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A Reliable Wifeby Robert Goolrick |
Donna Newman: On a recent broadcast
of the Today Show, the book editor of a women's magazine
listed his top ten list of books for the summer. Number
One was A Reliable Wife, the story of Ralph Truitt,
the wealthiest man in Truitt, Wisconsin, in 1907 who
desires a wife to help him combat the loneliness he has
experienced for 20 years. The novel begins as Truitt waits
in the cold at the train station for the woman who answered
his classified ad. (How different is this from Starbucks
following a J-Date internet chat?) The reader quickly learns
that no one is truly as he or she appears. The writing is sparse;
the characters are unlikable; the story takes many unexpected
turns. However, I was intrigued from the first page, and I
thoroughly recommend the book. Beware the many sexual scenes.
One of the reviewers called it "a gothic tale of such
smoldering desire it should be read in a cold shower."
(Washington Post)Enjoy!
Rating: *****
