A Reliable Wife

Book Bag Rating: Read it!

For the last month every time I walked through Borders I passed this book. I would pick it up, read the reviews, and then put it down. Last week I finally purchased it.

A Reliable Wife was not at all what I expected and for the first few chapters I wasn't sure I liked it. As the tale unfolded I found myself completely engrossed in the story which takes place in the winter of 1907 in rural Wisconsin. Ralph Truit a broken middle aged man places an ad for a reliable wife. Catherine Land answers the ad promising she is an honest and simple woman. She is neither. As the tale unfolds many secrets from the past are revealed. These secrets are largely predicable and yet the story is still fresh. Catherine is a chameleon capable of doing and being anything her new husband desires. Ralph Truit is so scarred from his past that he and Catherine are more alike than they know.

Despite the tragedy that each character endures, the book is smart and very sexy. If reading about sex on a very primitive level bothers you...don't read this book. It's not vulgar or extremely descriptive but it's a large part of the book. Sex is almost a character in the story. Each character has their own relationship with sex and it's not necessarily a good one.

Overall I really liked this book. I like Mr. Goolrick's writing style. I could envision the desolate cold of a Wisconsin winter. I found myself sympathizing with the characters and rooting for a "happy ending." The story twists and turns and provides a satisfying read.