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The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf
A sexy, atmospheric mid-century novel about two Shakespearean actors in an unusual marriage during one summer that will drive them closer than ever or rip them apart for good.
Up-and-coming stage actress Margaret Shoard has just taken a bow as Lady Macbeth, the role she has always believed was destined for her. At home, she plays wife to her best friend Wesley, even if she doesn’t hold his sole attention romantically. After a public breakdown threatens all she holds dear, Margaret’s doctor prescribes her uppers—just a little help to get through the days.
When Wesley is invited by eccentric director Vaughn Kline to join the cast for an inaugural Shakespeare performance in the New Mexico desert, Margaret decides to accompany him in the hopes that time away from the city will set her back to rights . . . but the world she finds in Vaughn’s company is filled with obsession and betrayal. Margaret and Wesley, embroiled in an affair with a man who may not be all he seems, must find a way forward together before their story becomes the real tragedy.
Up-and-coming stage actress Margaret Shoard has just taken a bow as Lady Macbeth, the role she has always believed was destined for her. At home, she plays wife to her best friend Wesley, even if she doesn’t hold his sole attention romantically. After a public breakdown threatens all she holds dear, Margaret’s doctor prescribes her uppers—just a little help to get through the days.
When Wesley is invited by eccentric director Vaughn Kline to join the cast for an inaugural Shakespeare performance in the New Mexico desert, Margaret decides to accompany him in the hopes that time away from the city will set her back to rights . . . but the world she finds in Vaughn’s company is filled with obsession and betrayal. Margaret and Wesley, embroiled in an affair with a man who may not be all he seems, must find a way forward together before their story becomes the real tragedy.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 7, 2025
53 people are currently reading
9639 people want to read
About the author
Isa Arsén
5 books84 followersIsa Arsén is a certified bleeding heart based in South Texas, where she lives with her spouse and a comically small dog.
Her work has been featured in Stone of Madness Press, The McNeese Review, and several independent anthologies and audiovisual projects. Her novels include SHOOT THE MOON (Putnam, 2023), and the forthcoming midcentury drama THE UNBECOMING OF MARGARET WOLF (Putnam, 2025).
When not wrangling prose, Isa is a dialogue engineer & writer for interactive media.
Her work has been featured in Stone of Madness Press, The McNeese Review, and several independent anthologies and audiovisual projects. Her novels include SHOOT THE MOON (Putnam, 2023), and the forthcoming midcentury drama THE UNBECOMING OF MARGARET WOLF (Putnam, 2025).
When not wrangling prose, Isa is a dialogue engineer & writer for interactive media.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
January 7, 2025
"i am a beast with blunted teeth that has become tired of being denied my nature."
once in a blue moon, a novel comes around that feels written specifically for me, not in the sense that it appeals to my interests (though it very much does), but in the way it speaks to the deepest, most secret aspects of myself that i show to no one. isa arsén's sophomore novel THE UNBECOMING OF MARGARET WOLF is one of those rare novels: a haunting and profound story of two shakespearean actors in the 1950s, their lavender marriage, and what becomes of them when they venture into a summer season that threatens to drag forth all their darkest impulses.
it's no exaggeration when i tell you that THE UNBECOMING OF MARGARET WOLF is one of my dearest and most favorite novels. margaret wolf and wesley shoard are as compelling as the timeless work they bring to life and their story is infused with such a deep, aching sense of love that it brought me to tears several times over the course of the book. this book is a study of the kind of love that lasts a lifetime, the exorcisms we endure to become our most authentic selves, a love letter to those fighting to survive what's been done to them, and a beautiful and necessary acknowledgment that not every historical queer person lived in tragedy. many of us—even if secretly—found love, happiness, and our own forms of freedom.
laced with arsén's enviable and heartfelt prose, stained with shakespearean blood, and dressed in a glamorous and evocative cover that fits like a glove, THE UNBECOMING OF MARGARET WOLF is an unforgettable performance of a book that will leave your chest absent of its heart. it's one of those special books that will leave you changed on the other side of it. do yourself a favor and keep your eyes open—once the curtains rise there's no stopping this show, and i'd love to see what you've become when the lights turn back on.
THE UNBECOMING OF MARGARET WOLF is out now! 🥂
once in a blue moon, a novel comes around that feels written specifically for me, not in the sense that it appeals to my interests (though it very much does), but in the way it speaks to the deepest, most secret aspects of myself that i show to no one. isa arsén's sophomore novel THE UNBECOMING OF MARGARET WOLF is one of those rare novels: a haunting and profound story of two shakespearean actors in the 1950s, their lavender marriage, and what becomes of them when they venture into a summer season that threatens to drag forth all their darkest impulses.
it's no exaggeration when i tell you that THE UNBECOMING OF MARGARET WOLF is one of my dearest and most favorite novels. margaret wolf and wesley shoard are as compelling as the timeless work they bring to life and their story is infused with such a deep, aching sense of love that it brought me to tears several times over the course of the book. this book is a study of the kind of love that lasts a lifetime, the exorcisms we endure to become our most authentic selves, a love letter to those fighting to survive what's been done to them, and a beautiful and necessary acknowledgment that not every historical queer person lived in tragedy. many of us—even if secretly—found love, happiness, and our own forms of freedom.
laced with arsén's enviable and heartfelt prose, stained with shakespearean blood, and dressed in a glamorous and evocative cover that fits like a glove, THE UNBECOMING OF MARGARET WOLF is an unforgettable performance of a book that will leave your chest absent of its heart. it's one of those special books that will leave you changed on the other side of it. do yourself a favor and keep your eyes open—once the curtains rise there's no stopping this show, and i'd love to see what you've become when the lights turn back on.
THE UNBECOMING OF MARGARET WOLF is out now! 🥂
April 23, 2024
~Thank you to Netgalley for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!~
My goodness, what a book!
I loved Arsén’s debut, but when I tell you this was still a step up, I mean it. The gorgeous prose is the same—juicy and poetic without being overly heavy or dense. And the setting is wonderful as well. For some reason, Arsén is really good at describing deserts and dingy rooms, and that’s incredibly evident here.
The standouts, though, are the characters. Margaret is wonderfully compelling as a protagonist, as she has the slightest little bit of insane-wife energy coupled with “dear god someone give this woman a hug” and it works so well. The other characters are excellent too, even the ones that are only on the page for a short while. I simply adored the strange nature of the romance—toxic for sure, but interesting nonetheless.
And the plot? I love how vaguely (and sometimes obviously) Shakespearean it is. It all feels very intentional and there’s never a dull moment. The momentum carries through to the end. It’s a quick read, but maybe that’s because I literally didn’t stop reading until I was done. Truly, a marvel.
Overall, this book shines. I’m so excited to be able to hold a finished copy in my hands. I’m going to be recommending it to as many people as I can. Thank you for the review copy!
TRIGGER WARNINGS: sexual assault, drug use/addiction, smoking, violence, self-harm (scratching), injuries such as cuts from glass, period-era homophobia
My goodness, what a book!
I loved Arsén’s debut, but when I tell you this was still a step up, I mean it. The gorgeous prose is the same—juicy and poetic without being overly heavy or dense. And the setting is wonderful as well. For some reason, Arsén is really good at describing deserts and dingy rooms, and that’s incredibly evident here.
The standouts, though, are the characters. Margaret is wonderfully compelling as a protagonist, as she has the slightest little bit of insane-wife energy coupled with “dear god someone give this woman a hug” and it works so well. The other characters are excellent too, even the ones that are only on the page for a short while. I simply adored the strange nature of the romance—toxic for sure, but interesting nonetheless.
And the plot? I love how vaguely (and sometimes obviously) Shakespearean it is. It all feels very intentional and there’s never a dull moment. The momentum carries through to the end. It’s a quick read, but maybe that’s because I literally didn’t stop reading until I was done. Truly, a marvel.
Overall, this book shines. I’m so excited to be able to hold a finished copy in my hands. I’m going to be recommending it to as many people as I can. Thank you for the review copy!
TRIGGER WARNINGS: sexual assault, drug use/addiction, smoking, violence, self-harm (scratching), injuries such as cuts from glass, period-era homophobia
December 30, 2024
Bold, exquisitely written, and stunningly good. I want to recommend this to so many people. Not a light read, but a profoundly satisfying one.
January 29, 2025
My central problem with this book was its unrelenting predictability. I charge anyone to witness an emotional Shakespearean actress in an unsatisfying lavender marriage be overwhelmed by the role of Lady Macbeth and NOT instantly know the direction the story will take. I almost feel that if this book had been framed as a loose retelling I would have enjoyed it more: coyly pretending at a parallels and coincidence does not a satisfying original story make. There's a reason retellings have such a broad appeal: dramatic irony and doomed narratives will never go out of style, and offer a level of intellectual acknowledgment to the reader rather than trying to frame an inevitable outcome as a "twist".
Things I did like: the complexities of Margaret and Wesley's relationships, the sheer aesthetics of a globe replica built in the middle of the American desert, well-integrated quotes and references. Still, none of this was enough to make up for my overwhelming distaste for Margaret and the selfishness of her decisions. There is certainly validity in her mental health struggles, but not once does she take accountability for how her actions impact those around her. Nor does she face consequences: again and again I was waiting for a frank conversation in which her struggles are balanced against the genuine harm she has caused to the people in her vicinity, and it never came. I was particularly struck by the utter lack of perspective we are granted of the cast and crew when Margaret throws the performance into disarray not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES. As a former actor and crew member, I can say with confidence that this behavior would have earned a serious conversation at best and overt disdain at worst. I can admire stories that give space to explore the genuine hardship of depression, but am less forgiving of narratives that try to "girlbossify" failing to take accountability for repeated harm.
Things I did like: the complexities of Margaret and Wesley's relationships, the sheer aesthetics of a globe replica built in the middle of the American desert, well-integrated quotes and references. Still, none of this was enough to make up for my overwhelming distaste for Margaret and the selfishness of her decisions. There is certainly validity in her mental health struggles, but not once does she take accountability for how her actions impact those around her. Nor does she face consequences: again and again I was waiting for a frank conversation in which her struggles are balanced against the genuine harm she has caused to the people in her vicinity, and it never came. I was particularly struck by the utter lack of perspective we are granted of the cast and crew when Margaret throws the performance into disarray not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES. As a former actor and crew member, I can say with confidence that this behavior would have earned a serious conversation at best and overt disdain at worst. I can admire stories that give space to explore the genuine hardship of depression, but am less forgiving of narratives that try to "girlbossify" failing to take accountability for repeated harm.
January 8, 2025
A thankfully quick read that at least had talented writing on display, even if it didn't translate to the story or characters. I wanted to applaud the inclusion of a main character with mental illness, but she was just so unlikable that I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to spend time with her, let alone throw opportunity after opportunity at her. The characters started out bad and then slowly became insufferable.
July 2, 2024
This atmospheric novel is a slow-burn of mental manipulation and the strength it takes to rally back. Not your usual mid-century fiction, but riveting nonetheless.
November 24, 2024
Fueled by a terrible taste in alcohol and worse taste in colleagues, Margaret dreams to be Lady Macbeth on the stage, and also dreams of Lady Macbeth. Set in a 1950’s traveling theater group, I really wanted to enjoy this book, but the dark themes and morally devoid characters made the story feel empty and aimless.
The plot was slow going at the beginning, nearly incomprehensible in the middle, and finally became interesting and suspenseful near the end. However, at this point I had developed a strong dislike for every character besides Wesley. I would’ve given up on Margaret “Jack” Wolf’s story but instead I watched in horror, like a car crash you can’t prevent.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Publishing Group for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The plot was slow going at the beginning, nearly incomprehensible in the middle, and finally became interesting and suspenseful near the end. However, at this point I had developed a strong dislike for every character besides Wesley. I would’ve given up on Margaret “Jack” Wolf’s story but instead I watched in horror, like a car crash you can’t prevent.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Publishing Group for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 12, 2025
To avoid arrest for his sexuality, Wesley enters into a marriage of convenience with his best friend -- and fellow stage actor -- Margaret. When Margaret finally lands her dream role, Lady Macbeth, her happiness is short-lived after suffering a breakdown following opening night. Unable to find work, Margaret spends her days wandering about the city and playing the happy housewife until she learns Wesley has been invited to join a theater troupe set to perform in the desert for the summer. Margaret believes this is just what she needs to reignite her passion...only to discover her already complicated marriage will see drama the Bard himself couldn't have imagined.
1950s, Shakespeare, I was sold from the start and The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf was one of my most anticipated releases of the new year. From the start I was hooked and genuinely expected this to be a Top Read, 5-star favorite of 2025.
Once Margaret and Wesley leave New York, however, the book spiraled into little more than a drug-fueled months-long . And that's not including the actual visitations (? hallucinations?) Margaret has of Lady Macbeth.
I had such high hopes going into this one and enjoyed it a great deal but expected something different than what I got out of it.
1950s, Shakespeare, I was sold from the start and The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf was one of my most anticipated releases of the new year. From the start I was hooked and genuinely expected this to be a Top Read, 5-star favorite of 2025.
Once Margaret and Wesley leave New York, however, the book spiraled into little more than a drug-fueled months-long . And that's not including the actual visitations (? hallucinations?) Margaret has of Lady Macbeth.
I had such high hopes going into this one and enjoyed it a great deal but expected something different than what I got out of it.
September 14, 2025
This book is If We Were Villains X Gay/Straight Yearning. You’re welcome.
I’m currently working abroad and had prematurely banned myself from reading in an effort to consume myself in my work. My work atp is consuming me—it gets to a point. So, here I am reading and truly this feels okay as it only took me a few hours. Anyways.
Imagine my surprise reading this book and seeing how many people find it un-compelling. I read the first 20pgs and was already in love with both Wesley and Margaret/Jack. One thing about me is I persists off of literary yearning novels. The problem with having a type though is that after a while you consume them all.
I’ve read gay yearning. Straight yearning. Unrequited yearning. Unrequited yearning that turns to fulfilled yearning. But what I haven’t read is gay—> straight yearning, with, and excuse me from borrowing trope names from fantasy, marriage of convenience X soulmates.
Gay—> straight yearning? What possibly could you mean, you wonder aloud?? Well, Wesley is gay and Margaret is straight—and somehow their line to each other is ”I love you as I love myself” which is rather sexy if you deep it. Because it’s very true. They assert throughout the book that they are soulmates and I 100% agree despite obvious complications in their relationship, so this whole complicated yearning thing really worked for me. Like this was Original Yearning™️ that I have not encountered nor do I think I ever will again. So kudos!!
Also speaking of sexy this entire thing is literary smut x we were villains fr. The power that Shakespeare has over actors and making them clinical—literally, needs to be studied, probably not written about again though LOL. It was hot complimentary which means a lot coming from me because smut usually makes me 😔😃🙂
To conclude I really enjoyed this—characterization is amazing, and the obsession with Shakespeare engrossing. So many plays thrown about. If there was one thing I didn’t like it was ironically the Lady Macbeth arc and how she manifested for Margaret, and the final 1/6th of the book. I will say the plot was WHOLLY original and mayhaps to be even more concise simply a Lady Macbeth retelling. Wish I knew how to add gifs—I’ll figure it out someday… understand this review would’ve have been 64% funnier.
4.5 stars XX Adieu
I’m currently working abroad and had prematurely banned myself from reading in an effort to consume myself in my work. My work atp is consuming me—it gets to a point. So, here I am reading and truly this feels okay as it only took me a few hours. Anyways.
Imagine my surprise reading this book and seeing how many people find it un-compelling. I read the first 20pgs and was already in love with both Wesley and Margaret/Jack. One thing about me is I persists off of literary yearning novels. The problem with having a type though is that after a while you consume them all.
I’ve read gay yearning. Straight yearning. Unrequited yearning. Unrequited yearning that turns to fulfilled yearning. But what I haven’t read is gay—> straight yearning, with, and excuse me from borrowing trope names from fantasy, marriage of convenience X soulmates.
Gay—> straight yearning? What possibly could you mean, you wonder aloud?? Well, Wesley is gay and Margaret is straight—and somehow their line to each other is ”I love you as I love myself” which is rather sexy if you deep it. Because it’s very true. They assert throughout the book that they are soulmates and I 100% agree despite obvious complications in their relationship, so this whole complicated yearning thing really worked for me. Like this was Original Yearning™️ that I have not encountered nor do I think I ever will again. So kudos!!
Also speaking of sexy this entire thing is literary smut x we were villains fr. The power that Shakespeare has over actors and making them clinical—literally, needs to be studied, probably not written about again though LOL. It was hot complimentary which means a lot coming from me because smut usually makes me 😔😃🙂
To conclude I really enjoyed this—characterization is amazing, and the obsession with Shakespeare engrossing. So many plays thrown about. If there was one thing I didn’t like it was ironically the Lady Macbeth arc and how she manifested for Margaret, and the final 1/6th of the book. I will say the plot was WHOLLY original and mayhaps to be even more concise simply a Lady Macbeth retelling. Wish I knew how to add gifs—I’ll figure it out someday… understand this review would’ve have been 64% funnier.
4.5 stars XX Adieu
January 19, 2025
There’s something dark and moody about stories set in old Hollywood but an added bonus of the old playwright era in old New York. There was a deeper mystery in this story and Margaret was truly an enigmatic character. However, I do wish we got more of her backstory. She called herself a mess so often but I felt like no one, even those she said were closest to her didn’t even truly know her. We got small little off-handed glimpses here and there but they felt a bit too off-page. She was hiding even from us the reader. Maybe that was the purpose but it did pull me out of the story a few times. She felt so much pain and went through so much pain I’m rooting for her. Her last facade, her truest one, is a strong woman, made by her creators without intent.
‘I put one hand in his hair and tilted his head back. “I’ll show you a villain,” I snarled.’
The side characters in this story were truly superb. Each of them in their own way, formulated the path and choices that Margaret would have to take and decide… on her own if she wanted to survive this thing called life. If she wants to truly live.
TW: there is self-harm on page and forced off and on page sexual assault. Mental health (but with self discovery)
‘I put one hand in his hair and tilted his head back. “I’ll show you a villain,” I snarled.’
The side characters in this story were truly superb. Each of them in their own way, formulated the path and choices that Margaret would have to take and decide… on her own if she wanted to survive this thing called life. If she wants to truly live.
TW: there is self-harm on page and forced off and on page sexual assault. Mental health (but with self discovery)
July 1, 2025
Not the first novel I have suspected was created, shall we say, “artificially” - and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Regardless of this novel’s provenance, you would get the same thing by putting Taylor Jenkins Reid and Olivia Wolfgang-Smith into chatgpt.
July 1, 2025
3.75. I read this for one of the book challenges so it was outside my usual picks but I enjoyed it! I did not expect the turn the story took. I liked the two main characters.
December 16, 2024
"You cannot ignore the sins you carry. You must bear living with them, lest they claw through the walls to make their own room"
"If you choose to live, you also choose to change"
Thank you so much to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for an eARC of The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf! This book came highly recommended to me by a close friend, and I have yet to be let down by their recommendations- this book was no exception.
The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf follows two Shakespearean actors in an ~unconventional partnership~ (cough cough, lavender marriage!!) discovering the whole of themselves through love, betrayal, partnership, and uncovering an unflinching sense of self. This is a historical fiction wrapped up in a deliciously queer blanket, and I felt so attached to our main characters, Margaret and Wesley, in ways I can't find the words to describe.
I read this entire book in one sitting, if that's any insight into how much I enjoyed it. The tunnel-vision-turned-trance that had a hold on me throughout this entire reading experience was something that hasn't happened to me in I don't know how long. I *felt* everything right alongside these characters- the anxiety, the joy, the fear, the sense of power- everything. Like actually holding my breath as the plot unfolded.
This book is SO for you if you're a fan of historical fiction, Shakespeare, and If We Were Villains, but do be aware of TW/CW for self harm & suicidal ideation. The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf will be published on January 7th, 2025- and I hope you're just as enthralled as I was. Play the part!
"If you choose to live, you also choose to change"
Thank you so much to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for an eARC of The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf! This book came highly recommended to me by a close friend, and I have yet to be let down by their recommendations- this book was no exception.
The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf follows two Shakespearean actors in an ~unconventional partnership~ (cough cough, lavender marriage!!) discovering the whole of themselves through love, betrayal, partnership, and uncovering an unflinching sense of self. This is a historical fiction wrapped up in a deliciously queer blanket, and I felt so attached to our main characters, Margaret and Wesley, in ways I can't find the words to describe.
I read this entire book in one sitting, if that's any insight into how much I enjoyed it. The tunnel-vision-turned-trance that had a hold on me throughout this entire reading experience was something that hasn't happened to me in I don't know how long. I *felt* everything right alongside these characters- the anxiety, the joy, the fear, the sense of power- everything. Like actually holding my breath as the plot unfolded.
This book is SO for you if you're a fan of historical fiction, Shakespeare, and If We Were Villains, but do be aware of TW/CW for self harm & suicidal ideation. The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf will be published on January 7th, 2025- and I hope you're just as enthralled as I was. Play the part!
January 23, 2025
I enjoyed this sad book, but it's not for everyone. The characters are depressing, and as a reader, you can see the bad choices that they are making. The pace is slow, which I normally don't mind, but it seemed to make the story drag on a bit for me.
It's about a theater actress, Margaret, who marries her gay co-star to protect his image (see first bad choice with more to come). I felt badly for these characters, but I struggled with what other options they might have had during the 1950s.
Overall, I liked this book, but it's very different from what's popular these days. I would encourage readers to check it out, if not for the sake of experiencing a different type of read from the norm.
It's about a theater actress, Margaret, who marries her gay co-star to protect his image (see first bad choice with more to come). I felt badly for these characters, but I struggled with what other options they might have had during the 1950s.
Overall, I liked this book, but it's very different from what's popular these days. I would encourage readers to check it out, if not for the sake of experiencing a different type of read from the norm.
May 16, 2024
Wow, what a ride! I couldn’t put this book down! It is a rollercoaster of emotions that leaves you thinking long after you’ve turned the last page.
January 6, 2025
Thank you Putnam books for my #gifted finished copy and thank you PRH Audio for my #gifted advanced listening copy of The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf! #PRHAudioPartner #PRHAInfluencer #TheUnbecomingOfMargaretWolf #isaarsen #Putnam #putnambooks #PutnamPartner
Title: The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf
Author: Isa Arsén
Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld
Pub Date: January 7, 2025
𝟱★
After reading Shoot The Moon last year, I not so patiently waited for this book to land on my doorstep. Shoot The Moon was one of my top reads of 2023, and when I heard Isa Arsén had a new book coming out in 2025, I could not wait to read it. As soon as The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf arrived, I started reading it! Arsén has such a talent for developing such unique characters with so much detail that you can’t help but feel like you are right there with them the entire time you are reading. The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf was unlike anything I’ve ever read, and I think that’s why I was so hooked. It was so atmospheric. It was messy. Margaret and Wesley were in an unusual marriage and got tangled up with a man who may not be who he seems. Lots of tragedy. Perfect for fans of Shakespeare. This book was really out of my comfort zone, but I loved it! I literally could not put it down. It is the second book by Arsén that I think I read in less than 24 hours. LOVED!
I started with the physical book, but alternated between the physical and the audiobook, which was narrated by the talented Saskia Maarleveld. I thought Maarleveld was absolutely perfect for this audiobook. Everything about her narrating this one just felt right. I loved my time listening to the audiobook, and would highly recommend this one on audio. Maarleveld is so talented and truly made this such a positive listening experience.
Title: The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf
Author: Isa Arsén
Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld
Pub Date: January 7, 2025
𝟱★
After reading Shoot The Moon last year, I not so patiently waited for this book to land on my doorstep. Shoot The Moon was one of my top reads of 2023, and when I heard Isa Arsén had a new book coming out in 2025, I could not wait to read it. As soon as The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf arrived, I started reading it! Arsén has such a talent for developing such unique characters with so much detail that you can’t help but feel like you are right there with them the entire time you are reading. The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf was unlike anything I’ve ever read, and I think that’s why I was so hooked. It was so atmospheric. It was messy. Margaret and Wesley were in an unusual marriage and got tangled up with a man who may not be who he seems. Lots of tragedy. Perfect for fans of Shakespeare. This book was really out of my comfort zone, but I loved it! I literally could not put it down. It is the second book by Arsén that I think I read in less than 24 hours. LOVED!
I started with the physical book, but alternated between the physical and the audiobook, which was narrated by the talented Saskia Maarleveld. I thought Maarleveld was absolutely perfect for this audiobook. Everything about her narrating this one just felt right. I loved my time listening to the audiobook, and would highly recommend this one on audio. Maarleveld is so talented and truly made this such a positive listening experience.
May 24, 2025
This book is described as a sexy, atmospheric mid-century novel - well I guess if you find seedy motels and truck stops sexy amid living a lie because society doesn’t accept who you are. Sure.
Our heroine is Margaret Wolf, a theater actress who agrees to marry her gay best friend, Wesley, since it’s a crime to be gay then (heck, it still is in some places). After Margaret suffers a mental break and is forced to stop acting, Wesley is offered an opportunity to preform Titus in the middle of nowhere in the desert. Margaret joins, and they set off in hopes the break for NYC will do them some good.
There is so much I loved about this, the love story that Margaret and Wesley shared. The edges of love pushed to exceed binary limitations. The topic of mental illness. Always. With all that, it just didn’t hit me the way it should. The ending was satisfyingly dark - don’t F with Margaret, but getting there was at times a struggle. I did enjoy the ending, and will just assume my disgust for being stuck in a gross desert motel in the middle of summer was my downfall. Overall, written extremely well and I will certainly look for more by this author.
Our heroine is Margaret Wolf, a theater actress who agrees to marry her gay best friend, Wesley, since it’s a crime to be gay then (heck, it still is in some places). After Margaret suffers a mental break and is forced to stop acting, Wesley is offered an opportunity to preform Titus in the middle of nowhere in the desert. Margaret joins, and they set off in hopes the break for NYC will do them some good.
There is so much I loved about this, the love story that Margaret and Wesley shared. The edges of love pushed to exceed binary limitations. The topic of mental illness. Always. With all that, it just didn’t hit me the way it should. The ending was satisfyingly dark - don’t F with Margaret, but getting there was at times a struggle. I did enjoy the ending, and will just assume my disgust for being stuck in a gross desert motel in the middle of summer was my downfall. Overall, written extremely well and I will certainly look for more by this author.
February 26, 2025
It had potential, but a subversion of Lady Macbeth just didn't work for me. I suppose it's because I didn't trust that the end of her relationship with Felix was organic. Felix himself was like a construct; he wasn't sketched enough to be real. Which is fine I guess considering how he ends, but Margaret's unreality was a bit much. She mixed way too many drugs for me to think that she won't come crashing down after the last page has been turned. The only person I liked was Wesley, and she dragged Wesley into something he clearly didn't want to be part of, and so she didn't care for the wellbeing of the one person who had her back. I really didn't care for anything - I think I'd have preferred this one being a traditional love triangle, and I almost never prefer those.
February 20, 2025
i had very tentative hopes for this book, and i couldn't be happier i gave it a shot. the two main characters are ones i will think about often. i really enjoyed watching them settle into their dynamic, the prose was exactly what i wanted from this kind of story- but there were parts i felt like could have been shortened.
all things considered, i simply love reading about shakespearean actors losing it and this delivered.
all things considered, i simply love reading about shakespearean actors losing it and this delivered.
May 18, 2025
I read this book in large part because I liked the title. Having said that, it was an interesting book about an actress in the 50’s who marries her friend who is gay, to help protect him. They go south for a summer play, and it takes a very dark turn.
August 6, 2025
The devotion and love between Margaret and Wesley, while nontraditional, drives the entire plot. Did not expect the turn the book took, but oddly satisfying and truly felt like I could justify both character's decisions. Lots of Shakespeare metaphors that went over my head bc I'm not in 10th grade English anymore.
March 14, 2025
this book is such a peculiar shade of uninteresting it's almost fascinating
April 26, 2025
A full journey, entertaining and magnetic
June 22, 2025
exceptionally mid, there’s not really anything else to say
July 4, 2025
I don't know how I feel about this one. I enjoyed reading it, but it lost me at some point. I don't think I really understood Haas' motivation. Was he obsessed with Margaret? I think the story unraveled for me from there, because I was just lost not being able to read him.
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December 21, 2025This one lost me. DNF
April 1, 2025
REALLY liked this one a lot! Margaret Wolf is one of the most fascinating original characters I've had the pleasure of reading about in a good while. Hate to be the "this would make a great movie" person but it totally would! so so so messy (positive). Margaret and Edie should've kissed
June 25, 2025
3+/4-
As a retired English teacher whose favorite Shakespeare play is Macbeth, I was drawn in immediately. There were glimmers of brilliance in the uses of the Lady. I wish there’d been more.
As a retired English teacher whose favorite Shakespeare play is Macbeth, I was drawn in immediately. There were glimmers of brilliance in the uses of the Lady. I wish there’d been more.
February 15, 2025
Genuinely thought this was going to be a five-star book. It has everything I love - it's atmospheric, it was about actors, there was a triangular relationship between husband wife and lover (I'm literally writing something about this at the moment). What I didn't love was the author's insistence on destroying her protagonist in ever more ridiculous torture porn scenarios that - inevitably - culminated in sexual violence. There are so many more things you could have done that wasn't 'oh yeah and then she gets raped at least once / suspected twice'. Structurally it's all over the place, the characters (except for Wesley) are clumsily drawn and, I'm going to be honest here, I'm just really exhausted of independent, complex female characters being punished for living their lives through sexual assault! I'm really sick of it! The story would've been better in someone elses hands.
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