Single Wife

by Nina Solomon

Grace Brookman's husband is missing. He wasn't kidnapped or murdered (she's fairly certain); he just seems to have run away from home. He got up one morning, and with an offhand Gracie, I'll be back in a little while, he was gone. Laz had left before, but this time, when several weeks pass and he doesn't return, Grace copes with the situation by pretending to family and friends that he's still around.

At first, Grace covers for Laz in little rumpling the sheets on his side of the bed every morning for the housekeeper, turning up his favorite music so the neighbors will hear it, leaving the doorman a daily cup of coffee, just as Laz always did. Soon Grace's life is completely consumed with re-creating his life.

Over time the deception takes on a life of its own as her charade becomes more elaborate and she begins lying to friends and family, even her overbearing, ever-present Upper East Side parents. Grace finds herself steeped in denial about the truth of her husband's disappearance--and the truth about him, as clues arise to suggest that he isn't the man she thought he was.

In the spirit of Laura Zigman and Jennifer Weiner, Nina Solomon gives us a portrait of a young woman unraveled, who attempts to pull herself back together in the face of a most unusual crisis.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Adult, Womens Fiction, Contemporary

316 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2003

About the author

Nina Solomon is the author of Single Wife (Algonquin 2003), which was optioned for film by Warner Brothers.

She has a MA from Columbia University, teaches at Wilkes University.

Solomon lives in New York City with her son, Nathaniel and she has just completed her second novel.

Reviews

[Maureen Winter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't really like this book at all and struggled with the decision between two stars and one star.

The characters in this were completely flat and uninteresting. Even when I had finished the book I didn't feel like I knew them at all. The main character was a pathetic woman who completely lost herself when she got married and who spends entirely too much time with her parents and their friends. She was only slightly redeemed in the end.

I kept reading because I thought something really bizarre was going to happen but it never did.

I did not enjoy this book, and I wouldn't recommend it.

[Apurva · Rating 1 out of 5]

What happened in this book? I could barely tell you. The premise promised to be somewhat interesting but the execution was poor. Most of the characters jumbled together in my mind, the twists were sort of dropped into the book, and the main character was boring. There were so many characters that were introduced, barely, and then disappeared again. The only positive thing I have to say was that at least it was a short read.

[Histteach24 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I kept trying to convince myself to finish this book because maybe some big mystery would be revealed in the end-what a let down. The main character is a naive, weak, whiney, woman who needs to comes to grips with reality. Could have been a wonderful book about self-discovery for a woman in a bad marriage but instead it just dragged on in useless details without a tied together story line. Horrible.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blah blah blah....Grace's husband is gone and apparently I'm supposed to care enough about this story to push through and try and find out where he went, if he's ever coming back and if this psycho of a main character will stop pretending that he's not gone and making up crazy stories. The only thing that kept me going was imagining some big surprise ending or twist, and of course there wasn't one.

[Danni Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am surprised that Elle made a reference to Sex and the City when discussing this book. The only similarity I found between the two is that they are both set in New York City.
I enjoyed the storyline and the plot Solomon had developed, but I wish there was more effort put into the characters and their relationships with one another. It became repetitive when the story constantly kept going back to Francine's cooking, scrabble night, and shopping with her mother. Other than that I didn't feel any other purpose for those characters other than them being fillers that were overly obsessed with Laz.
I liked Kane's purpose in the book, which I imagine was to be a friend for Grace and a person who would make it more difficult to mask Laz's absence. But I wish that friendship could have existed without the sexual tension and past intimate relationship. It would have been more interesting if Solomon would have went against the cliche that a male-female friendship must have some form of sexual attraction.
I felt like Soloman was trying to build other layers to the story, like with Kane's new relationship or the detective from the dating website, but they all fell short for me and I was disappointed.
The ending was not bad, but it was also expected. I thought it was funny though that Grace claimed her new cheetah fur coat outfit was her new sense of style and it brought the 'real' Grace back, yet it was a complete outfit chosen by Chloe that Grace nervously tried on. It would have been more liberating if Grace felt excited to go through the vintage clothes, whipped out the coat, and tried it on because she thought it felt like her, not that someone else thought it felt like her.
Anywho... I wouldn't necessarily steer people away from the book. It's an easy read and there were moments where I didn't want to stop reading. I would recommend it to someone who does not read much and is looking for a straight forward, simple storyline.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is about Grace. Her husband is know for disappearing for a few days even weeks. She doesn't tell her family or friends, in order to not worry them. But more and more time goes by, he is gone for weeks adn starts to miss events he is suppose to be there for. To save the explanations Grace changes little thing to make it seem like Laz, her husband, is still around just busy and no one is seeing him. But do they know and is everyone really just trying to protect each other from the truth. What about the little changes that show Laz is around that Grace doesn't remember setting up. Finally what is still going to be there or the same if and when Laz returns.

This is an interesting chick lit book in that it is a coming of age story while the main character is in her late 20's early 30's, older than the average coming of age story. Grace realizes who she is/was with Laz and who she wants to be, what she is for her and and how she has to make them all fit together as best as she can. Making changes and choices for herself while rediscovering herself again.
Parts of this book were kind of slow, but set up in a while where you wanted to keep reading and to know what was going to happen next. I liked seeing Grace grow and changes in the book. You could really see the changes at the end of the book. But there weren't' always visible in other parts of the book. Overall, enjoyable book. But not one to go back to again and again in my opinion.

[Katie Kenig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grace's husband is prone to disappearing for short stints, so when he doesn't come home as expected, she doesn't think much of it. She is used to lying for him, and covering for him, and so she does so for a day. Then another. Then a week. Then another.

Her denial is thick enough that she can't even face the fact that people are seeing through her denial. That she continues to lie to her parents, to her friends, to herself, even when it's reached an absurd level. When do you say enough is enough? When do you admit that the lies you have been telling are more for yourself than for anyone you think you're helping or sparing?

Interesting story, though I was increasingly angry through the book with the inclusion of crochet as a theme without much knowledge or research done on the part of the writer or editors. What happened to fact checking, hm? Whoever wrote about "dropping a loop" here or there had heard a knitter talk and didn't understand that the term doesn't translate to crochet work. Also, if you work in chain stitch for hours, you don't end up with a four foot by two foot piece of crochet work. You end up with a very skinny rope.

While I liked the rest of the book, this had me so disconcerted that it dropped a full star from my rating.

[Sheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending left me a little disappointed. I was hoping for more closure.

[Jenjenn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting premise, but next to no details on anything outside the main character’s knowledge, which makes sense when you get to the end and realize this book is a story about her/Grace. Some of the plot devices were off and the author is not a crocheter so she completely got that wrong - plus I have never seen a yarn shop give away yarn.

But all of the above paled in comparison to the writing. The author is a lovely writer and has a very unique and descriptive style, but the flow was clunky and weird. With the help of an editor, this book would have gained several stars from me.

I kept waiting for things to get better, they never did.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending elevated a 3 star read to a 4. I loved Grace’s decision.

[Erin Benci · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was slow going. Grace aggravated me to no end. I understand everyone grieves differently, but at some point enough is enough and it should have come much earlier than it did.

That being said, I appreciated the ending, and it was definitely a "finally" moment when Grave finally grows a backbone.

[Adriana Olson · Rating 1 out of 5]

omg why did i waste my time reading this boring book? Super boring details about everyday life work their way up to .... absoulutly nothing. complete with a uneventful ending. Writing style was interesting and had a good concept but overall the whole book was a flop.

[Lourdes · Rating 2 out of 5]

the chapters just dreaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaged. The author should have added a bit more suspence the book didn't get interestin g until chapter like 5 and by then i was already brain dead.

[Kristin Dow · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read and kept my interest. It seemed there was more going on in the story, another layer, but that wasn't the case; little disappointed there.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

What an absolute snore. The main character is possibly the most oblivious, gullible person I’ve ever read. I kept going, expecting something, ANYTHING, to happen. But no. Nothing.

[Ellea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel, getting a bit exasperated at not knowing the answers to unfinished threads, but trusting that it would come together in the end.

It didn't.

I appreciate the journey of the main character in going through her life, rediscovering herself and her relationships with others as her own person. It was interesting, though it was also a look at the privileged life that seems to be loved in an entirely different world than ours (similar to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's life, at least pre-divorce) and therefore felt removed and unreal in more ways.

I celebrate Grace coming into her own, but I want to know the answers to so many plot points. Beyond some bigger points, there were also some repeat elements that I expected to develop into something more metaphoric and symbolic. I think we could have had at least some of those answers without ruining the slightly unsettled, slightly celebratory feel of the ending and anticipated canvas of what might come next.

Even with all that, I do enjoy the author's writing style. Sometimes the words felt like prose touching my heart and bringing out my own true self, seeing my soul. There are many passages I want to save to look at again. There's beauty in writing about many levels of life at once that I don't think can be taught.

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just bad. I didn’t get it. I should have trusted the reviews. The characters weren’t interesting, the ending was unsatisfying, and it just did nothing for me.

Grace is a weirdo but not an endearing or interesting weirdo. I kept thinking maybe she’d end up with Kane but Solomon just kind of left that end untied and hanging there. And I’m going to guess Grace ends up back with her parents because I can’t imagine she made any money teaching book making classes in coffee shops or whatever she did for a “living”. She mostly just hung out with her parents and the Sugarmans. And what the heck is up with Francine and the freezer food? I didn’t get that either.

Also the way the author builds up to nothingness was annoying. You think Grace is about to do something to face reality but then she ends up being too busy organizing a closet or something and we’re let down. Like when we think she’s going to bust into the block of ice that (for some reason) Laz’s old apartment key is frozen in but then she just decides to leave the block of ice to thaw for three days and THEN she’ll go to the apartment. Why?

I could go on. But I won’t.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mildly depressing...
It took this woman a solid two hundred pages to realize some of her self worth and to move on with her own life. I say this because for however old she is, (late twenties or early to mid thirties) she seemingly spaces out at the drop of a hat, doesn’t trust her own judgment or memories, and listens to everyone else in her life except herself. From a wherever-the-wind-takes-him of a husband, stuck-up mother-in-law and rather overbearing parents.
If she would of put half the effort into herself that she used to put up the facade for her husband and catering to everyone else, then we would probably not of had this book. This along with plot holes and over abundance in mundane and rather unneeded information the story made it’s way to a struggling end with little redemption.
As poorly as I felt reading this stitched together mental conflict, I know this is not so out of reach for many people. Just perhaps the way in which it was scattered about with not enough depth in any one character, makes it that much harder to empathize.

[Monica Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the colorful cast of characters in this book, and the tidbits of mystery planted throughout, it seemed like there were all of seedlings for other stories planted throughout that never evolved. In the end it felt unsatisfying, as if it should have been more somehow. It was also a bit beyond belief that the main character had such a fantastic relationship with her husband, despite the fact that he disappears periodically without any communication or explanation. How many wives could completely overlook that?
I think that the book did do a good job of showing how alone in the world we can be, if there are few to no people who we are truly honest with and are always pretending that everything is fine.

[DW · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a name like Laz, I thought the husband was going to turn out to be some kind of Russian secret agent. But no, he's just a deadbeat, and Grace is totally spineless and enables him. If I had picked up this book, oh, a decade or so ago, I wouldn't have been able to finish it, but now I understand more about denial so it wasn't totally foreign.

The book was atmospheric and I kept reading because I wanted to know where Laz was and why he was leaving. The answers, to the extent that we got any, were no particularly satisfying. The end where she finally grows a bit of a spine (tells him she doesn't live there any more) was a little bit satisfying but I wanted more. It's not even entirely clear if she leaves him.

[Eva · Rating 2 out of 5]

While there could have been a mystery here, both the author and protagonist went out of their way to avoid elucidating what happened. Instead we have a sappy play by play of the seasonal observances, meals, and Scrabble games of two sets of married retirees and the supposed protagonist, the daughter who acts retired herself although she has no discernible source of funds. The major event seems to be her replacing her love for her husband with a zest for crocheting.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Going through the transformation and trying to figure out what was going on with the heroine was thrilling, though the ending a little bit anticlimactic. Still enjoyed it though.

[Cathymac15 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just ok.

[Eric Zwerneman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t know how this made it to print.

[Larisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't waste your time. Boring book

[Ktmoeller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Strange book but well written so I had to finish it. Not my usual read. Odd indeed.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could relate to the main character Grace... Being married twice and the 2nd one being very absent, it has its ups and downs... I could place myself in her shoes when she had to keep mentioning a man that was never there... And then when he was there, U wished he wasn't... Very good read and very much an emotional rollercoaster esp when you have gone through it yourself!

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although at times I was very frustrated with this book - the combination of an unreliable narrator and a plot that piles on suspense and unanswered questions - it was the sort of frustration that adds enjoyment rather than detracts. The characters all feel like real people. There's a tiny bit of "wealth porn" in this, since it follows the lives of extremely wealthy people - the sort who can afford to own two apartments in Manhattan, one they don't use and don't even sublet! There's a lot of talk about international travel, restaurant dining, and the frivolities of a life without steady employment. But unlike most books I accuse of wealth porn, this one felt like it was written by someone with first-hand experience living like this. In short - the characters and the narrator are not aware how fabulous their lifestyle is. It's just life.

I normally really dislike stories about rich people. I admit it, I'm classist that way. I also normally don't like stories that have no SF or paranormal element in them. So I shouldn't have liked this book at all. I only read it because a co-worker gave it to me saying that I just had to read it because she liked it. And I'm very pleased that, indeed, I liked it.

[Lain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is it possible to be so lonely in a marriage that you feel LESS lonely when your partner is gone? And is it possible to hide the most basic facts of your existence from your friends and family?

The answer to these questions, according to Nina Solomon's "The Single Wife," is a resounding affirmative. Grace Brookman, Solomon's main character, has become somewhat accustomed to her husband's unusual comings and goings, so she automatically attempts to cover for him when he disappears in the wake of a scandal that is poised to destroy his career.

Grace puts up a good front, fooling almost everyone, and along the way discovers how lonely she's been -- and who her true friends are. Compelling characters and a unique premise make this "not your ordinary chicklit." Highly recommended.

An interesting take on friendship, marriage, and loneliness. If you enjoyed "The Time Traveler's Wife," you'll like "The Single Wife."

[Shelly Mundy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grace Brookman's husband Laz has just dissappeared. He left one day and never came home. It wasn't the first time but it is the first time he'd been gone this long.

Grace spends her days pretending not only to herself but to their loved ones that Laz is just busy and making excuses for him being absent.

Eventually her lies and cover ups catch up to her and she can no longer hide Laz's absence. She also finds out about a secret life that Laz has been hiding from her.

So dear reader, does Laz returned to his loving and lonely wife? And if so, do they live happily ever after. Pick up this funny and entertaining book to find out.

My review is that the story line is lacking in character but it is very well written which is why I was able to finish it. I know. Not a lot to go on but hey, it's your call.