entertaining tale. " -Alex DeMille, New York Times bestselling author
". . . highly original tale that crackles with fresh insight, Southern humor, and savage irreverence." -Linda Bloodworth Thomason, creator of Designing Women, 2024 recipient of the Writer's Guild Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement
It begins with a monkey. It ends with an inescapable tragedy.
In 1957, Gwendolyn is living the domestic dream as the prized wife of the dashing Dr. Paul Stanley Bollinger, with three beautiful, healthy children and a charming Edwardian home in the historic town of Cape Girardeau.
Enter Eddie, an inebriated monkey brought home as a poker prize by her equally drunk husband. Thus begins Gwendolyn's yearslong struggle to domesticate two unruly fellas. Eddie is a hilarious handful but no match for Paul Stanley and his increasing penchant for bourbon and nurses. Meanwhile, as the predictable 1950s evolve into the increasingly tumultuous '60s and beyond, Gwendolyn finds her conservative beliefs challenged by the realities of racism, homophobia, traditional masculinity, the sexual revolution, and the struggle for women's rights.
For over forty years, a time marked by hilarity, heartbreak, and tragedy, Eddie serves as her clown prince, her unexpected confidant, and when all is said and done, her solace. The story of Gwendolyn and Eddie is ultimately about cages-the ones we are born into, those we construct for ourselves, and the ones we impose on those we love.
Advance Praise
"Seabaugh weaves a narrative that is both intimate and epic, striking notes of humor and tragedy with equal aplomb. Gwendolyn's journey through the decades, accompanied by the inimitable Eddie, provides an incisive exploration of America's constantly shifting social contours. What can you learn about yourself from an alcoholic monkey? It turns out, a hell of a lot. This is a thoughtful and highly entertaining tale." -Alex DeMille, New York Times bestselling author
"Michael Seabaugh has taken all the familiar mid-century themes and turned them into this highly original tale that crackles with fresh insight, Southern humor, and savage irreverence. He has managed to make Gwendolyn's marital trials seem both heartbreaking and hilarious. You can literally feel the gathering quiet rebellion inside Gwendolyn as she attempts to deal with her husband's chronic disloyalty and infidelities. You will not want to put this book down-not only because it is so good, but also because you will want to be there, standing side by side with Gwendolyn, until the very last page." -Linda Bloodworth Thomason, creator of Designing Women, 2024 recipient of the Writer's Guild Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement
"At first glance, this may seem like a delightful tale about a mid-century woman and her mischievous monkey. But Seabaugh, a skilled psychologist, weaves subtle layers of psychological insight into the narrative without ever slowing its lively pace. By the final page, you'll find yourself deeply connected to Gwendolyn-and, of course, the unforgettable Eddie." -David Kirkpatrick, former president of Paramount Motion Pictures
"Original, deftly crafted, laced with irony, humor, and the impact of social changes, Gwendolyn & Eddie is a fun, fascinating, and thought-provoking read from start to finish. Showcasing author Michael Seabaugh's distinctive and narrative-driven storytelling style as a novelist, Gwendolyn & Eddie is a welcome and unreservedly recommended pick." -Midwest Book Review
"Quirky, clever, and ultimately very human, Gwendolyn & Eddie speaks to our universal need for connection and purpose. Seabaugh brings to life a puckish monkey and lets him catalyze both relationships and realizations, compelling his humans to react to the changes that time imposes, including the profound social movements forwarding civil rights, women's rights, and ideas of inclusion. A brilliant novel that engages, provokes clear reflection, and speaks to who we are." -Greg Fields, author of The Bright Freight of Memory, American Writing Awards winner, PEN/Faulkner nominee
"Gwendolyn & Eddie is a great romp of intrigue and hilarity. The novel compels you into the past with riveting color and a fascinating storyline. Seabaugh brings us deep into the psyches of the character and the period of history. Give yourself a delicious weekend read." -Dr. Jennifer Freed, bestselling author of A Map to Your Soul
"Gwendolyn & Eddie perfectly captures, with exquisite insight and vivid writing, the mid-century American Mid-South. The author, Michael Seabaugh, draws a compelling, fast-paced story of that world and the privileged men and women who lived in it. At times devastating, sometimes hilarious, always moving . . . Seabaugh masterfully describes the charm of Southern horse country culture while slowly unveiling the dangerous faults that lurk beneath it." -Marianne Partridge-Poett, editor-in-chief of the Santa Barbara Independent, first female editor-in-chief of the Village Voice
Available Editions
EDITION | Paperback |
ISBN | 9798888245217 |
PRICE | $19.95 (USD) |
PAGES | 278 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews

Review: Gwendolyn & Eddie by Michael O.L. Seabaugh
🔍 Overview
Michael O.L. Seabaugh’s Gwendolyn & Eddie is a darkly comedic and unexpectedly poignant tale of domestic upheaval, set against the backdrop of 1950s suburban America. When Dr. Paul Bollinger brings home Eddie—an inebriated, mischief-making monkey—his wife Gwendolyn’s meticulously curated life spirals into chaos, revealing cracks in her marriage and her own suppressed desires. Blending satire with psychological depth, Seabaugh crafts a story that is as absurd as it is achingly human.
✨ Key Strengths
🐒 Unconventional Premise – The monkey-as-catalyst device is bizarre yet brilliant, serving as a mirror for Gwendolyn’s unraveling and societal hypocrisy.
🍸 Dark Humor & Wit – Seabaugh’s sharp prose delivers laugh-out-loud moments alongside biting social commentary.
💔 Emotional Layers – Beneath the farce lies a tender exploration of loneliness, marital dissonance, and the quest for autonomy.
🕰️ 1950s Atmosphere – The stifling gender norms and veneer of suburban perfection are rendered with vivid, unsettling accuracy.
⚠️ Considerations
🎭 Tonal Shifts – The balance between satire and drama occasionally wobbles, risking tonal whiplash for some readers.
🐾 Eddie’s Role – While the monkey is a memorable foil, his antics may overshadow deeper character development for secondary figures.
⭐ Score Breakdown (0–5 Stars)
✍️ Writing Style → ★★★★☆ (4/5)
🎪 Originality → ★★★★★ (5/5)
👥 Character Depth → ★★★★☆ (4/5)
⚡ Narrative Impact → ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Overall: ★★★★☆ (4.25/5)
A whiskey-soaked monkey wrench thrown into the gears of the American Dream.
🎯 Perfect For Readers Who Love
📖 We Have Always Lived in the Castle’s gothic quirk or A Confederacy of Dunces’ chaotic humor
🍸 Stories that skewer suburban facades with both heart and teeth
🐒 Unhinged animal companions as agents of existential crisis
🙏 Gratitude
Thank you to NetGalley and Michael O.L. Seabaugh for the advance review copy. Gwendolyn & Eddie is a testament to Seabaugh’s ability to turn the ridiculous into the revelatory.
(Note: Review based on an uncorrected proof; final publication may vary.)
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Freida McFadden, Sally Hepworth, David Lagercrantz, Chris Bohjalian, Chad Zunker, and Wanda M. Morris
Essays & Collections, General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers