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The Oriental Wife
The Oriental Wife is the story of two assimilated Jewish children from Nuremberg who flee Hitler’s Germany and struggle to put down roots elsewhere. When they meet up again in New York, they fall in love both with each other and with America, believing they have found a permanent refuge. But just when it looks as though nothing can ever touch them again, their lives are shattered by a freakish accident and a betrayal that will reverberate into the life of their American daughter. In its portrait of the immigrant experience, and of the tragic gulf between generations, The Oriental Wife illuminates the collision of American ideals of freedom and happiness with certain sterner old world virtues.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
35 people are currently reading
769 people want to read
About the author
Evelyn Toynton
9 books9 followersEvelyn Toynton's work has appeared in Harper's, The Atlantic, The Times Literary Supplement, The New York Times Book Review, and The American Scholar. Her novel Modern Art, loosely based on the story of Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock, was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Her most recent novel is The Oriental Wife, published in 2011. She lives in Norfolk, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
December 13, 2015
While I enjoyed reading this novel for the most part, I found some of the gaps in plot and character development downright baffling. We meet childhood friends Louisa, Rolf and Otto in WWI Germany and the boom ends some 50-60 years later in America. Lots of things happen to them, mostly tragic, with related characters coming in and out.
The story lacks depth. I ended up caring about Louisa more than anyone, but I'm still not even sure it's her book. And don't get me started on the title...it's mysteriously misleading, based on a brief conversation with a character who never returns in the novel.
So, enjoyable but frustrating,
The story lacks depth. I ended up caring about Louisa more than anyone, but I'm still not even sure it's her book. And don't get me started on the title...it's mysteriously misleading, based on a brief conversation with a character who never returns in the novel.
So, enjoyable but frustrating,
June 2, 2012
Reading so many negative reviews here, I'm surprised. I understand that I may like sad books better than most people do (and this is certainly a sad book), but so many of the reviews just write this book off. Just because the title doesn't tell you what the book is about? I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, each seeming strong and flawed at the same time. I noticed the choices the writer made in telling the story, omitting details or telling from another point of view so that the reader has to pay attention and figure out what has happened. It reminded me of how a relative will tell a story about their own family, since so many of the details are common knowledge. I admit I got confused by the relationships among the older immigrants, but it made me pay attention. Even when confused by who was whose parent or spouse, it was clear to me that the strength of character to deal with overwhelming sadness was the true subject of the book. The relationship with Louisa to her daughter Emma is poignant, especially at the very end, when it becomes clear that the daughter can learn life lessons from her mother. The world created here will be one I think of for a long time.
November 22, 2020
Having finished this book, the reason for the title remains unclear. The is the story of three Jewish childhood friends: Louisa, Rolf and Otto, who lived in Germany just prior to the rise to fascism and Hitler’s rise to power. All three friends made their way to America eventually. Only Rolf became engaged in efforts to bring other Jews to the U.S., but each was affected by their family roots in a unique way.
August 2, 2011
By the time I finished reading this book, I felt unfulfilled. Upon considering the characters, there wasn’t a single one I felt a connection to. A handful of immigrant Jewish Germans in New York make up the cast, but each one was entirely unsympathetic. Specifically, there’s Rolf, the pragmatic, unemotional pencil pusher and his wife Louisa, a flighty careless woman who eventually suffers from a life-changing affliction. The synopsis would lead you to believe it’s a “freakish accident” that alters the course of their lives, but it’s just an unfortunate health issue that could have befallen anyone. They led un-extraordinary lives aside from the fact that they were privileged enough to escape Nazi Germany when they did. Once in the US, they’re caught up in achieving the American dream, but they are dissatisfied with the banalities of daily life and any additional struggles that come with Louisa’s suffering.
The final part of the book takes place many years later when Louisa and Rolf’s daughter Emma is a grown woman. It’s really just Emma’s rambling about aspects of her life, her job, her family. There is nothing that made me care about Emma or her relationship with her parents. This “Poor Emma” section made me bring my rating down from 3 stars to 2. Any momentum that built up in the first part of the book, during the whirlwind of Louisa’s travels from Germany to Switzerland to England to America, and her courtship with Rolf, completely sputtered and died by the end. My enjoyment was enough that I continued reading, but by the time I finished, my disappointment overruled any positive feelings I may have had.
The final part of the book takes place many years later when Louisa and Rolf’s daughter Emma is a grown woman. It’s really just Emma’s rambling about aspects of her life, her job, her family. There is nothing that made me care about Emma or her relationship with her parents. This “Poor Emma” section made me bring my rating down from 3 stars to 2. Any momentum that built up in the first part of the book, during the whirlwind of Louisa’s travels from Germany to Switzerland to England to America, and her courtship with Rolf, completely sputtered and died by the end. My enjoyment was enough that I continued reading, but by the time I finished, my disappointment overruled any positive feelings I may have had.
April 26, 2011
Disregarding the title, "The Oriental Wife" begins with an unusual angle on the WWII era surrounding the early immigration/flight of German Jews to America prior to the worst of Hitler's reign of terror. At first, I was put off by the romantic turn in the storyline, however, found myself quickly drawn in and enjoying the read. Unfortunately, the immigrant story line is essentially dropped mid-way through the book and replaced by a twenty year jump in history that essentially leaves too much out picking up with the next generation. There seem to be several unecessary characters thrown in as well, especially in this second half of the book (ie. the Cambodian philosopher boyfriend). I never understood the title and was dismayed with the ending. Overall, I feel that there was indeed promise for an excellent work of fiction that unfortunately was not carried through to the end and muddied with too many unecessary characters and filler.
May 14, 2011
I gave up on this book. Maybe I haven't given it a fair chance, but I simply found myself skimming the pages or falling asleep. Not a book for me.
April 1, 2019
One among many books about WWII, Nazi Germany and coming to America. It's a fairly interesting story of 3 German Jewish children who meet again as adults in New York. Books about immigrant struggles and the culture changes that occur are often difficult to read, but I still find them fascinating, although not pleasurable. Perhaps enlightening is a better word, since those of us born here don't have the same experience.
October 2, 2021
Read this mostly to see if the title was as unnecessary and racist as I thought it might be - and it was. An otherwise moving story during WWII with sympathetic, complicated characters, all of whom are Jewish or white Americans... and Evelyn Toynton thought this was the label she'd go with. Beyond the title, it's excellently devastating.
August 5, 2011
This is a wonderful novel. It tells the story of Louisa and Rolf - two young German Jews who escape from Germany before World War 2 starts to live in America. They fall in love, and it is the story of their lives and their family. Though sad things happen in the book (the Holocaust, Louisa's illness, etc), the book never becomes bogged down with sadness. The writing keeps the story moving and it definitely enthralled me. You really end up caring for all the characters even when you don't like some of the things that they do or that happens.
The title is a strange one for this book since the novel is about Jews. Near the beginning, the term "oriental wife" is mentioned and then at the end, Rolf and Louisa's daughter becomes involved with a Cambodian man. But I did not feel the oriental wife described the two main female characters or really any of the characters. But despite the title seeming not to fit the book, I really enjoyed it.
I won this copy of the book in one of the Goodreads giveaways, but that has not influenced my review.
The title is a strange one for this book since the novel is about Jews. Near the beginning, the term "oriental wife" is mentioned and then at the end, Rolf and Louisa's daughter becomes involved with a Cambodian man. But I did not feel the oriental wife described the two main female characters or really any of the characters. But despite the title seeming not to fit the book, I really enjoyed it.
I won this copy of the book in one of the Goodreads giveaways, but that has not influenced my review.
May 28, 2011
This is the story of 3 Jewish children, growing up before Hitler came into power and following their lives. I can't for the life of me work out why the author used the title of The Oriental Wife as apart from a passing mention of Japanese women and their idea of marriage, this seems to be a totally random title! That said the book was good. I enjoyed the first two sections which dealt with the Rolf, Otto and Louisa's childhoods and early adulthood. The third part is set about 20 years into the future so it feels it really is too big and jump and things have gone on that have been totally missed. I found it very easy to read and really enjoyed the first two sections but the third section seemed like it didn't fit the rest of the book and had been tacked on the end almost as an after thought so it was slightly disappointing in that respect. But still why the title??? It alluded me totally!
November 9, 2011
For me,this novel was a painful read. I decided several times that I did not want to finish it. One reason--I have read too many holocaust-based novels lately and the sadness is just too awful for me. I'm not reading anything about the holocaust for at least six months. In addition, this story also has a soap-operaish tragedy that totally skews the plot. There is too much telling and not enough showing in the second half of the book--leaving the characters undeveloped. The novel could and should easily have been several hundred pages longer in the second half of the story. Without strongly developed characters the second half of the novel lacks a basic reality. I wouldn't recommend it. As I read, I kept wondering if there was an editor for this novel. It could certainly use some skillful, professional editing.
April 15, 2012
I enjoyed this book, but be warned it is rather depressing.
You would think that would go unsaid, considering the Holocaust is a big event in the novel. But some novels that deal with that period of history actually have positive moments. Say, "I lost my entire family, but I found true love" or whatever.
This novel doesn't give you a lot of positive moments.
Before the Holocaust, life sucks for the characters. For example, as children, they are all starving, pretty much all the time. The major characters escape the Holocaust directly, and they get a little happiness. But it is soon sucked away by a series of tragic events in America.
I cannot find much positive about the ending, save that the major character who survived managed to, well, survive, despite all odds.
I'm not entirely sure I can recommend it, even though I found it very readable and it was certainly interesting.
You would think that would go unsaid, considering the Holocaust is a big event in the novel. But some novels that deal with that period of history actually have positive moments. Say, "I lost my entire family, but I found true love" or whatever.
This novel doesn't give you a lot of positive moments.
Before the Holocaust, life sucks for the characters. For example, as children, they are all starving, pretty much all the time. The major characters escape the Holocaust directly, and they get a little happiness. But it is soon sucked away by a series of tragic events in America.
I cannot find much positive about the ending, save that the major character who survived managed to, well, survive, despite all odds.
I'm not entirely sure I can recommend it, even though I found it very readable and it was certainly interesting.
September 26, 2011
I can't think of one redeeming quality of this book. The characters were undeveloped and therefore you don't become connected to any of them. The entire book is disjointed, with no attempt at building layers of story. I am really disappointed that I even bothered finishing it, as it got worse with each section.
December 27, 2021
The book left me “wanting”. Started out with good character development and plot, but 2/3 through it seemed to jump to a hurried ending that didn’t feel much like an ending.
January 26, 2022
The title was misleading and really didn't seem to fit the story
October 8, 2017
Very sad story of people whose lives go from bad to worse
-Very depressing story, centered about 3 characters who were childhood friends in pre-WWII Germany. Louisa and Otto were cousins, who were very close. Rolf was a friend, but where Louisa and Otto were always kind to each other, Rolf had an aggressive streak.
-Before conditions in Germany deteriorated greatly, Louisa was sent away, first to a finishing school in Switzerland, and then, due to her desire to pursue studies in art, to England. Because of this, she avoided the hardships that her parents endured. She had a difficult time, being alone, and when the war looked like it would break out, her support from her father stopped and she had to sell what she had in order to support herself. Because of laws limiting what foreigners were able to take on as jobs, she found it hard to earn a living. A young man, who was the brother of one of her friends, took a liking to her, and she thought it was the man of her dreams. When he left for the US to write of what was happening there as pertained to the war effort, he took Louisa along, but she soon found out that he had a horrible character, filled with jealousy, and cruelty. Both of her childhood friends, her cousin Otto, and Rolf, were in the US, and she stayed with them until she would be able to earn enough money to go back to England.
-It turned out that Rolf had secretly liked her. He was also working for an agency to get Jews out of Germany and German occupied countries, and he was able to get his parents and Louisa' parents out, but only after they had been subjected to deprivation and torture. Rolf, though, seemed to have loved Louisa, and they married, but when it was found that she had a benign tumor in her head while she was nearing the end of her pregnancy, their happiness was shattered. They decided it was best for Louisa to undergo an operation, as the tumor may have grown, and thereby put pressure on other areas of her brain, but the operation left Louisa partially paralyzed.
-Rolf couldn't deal with it, and his ignoring of Louisa was something she couldn't take and she left him and allowed him to divorce her. They had a daughter from that pregnancy, Emma, and, after Rolf remarried, Emma was shuffled back and forth between Louisa, who lived in a community for people with disabilities, and Rolf, who lived in Connecticut and became a successful businessman.
-We follow the lives of the three of them, but what follows appears to be just a road of unhappiness, as each of them goes through hardships and there doesn't seem to be any happiness left in any of their lives.
-Overall, I failed to see the point of even undertaking a story like this, as it is filled with what seems like events that show how unfair life could be at times. For all the suffering and the attempted goodness that each of the characters exhibited at certain points of their lives, the result is not something you feel comfortable with. Although the writing is good, the story line veers off to a depressing end and makes you wonder why you should invest the time to read this story at all.
-Very depressing story, centered about 3 characters who were childhood friends in pre-WWII Germany. Louisa and Otto were cousins, who were very close. Rolf was a friend, but where Louisa and Otto were always kind to each other, Rolf had an aggressive streak.
-Before conditions in Germany deteriorated greatly, Louisa was sent away, first to a finishing school in Switzerland, and then, due to her desire to pursue studies in art, to England. Because of this, she avoided the hardships that her parents endured. She had a difficult time, being alone, and when the war looked like it would break out, her support from her father stopped and she had to sell what she had in order to support herself. Because of laws limiting what foreigners were able to take on as jobs, she found it hard to earn a living. A young man, who was the brother of one of her friends, took a liking to her, and she thought it was the man of her dreams. When he left for the US to write of what was happening there as pertained to the war effort, he took Louisa along, but she soon found out that he had a horrible character, filled with jealousy, and cruelty. Both of her childhood friends, her cousin Otto, and Rolf, were in the US, and she stayed with them until she would be able to earn enough money to go back to England.
-It turned out that Rolf had secretly liked her. He was also working for an agency to get Jews out of Germany and German occupied countries, and he was able to get his parents and Louisa' parents out, but only after they had been subjected to deprivation and torture. Rolf, though, seemed to have loved Louisa, and they married, but when it was found that she had a benign tumor in her head while she was nearing the end of her pregnancy, their happiness was shattered. They decided it was best for Louisa to undergo an operation, as the tumor may have grown, and thereby put pressure on other areas of her brain, but the operation left Louisa partially paralyzed.
-Rolf couldn't deal with it, and his ignoring of Louisa was something she couldn't take and she left him and allowed him to divorce her. They had a daughter from that pregnancy, Emma, and, after Rolf remarried, Emma was shuffled back and forth between Louisa, who lived in a community for people with disabilities, and Rolf, who lived in Connecticut and became a successful businessman.
-We follow the lives of the three of them, but what follows appears to be just a road of unhappiness, as each of them goes through hardships and there doesn't seem to be any happiness left in any of their lives.
-Overall, I failed to see the point of even undertaking a story like this, as it is filled with what seems like events that show how unfair life could be at times. For all the suffering and the attempted goodness that each of the characters exhibited at certain points of their lives, the result is not something you feel comfortable with. Although the writing is good, the story line veers off to a depressing end and makes you wonder why you should invest the time to read this story at all.
October 8, 2017
-Very depressing story, centered about 3 characters who were childhood friends in pre-WWII Germany. Louisa and Otto were cousins, who were very close. Rolf was a friend, but where Louisa and Otto were always kind to each other, Rolf had an aggressive streak.
-Before conditions in Germany deteriorated greatly, Louisa was sent away, first to a finishing school in Switzerland, and then, due to her desire to pursue studies in art, to England. Because of this, she avoided the hardships that her parents endured. She had a difficult time, being alone, and when the war looked like it would break out, her support from her father stopped and she had to sell what she had in order to support herself. Because of laws limiting what foreigners were able to take on as jobs, she found it hard to earn a living. A young man, who was the brother of one of her friends, took a liking to her, and she thought it was the man of her dreams. When he left for the US to write of what was happening there as pertained to the war effort, he took Louisa along, but she soon found out that he had a horrible character, filled with jealousy, and cruelty. Both of her childhood friends, her cousin Otto, and Rolf, were in the US, and she stayed with them until she would be able to earn enough money to go back to England.
-It turned out that Rolf had secretly liked her. He was also working for an agency to get Jews out of Germany and German occupied countries, and he was able to get his parents and Louisa' parents out, but only after they had been subjected to deprivation and torture. Rolf, though, seemed to have loved Louisa, and they married, but when it was found that she had a benign tumor in her head while she was nearing the end of her pregnancy, their happiness was shattered. They decided it was best for Louisa to undergo an operation, as the tumor may have grown, and thereby put pressure on other areas of her brain, but the operation left Louisa partially paralyzed.
-Rolf couldn't deal with it, and his ignoring of Louisa was something she couldn't take and she left him and allowed him to divorce her. They had a daughter from that pregnancy, Emma, and, after Rolf remarried, Emma was shuffled back and forth between Louisa, who lived in a community for people with disabilities, and Rolf, who lived in Connecticut and became a successful businessman.
-We follow the lives of the three of them, but what follows appears to be just a road of unhappiness, as each of them goes through hardships and there doesn't seem to be any happiness left in any of their lives.
-Overall, I failed to see the point of even undertaking a story like this, as it is filled with what seems like events that show how unfair life could be at times. For all the suffering and the attempted goodness that each of the characters exhibited at certain points of their lives, the result is not something you feel comfortable with. Although the writing is good, the story line veers off to a depressing end and makes you wonder why you should invest the time to read this story at all.
-Before conditions in Germany deteriorated greatly, Louisa was sent away, first to a finishing school in Switzerland, and then, due to her desire to pursue studies in art, to England. Because of this, she avoided the hardships that her parents endured. She had a difficult time, being alone, and when the war looked like it would break out, her support from her father stopped and she had to sell what she had in order to support herself. Because of laws limiting what foreigners were able to take on as jobs, she found it hard to earn a living. A young man, who was the brother of one of her friends, took a liking to her, and she thought it was the man of her dreams. When he left for the US to write of what was happening there as pertained to the war effort, he took Louisa along, but she soon found out that he had a horrible character, filled with jealousy, and cruelty. Both of her childhood friends, her cousin Otto, and Rolf, were in the US, and she stayed with them until she would be able to earn enough money to go back to England.
-It turned out that Rolf had secretly liked her. He was also working for an agency to get Jews out of Germany and German occupied countries, and he was able to get his parents and Louisa' parents out, but only after they had been subjected to deprivation and torture. Rolf, though, seemed to have loved Louisa, and they married, but when it was found that she had a benign tumor in her head while she was nearing the end of her pregnancy, their happiness was shattered. They decided it was best for Louisa to undergo an operation, as the tumor may have grown, and thereby put pressure on other areas of her brain, but the operation left Louisa partially paralyzed.
-Rolf couldn't deal with it, and his ignoring of Louisa was something she couldn't take and she left him and allowed him to divorce her. They had a daughter from that pregnancy, Emma, and, after Rolf remarried, Emma was shuffled back and forth between Louisa, who lived in a community for people with disabilities, and Rolf, who lived in Connecticut and became a successful businessman.
-We follow the lives of the three of them, but what follows appears to be just a road of unhappiness, as each of them goes through hardships and there doesn't seem to be any happiness left in any of their lives.
-Overall, I failed to see the point of even undertaking a story like this, as it is filled with what seems like events that show how unfair life could be at times. For all the suffering and the attempted goodness that each of the characters exhibited at certain points of their lives, the result is not something you feel comfortable with. Although the writing is good, the story line veers off to a depressing end and makes you wonder why you should invest the time to read this story at all.
December 14, 2018
I was disappointed with this book. I was hoping that it would have been more about the fact that the main characters were Jewish and their strugglings of what it was like living in the beginning, during, and after ww2. Instead if focused more on what felt like stuff any person might go through. It felt like the fact that they were Jewish and struggled through the uprise of Hitler and moving to another country to be safe was an afterthought. I was hoping it focused more on that then stuff that can happen to just about anybody.
May 31, 2018
The premise had so much promise, but it just wasn't the book for me. I appreciate the occasional melancholy and real-life stories, but this one was a bit too depressing for me. Honestly, there was nothing good about the life of the characters. I am a WWII history buff, so I was hoping there would be a little more wartime stuff in there, but there was almost nothing aside from the characters being German Jews. That's it.
Anyway, not my cup of tea. Took me a while to get through. :/
Anyway, not my cup of tea. Took me a while to get through. :/
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April 14, 2021I won't give a rating, because I did not finish the book. I was 25% into it, and just could to continue.
August 13, 2011
The Oriental Wife by Evelyn Toynton is a moving character study of loss. The novel begins in Germany during World War One where Jewish childhood friends: Rolf, Otto and Louisa play their games as the country swings from defeat and complete economic collapse to the rise of the Nazis and economic recovery. They see the mentally and physically wounded WW1 veterans everywhere but they are as much a part of the everyday landscape as are the war wounds of their parents.
As the trio grows up, Toynton concentrates her story on Louisa. She is a bright, pretty girl with a neurotic, almost abusive Mother and a kind-hearted, doting, socially conscious Father. To get Louisa out of harm’s way she is sent to a boarding school in Switzerland. Her Father’s advice that she focuses her studies in learning languages suggests that he is as worried about Louisa’s future in Germany as he is about the effect of her Mother’s mental health on her.
While at school Louisa does study diligently. She also begins a pattern of making bad choices regarding men. Her choices take her to England, California and eventually to New York City where she is rescued by Otto and Rolf. They have immigrated to escape the persecution of the Nazis. Rolf has become a successful business man who uses his time away from the office to work doggedly in aiding other refugees. Otto has become….the least realized of any of the characters in the novel. He seems to be around to be an idealized American. Someone buoyant, empathetic, whose past struggles do not shadow his future.
Appropriately enough given their new life in the new world where the past can be jettisoned, Louisa and Rolf begin a 1930’s Hollywood romantic relationship. Louisa is the free spirited heroine who will bring fun and optimism to Rolf’s stiff and plodding good guy. The problem is that neither one of them is what they seem. Louisa’s flighty humor masks a deep fear of expressing any negativity that will result in being rejected and then alone. Below Rolf’s role as protector of the weak and integrity filled humanitarian is a hypocrite whose help to others is a need to make their weaknesses invisible. Their happiness will depend on how well they can protect their self-deceptions from real life.
This is a war story where all the battle scenes are civilian and interior. Toynton uses our knowledge of history to her advantage. She doesn’t pad The Oriental Wife with dates and names. She realizes that by merely mentioning a battle or an event she can call upon our awareness of the time period and that we will then fill in the cultural outline ourselves.
Toynton’s transcendent examination of not only Louisa and Rolf but also of their daughter, Louisa’s parents, the elderly Jewish immigrants Sophia and Gustav and the housekeeper Mrs. Sprague is masterful. Toyton makes the most of the smallest action of her characters. Everything is telling. The writing is incredibly impressive. The Oriental Wife isn’t a novel you read to find out what happens next so much as to find out why it couldn’t happen any other way.
As the trio grows up, Toynton concentrates her story on Louisa. She is a bright, pretty girl with a neurotic, almost abusive Mother and a kind-hearted, doting, socially conscious Father. To get Louisa out of harm’s way she is sent to a boarding school in Switzerland. Her Father’s advice that she focuses her studies in learning languages suggests that he is as worried about Louisa’s future in Germany as he is about the effect of her Mother’s mental health on her.
While at school Louisa does study diligently. She also begins a pattern of making bad choices regarding men. Her choices take her to England, California and eventually to New York City where she is rescued by Otto and Rolf. They have immigrated to escape the persecution of the Nazis. Rolf has become a successful business man who uses his time away from the office to work doggedly in aiding other refugees. Otto has become….the least realized of any of the characters in the novel. He seems to be around to be an idealized American. Someone buoyant, empathetic, whose past struggles do not shadow his future.
Appropriately enough given their new life in the new world where the past can be jettisoned, Louisa and Rolf begin a 1930’s Hollywood romantic relationship. Louisa is the free spirited heroine who will bring fun and optimism to Rolf’s stiff and plodding good guy. The problem is that neither one of them is what they seem. Louisa’s flighty humor masks a deep fear of expressing any negativity that will result in being rejected and then alone. Below Rolf’s role as protector of the weak and integrity filled humanitarian is a hypocrite whose help to others is a need to make their weaknesses invisible. Their happiness will depend on how well they can protect their self-deceptions from real life.
This is a war story where all the battle scenes are civilian and interior. Toynton uses our knowledge of history to her advantage. She doesn’t pad The Oriental Wife with dates and names. She realizes that by merely mentioning a battle or an event she can call upon our awareness of the time period and that we will then fill in the cultural outline ourselves.
Toynton’s transcendent examination of not only Louisa and Rolf but also of their daughter, Louisa’s parents, the elderly Jewish immigrants Sophia and Gustav and the housekeeper Mrs. Sprague is masterful. Toyton makes the most of the smallest action of her characters. Everything is telling. The writing is incredibly impressive. The Oriental Wife isn’t a novel you read to find out what happens next so much as to find out why it couldn’t happen any other way.
July 21, 2021
Rolf and Louisa fled Nuremberg before the atrocities of Hitler could touch them. She attends school in England and then goes to America, where Rolf is already living with a friend, Otto. She is to marry a British man, Joseph, but that turns ugly and she returns to NYC to stay with Otto and Rolf. She marries Rolf an when pregnant with their daughter, Emma, learns that she has a brain tumor. Once Emma is born, she has surgery but the doctor winds-up making her paralyzed on the left side of her body. This proves too much for Rolf and he divorces her and marries Connie, a secretary at his office. Louisa goes to stay with Mrs. Rafferty, who runs a home for people like Louisa. Later, Rolf is diagnosed with a cancer of his own (bone) that claims a leg and eventually his life. Emma still visits with both her parents, but is close to neither and has her own issues in her relationship with Him, a Cambodian man she works for. In the end, Khim is MIA and she finds out he had a wife who was lost and he returned to her when she was found without regard for Emma.
This is a crazy and totally disjointed story. I could barely keep up with all that was going on in the first few chapters. There was so much focus on Louisa and none on Rolf. Then, all of a sudden, they are married and we finally learn about Rolf's job. The medical portions of the book are also totally nuts. Brain surgery in the 1950's that only left her with paralysis? And why would Louisa put herself in a home and not demand that Mrs. Schaeffer be fired? I get that the author is trying to show how the botched surgery also changed her personality, but come on! Then, we jump ahead at least 20 years and know nothing about Emma's childhood or Rolf's marriage to Connie or what Louisa has done for all these years. The side story with Khim is just sad. Emma is totally alone, has no emotional support, and now that her father is dead, she is left with a vicious stepmother and a biological mother who has nothing left to offer.
This is a crazy and totally disjointed story. I could barely keep up with all that was going on in the first few chapters. There was so much focus on Louisa and none on Rolf. Then, all of a sudden, they are married and we finally learn about Rolf's job. The medical portions of the book are also totally nuts. Brain surgery in the 1950's that only left her with paralysis? And why would Louisa put herself in a home and not demand that Mrs. Schaeffer be fired? I get that the author is trying to show how the botched surgery also changed her personality, but come on! Then, we jump ahead at least 20 years and know nothing about Emma's childhood or Rolf's marriage to Connie or what Louisa has done for all these years. The side story with Khim is just sad. Emma is totally alone, has no emotional support, and now that her father is dead, she is left with a vicious stepmother and a biological mother who has nothing left to offer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2016
Evelyn Toynton's new novel, "The Oriental Wife", is the story of people - principled people for the most part - who find themselves in untenable positions. The decisions they make and the pain those decisions cause for others are examined in Toynton's book.
The book is set in both Nurenburg and New York City. Rolf and Louisa are raised together in pre-war Germany and meet again in New York, where both have fortuitously been able to emigrate in the late 1930's. They're able to obtain the release of their parents from Nazi Germany and all settle in as refugees. Louisa and Rolf marry and while pregnant, Louisa is diagnosed with a brain tumor. The operation to remove the tumor is a success, but leaves Louisa partially paralised on her left side. Their daughter is born but Louisa is unable to care for her. A nanny is hired to care for Emma but she soon takes over the household. Rolf and Louisa have decisions to make. And those decisions are made. The effects spiral both upwards to the grandparents and downward to daughter Emma. No one is left unaffected as the years pass.
But if the plot is easy to explain, not so the characters. To me they sometimes blurred in and out of focus. When I felt I understood a character, say, Louisa, she'd do something inexplicable and leave me scratching my head, at least metaphorically. I rarely felt I had a grasp of the characters. But, that said, I don't really know if my enjoyment of the book was affected by that. The book was strong enough that I can confidently give it four stars (actually, I'd give it 4 and a half stars if I could). It's worth buying and reading.
The book is set in both Nurenburg and New York City. Rolf and Louisa are raised together in pre-war Germany and meet again in New York, where both have fortuitously been able to emigrate in the late 1930's. They're able to obtain the release of their parents from Nazi Germany and all settle in as refugees. Louisa and Rolf marry and while pregnant, Louisa is diagnosed with a brain tumor. The operation to remove the tumor is a success, but leaves Louisa partially paralised on her left side. Their daughter is born but Louisa is unable to care for her. A nanny is hired to care for Emma but she soon takes over the household. Rolf and Louisa have decisions to make. And those decisions are made. The effects spiral both upwards to the grandparents and downward to daughter Emma. No one is left unaffected as the years pass.
But if the plot is easy to explain, not so the characters. To me they sometimes blurred in and out of focus. When I felt I understood a character, say, Louisa, she'd do something inexplicable and leave me scratching my head, at least metaphorically. I rarely felt I had a grasp of the characters. But, that said, I don't really know if my enjoyment of the book was affected by that. The book was strong enough that I can confidently give it four stars (actually, I'd give it 4 and a half stars if I could). It's worth buying and reading.
January 23, 2016
The book jacket is a little misleading, IMO. The story starts with 3 Jewish children growing up as Nazism extends its nasty reach in Germany. Otto & Louisa are cousins and spend a lot of time with Otto's friend Rolf. The main narrative follows Louisa as she leaves Germany for school and then follows her heart. She encounters Otto & Rolf in New York several years later and rekindles her friendship with them. While Rolf has his own story, it is not as robust as that of Louisa's. And when the focus moves from Louisa, it moves to her daughter Emma.
This is the kind of novel where you want to hit characters on their heads for not opening up, not trying hard enough, not putting themselves out there due to fear of rejection. The characters seem to believe that doing that will change the fundamentals of their individual selves. And knowing what their little gestures could mean but recoiling.
Toynton also sheds light on the refugee plight in NY during WWII. While the 3 children did not personally experience the horrors of post-Kristallnacht, their parents in Germany tried to shield them from the harsh, brutal reality. There's a lovely instance of a photograph taken that looks peaceful & happy, while the house around the subjects has been torn to pieces by the Nazis. Even when they fled Germany, they had trouble regaining their spirits and enjoyment of life (especially knowing what was happening to those who remained).
This is the kind of novel where you want to hit characters on their heads for not opening up, not trying hard enough, not putting themselves out there due to fear of rejection. The characters seem to believe that doing that will change the fundamentals of their individual selves. And knowing what their little gestures could mean but recoiling.
Toynton also sheds light on the refugee plight in NY during WWII. While the 3 children did not personally experience the horrors of post-Kristallnacht, their parents in Germany tried to shield them from the harsh, brutal reality. There's a lovely instance of a photograph taken that looks peaceful & happy, while the house around the subjects has been torn to pieces by the Nazis. Even when they fled Germany, they had trouble regaining their spirits and enjoyment of life (especially knowing what was happening to those who remained).
January 27, 2015
This book left me confused and I can't decide how to feel about it. I enjoyed the read but the plot line left a lot to be desired. I feel like I missed something in this or that I didn't read closely enough to gain an understanding of the characters. Is it missing pages? Am I dense? I had a hard time getting through this book but I felt compelled to finish it. This book had moments of greatness but it seemed like the other was In a hurry to wrap it up. I wish the book hadn't leapt ahead so many years and instead had of developed the story of Louisa adjusting to life on her own, Emma growing up living mostly with Rolf, aunt May and then Connie and I get that Rolf wasn't the type to divulge feelings but come on! Surely he felt something in between Louisa's departure and his death but this plot line wasn't explored. Why? I can't even say I didn't enjoy the book because I couldn't stop turning the pages but I kept hoping for things to happen that were hinted . Unfortunately,with each passing page I had the crushing realization that all of these hopes, actions and developments are Never going to happen! I think I'm going to treat this book like a choose your own adventure book and I'll just fill in the blanks and reassure myself with my own assumptions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2011
Unlike what the title implies, this is about German Jewish childhood friends who have the fortune of escaping to America before the Nazis really came into power. When I first started reading this, I thought it had a lot of potential. Louisa seemed like an interesting character. But then the story seemed to fall apart for me. I didn't really connect with the characters beyond the first few chapters. Louisa seemed to have no self-worth and, in my opinion, lost her voice entirely . Rolf seemed completely emotionless and believed everyone he shouldn't believe. I didn't feel as if I got to know the characters very well. I felt like an outsider who was being shown mere glimpses of their lives, like I was looking in through a window. I just felt sad throughout the story and disjointed as well especially with the great jump in time between the second and third parts. I wanted a lot more than what was given. And I never did figure out the title. It was mentioned once and never again, and it's mentioning had no implication on the rest of the story.
I received this as a result of a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
I received this as a result of a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
September 9, 2011
The story of three German Jewish children in the years before the start of World War II, during and after. The story center on the lives of Otto, Louisa and Roth and their families. You get a feel for what life was like in Germany for them before changes started. These young adult were lucky in the fact that their parent could send them away before things got really bad and they weren't there to experience some of the horrors their parents did. Most of their parents made it out of Germany safe and came to live in the US, close to their children. The story is full of rich detailes regarding Otto, Louisa and Roth. Especially Louisa you walk in their shoes for just a little while. The book is wonderfully written and the author does a great job with bringing all the characters to life. It is a very easy read two days for me, one of those books you find a hard time putting down.
I would suggest this book to anyone who likes an interesting story to read. It has a great story line and charming characters. This was a Goodread first reads win and I truly enjoyed this novel.
I would suggest this book to anyone who likes an interesting story to read. It has a great story line and charming characters. This was a Goodread first reads win and I truly enjoyed this novel.
January 21, 2012
Louise and Rolf were among the lucky Jews who left Nazi Germany before it was too late. And with Rolf’s connections and tireless work for German refugees, they were even able to get out Louise’s parents and Rolf’s mother and bring them to America. As the older generation wept over the destruction of their lives and the loss of loved ones in Germany, Louise and Rolf embraced America. And America seemed to embrace Louise and Rolf back until a debilitating illness reminded them that the sorrows of the old world could follow them across the ocean. Feeling betrayed by American promises of freedom and prosperity, Rolf and Louise must choose between spending the rest of their lives dutifully hopeless or selfishly content.
Though depressing at times, this story is a fascinating character study of how people cope with both tragedy and success. I love how Toynton’s characters grow and change, some becoming older, wiser versions of their young selves, and others changing so completely they are hardly recognizable from the refugees who arrived in America in the 1930s.
Though depressing at times, this story is a fascinating character study of how people cope with both tragedy and success. I love how Toynton’s characters grow and change, some becoming older, wiser versions of their young selves, and others changing so completely they are hardly recognizable from the refugees who arrived in America in the 1930s.
May 5, 2016
I was really transfixed by the history provided in this book, all the while building up our characters and surprising us with conflicts. However, the majority of my time spent with the book resulted in my utter disappointment in the characters, who seem not to live up to our expectations. The last 150 pages is spent praying Louisa will overcome her hardships, but she never does, which is completely dissatisfying. As we watch her daughter come into her own skin, we realize that some things will just never be fixed, and the same disappointment we, as the reader come to grow accustom to, Emma cannot. We really do pity the women in this story, whether Sophie, Louisa, or Emma, and I agree with other reviews that this is a great book on studying loss, and what it does to people. They will either overcome or let it go entirely, unless you're Emma, who struggles with both. Heavily sad, but worth the read. I would've liked to see some loose ends tied, but I enjoyed the realistic aspect that considers unresolved endings in our own lives.
February 28, 2012
I read this book with some anticipation and was let down very early. The characters were not fully developed, the book read more like a draft than a finished copy and the story went very slowly without much gravitas or action.
The main characters were Jewish immigrants who had escaped Germany prior to World War two. On that count, one would could consider them lucky. However, they were placed into a new environment where they faced hardships, illness and felt out of place. Not to compare their situation at all to victims of the Holocaust, but this book examined how even when escaping the Holocaust, bad things can happen.
I wish that the book had been fleshed out more and that I'd been better able to relate to the characters. However, this was not so and I found the book a slow and boring read.
The main characters were Jewish immigrants who had escaped Germany prior to World War two. On that count, one would could consider them lucky. However, they were placed into a new environment where they faced hardships, illness and felt out of place. Not to compare their situation at all to victims of the Holocaust, but this book examined how even when escaping the Holocaust, bad things can happen.
I wish that the book had been fleshed out more and that I'd been better able to relate to the characters. However, this was not so and I found the book a slow and boring read.
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