Gulliver's Wife

by Lauren Chater

Birth. Death. Wonder … One woman’s journey to the edge of love and loyalty from the bestselling author of The Lace Weaver

London, 1702. When her husband is lost at sea, Mary Burton Gulliver, midwife and herbalist, is forced to rebuild her life without him. But three years later when Lemuel Gulliver is brought home, fevered and communicating only in riddles, her ordered world is turned upside down.

In a climate of desperate poverty and violence, Mary is caught in a crossfire of suspicion and fear driven by her husband’s outlandish claims, and it is up to her to navigate a passage to safety for herself and her daughter, and the vulnerable women in her care.

When a fellow sailor, a dangerous man with nothing to lose, appears to hold sway over her husband, Mary’s world descends deeper into chaos, and she must set out on her own journey to discover the truth of Gulliver’s travels . . . and the landscape of her own heart.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Audiobook, Book Club, Adult, Ebooks

416 pages, Paperback

First published March 23, 2020

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

London in 1702 was not a good place for the poor and destitute, but Mary Gulliver’s life since her husband Lemuel had been lost at sea had slowly improved through her careful watch on her pennies. Mary was a highly respected midwife, taught by Anne Clifford who had known Mary’s mother and was a good friend of Mary’s. Mary hoped that her fourteen-year-old daughter Bess would follow in her footsteps. Bess missed her father badly; his fanciful tales and attention to her, so Bess found herself resentful of her mother, a fact that hurt Mary deeply. With eleven-year-old Johnny at boarding school, it was only Mary, Bess and their maid Alice at their residence, The Needle.

The shock Mary felt when Lemuel was suddenly returned to her was great – his ravings and illness immediately upset Mary’s life and she feared everything would soon be as it was. The violence both on the streets and in their homes had Mary fearful for Bess, who was going through a time of torment, not listening to her mother. And as Mary continued to assist with births, to help the women who were friends, she tried to find a way to get the truth regarding Lemuel’s ravings. Would her friend and husband’s cousin Richard be able to help? She only knew they were all in danger…

Gulliver’s Wife is an intriguing and fascinating story (with a spectacular cover) by Aussie author Lauren Chater which I thoroughly enjoyed. With inspiration from "Gulliver’s Travels" by Jonathan Swift, the author has woven a tale which is magical, wondrous and exquisite. The inner strength of Mary, who faced so much, was extraordinary – the women back in the 1700s barely had a voice; the men cruel for the most part. I loved The Lace Weaver, Ms Chater’s first book, and Gulliver’s Wife is no different. Highly recommended.

With thanks to Simon & Schuster AU and NetGalley for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Brooke - Brooke's Reading Life]

Read about 70 pages. Written well but just not my kind of story at the moment. Have seen so many great reviews so may try again another time. No rating as did not finish it.

[Gloria (Ms. G's Bookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gulliver's Wife is an intriguing story superbly written in meticulous detail, it was wonderful to read. I also loved the beautiful book cover, it’s exquisite.

The year is 1702 in Wapping, London, Mary Gulliver is a highly respected midwife and herbalist who hopes that her fourteen-year old daughter Bess will also become a midwife and follow in her footsteps. Mary has a strong sense of familial duty.

The midwives also testified against crimes accused of rape and sexual assault due to their extensive knowledge of female anatomy.

In a time of a male dominated world Mary struggles to make ends meet with her husband Lemuel lost at sea, presumed dead. However she enjoys her independence, as he often brought trouble at home. Had she married the wrong man?

Then suddenly three years later Gulliver returns home, obviously unwell with night terrors, blundering confusion and ranting strange stories.

An amazing story, and yes Mary’s husband is the Gulliver we remember from the story Gulliver’s Travels.



I wish to thank Better Reading, NetGalley & Simon & Schuster, for generously providing me with a copy of the book to read in return for an honest review

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com

The bestselling author of The Lace Weaver makes another worthy contribution to the historical fiction genre with a novel inspired by the wife of Lemuel Gulliver, the fictional hero of Jonathan Swift’s classic tale, Gulliver’s Travels. Gulliver’s Wife is a remarkable composition filled with compelling sequences involving life, adventure, birth and loss.

Gulliver’s Wife was published in 2020 and it offers a porthole into the past, thanks to the imagination of novelist Lauren Chater. Chater takes the reader back in time to the beginning of the eighteenth century. We meet Mary Burton Gulliver, a pioneer of her time in regards to women’s health and labour. This dedicated and experienced midwife also has a strong knowledge of herbal medicines. When the story opens, Mary has been left to her own devices as her husband has been exploring the sights of the world. While Mary toils on with her selfless work as a midwife, she tries to move on from the pain of her husband’s departure. When her husband finally returns home after a three-year absence, he is filled with wild thoughts and musings about his time away. Unable to get any sense out of her husband, Mary fears for her family’s reputation. Mary must protect her daughter, their family name and her own reputation from the shame of her husband’s strange claims. With danger, suspicion, death and displacement looming over Mary, what will she do?

Back in 2018 Lauren Chater released her debut historical novel, The Lace Weaver. This story remains deep in my mind, despite the passage of time and a good number of books since I finished this incredible tale. I’ve had Chater’s 2020 release Gulliver’s Wife sitting on my shelves to read for far too long. I’m not sure why I never got to this one when it was first published, I’m going to blame to pandemic! However, the school holiday break proved to be the perfect time to sit back and relax with the company of Mary Burton Gulliver, the lead character of Gulliver’s Wife.

I really appreciated the premise of Gulliver’s Wife. Chater has placed a high degree of creativity and thought into covering the life of a literary hero’s wife, who is almost an afterthought in the classic novel Gulliver’s Travels. The narrative is told primarily through the eyes of Lemuel Gulliver’s Wife Mary and her daughter Bess. Lemuel takes quite the backseat in Chater’s novel. I liked this move and I thought it really brought to light the need to place more women’s stories from the past into the hands of modern readers.

Mary Burton Gulliver’s extraordinary life and efforts in the field of midwifery is outlined clearly by Chater. Thanks to Chater’s informative prose, I enjoyed learning about the practices, techniques, cures and approaches to female medicine in the eighteenth century. Likewise, the extra narrative focus on the influence of male health practitioners of the time and their growing power in the trade of midwifery is emphasised in Gulliver’s Wife. We see the emergence of birthing tools such as the forceps, which changed and revolutionised birthing practices. We also bear witness to the suppression of midwives such as Mary who were denounced by powerful male surgeons. Chater examines this fascinating pocket of history, which is informed by a bevy of research.

Chater’s novel also examines the idea of mental wellbeing and social standing thanks to Lemuel Gulliver’s homecoming. The social expectations of the time weigh heavily in this text so the reader fully understands what Lemuel’s wild musings about his trip meant for his family’s reputation. I can only begin to imagine the shame, puzzlement and despair faced by Mary. Chater handles this aspect of her novel well, providing a good case for Lemuel’s riddled mind.

What remains apparent above all else in Gulliver’s Wife is the bravery displayed by Mary Burton Gulliver, who is immortalised beautifully in page form thanks to Lauren Chater’s innovative novel.

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most will be aware of Jonathan Swift's books on Gulliver's Travels. However, this book has little to do with the man, surgeon, captain Lemuel Gulliver.

The author has well researched many aspects of this read, midwifery and the use of medicinal herbs.

Her character Mary Gulliver is magnificent, her brave and strong personality to cope with her husband missing for years, presumed dead leaving her to gather all her skills for survival and stare down town gossip. There are two main men in her life, cousins Lemuel and Richard, as young men both were keen on Mary and Richard was the one she really favoured to be her husband. However, Lemuel with Richard out of town weds Mary. She learns later that Richard had never been informed and so Mary's life where it could have been comfortable ends up living a hard life even with her much sought after skills as a midwife.

This read is about midwifery in the 1700's and as the story moves through Mary's life, the interference of male dominated doctors to get rid of midwives with the introduction of the first brutally designed forceps that led to devastatingly high mortality rates is being pursued. Women in the general population have no say and no power. Midwives however as a collective and sisterhood have great influence over the Bishop, they are under the control of the church, to ensure that there no witchcraft is practiced, no procurement of an abortion, not to charge an unreasonable fee and to ensure that the child be accepted into the Church of England. Birthing was a social event with as many as possible bystanders filling the room. The first chapter has Mary worried as her patient has already had a stillborn child. A small boy asks a question regarding her husband's travel experiences which to her relief takes away the concentration of the birthing at hand and discussion moves onto the adventures of Lemuel. Mary is fully aware and anxious of the possibility of witchcraft charges.

This read is hard to put down as it moves beautifully through the events of Mary's life and her rather obnoxious daughter who is bewitched by her father's adventures and dreams of the day that he will take her to sea with him. Of course this is never going to happen but with this dream makes life difficult for her mother who is put between a rock and a hard place. Out of the blue Lemuel returns, putting Mary's position in the family down a peg. She has sold off all his old stuff and replaced everything with more feminine surrounds to which Lemuel objects. However, he disappears everyday, returning at night muttering incoherently. Mary soon discovers that he is addicted to opium and each day returns to his drug house. There is also the opium dealer and rapist which isn't revealed until the end. The town is on high alert, the consequences can be dire for any victim. Midwives assist police in examining victims.

Money and objects go missing, Mary resorts to hiding things. Bess finally sees the truth of her father as nothing but a failure. He falls even further with Richard finally taking things into hand for the family.

[Theresa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauren Chater, author of The Lace Weaver (a personal favourite of mine), has returned with a new historical fiction release, Gulliver’s Wife. In a sort of fan-fiction type of mash up, Lauren has breathed life into a character that didn’t get much airtime in the original classic, Gulliver’s Travels: Mary Gulliver, wife of the main character, Lemuel Gulliver.

‘The decision to set my own novel between the first and second of Gulliver’s journeys was driven by the desire to condense the action and highlight the drama around his possible madness and the impact it might have on his wife’s life.’ – Author note.

Innovative and unique, this novel was gripping from the very first page. It’s very much a character driven narrative, there is certainly a lot happening within the story, but for me, it was the character responses to these events that took centre stage rather than the events themselves. Eighteenth century London was not a safe place, particularly for women and children. I feel this period of history is not as touched upon within fiction as often as the 17th and 19th centuries are. It was a grim time, crime and disease running rife, child labour laws still non-existent, women and children considered as the property of their husbands and fathers. Lauren Chater has done her research in the crafting of this novel and it shows within the meticulous details and the manner in which she’s recreated this entire world with such authenticity. More often than not this is a dark and confronting story, but that’s the way I like my historical fiction, and that’s also the way in which this novel sets itself so firmly within its chosen era.

Gulliver’s Wife is very much a story of female agency and it’s a magnificent ode to midwifery. Instead of trying to paraphrase, I’ll once again share Lauren’s own words:

‘Contrary to stereotypes (reinforced by male practitioners) that the London midwives were ‘ignorant, incompetent, and poor’, they commanded immense respect within their close-knit communities and their commitment to the role, which included apprenticeships, licensing and oath-taking, meant they were often viewed as experts in the ‘secret women’s business’ of childbirth. They also testified against criminals accused of rape and sexual assault and were considered ‘expert witnesses’ by the courts, since their work required extensive knowledge of female anatomy. Not everyone approved. In the early 1700s, a movement aimed at discrediting female midwives to promote the interests of male practitioners began to gain momentum, supported by surgeons who favoured the medicalisation of birth via forceps and ‘lying-in’ hospitals which eventually led to devastatingly high mortality rates in the latter half of the 18th century.’ – Author note.

Enter Mary Gulliver, who I adored from the outset. Like a shining beacon of hope, she tended to the women of her section in London, and sometimes further into other neighbourhoods, juggling home and work in a time when there was no respect to be had for doing so. She was far from perfect, and she definitely dropped a few balls from time to time, but she was real, so genuine and a character I became deeply invested in. I felt so much sympathy for her, being married to Lemuel, who really was an arrogant arse, among other things. Life was not easy for Mary, but she remained selfless and steadfast. Her relationship with her housemaid, Alice, was a particular drawcard for me and I enjoyed the sections where this was highlighted. As ever, the botany aspects caught my attention the most. It’s an interest I can’t seem to shake.

‘This garden is her private sanctuary, the symmetry and geometry of the plants and trees designed to foster a deep, contemplative sense of calm. The herbs and flowers in their beds are the descendants of the seeds her mother passed on to her. Perhaps it is almost pagan to indulge in such earthly pleasure but each plant in her garden has its pleasing purpose: medicinal, gourmand, ornamental. Nothing is wasted and everything has its place. Even the bees have their role to play, always pausing first at the hollyhocks before they move on to the woodruff, some elemental compulsion propelling them from flower to flower. The ants consume the garden’s dead waste, chomping through old branches and litter, stripping leaves down to their skeletal core while in the cool darkness beneath the topsoil, the earthworms dance.’

Now, this story is not just about Mary. It’s also about Bess, her fourteen-year-old daughter. I really struggled with Bess, right alongside Mary, but I have a suspicion that may have been the intended response. Spoiled, naive, selfish, and most irritating of all, the misplaced hero worship she displayed towards her father. She constantly put herself at risk, caused Alice and her mother no end of distress and worry. As much as I found her intolerable, I am filled with admiration for Lauren’s authentic rendering of a headstrong teenager within such a setting. It was also a risk, to create a character such as Bess, one who just didn’t know when to stop pushing her luck, for not every reader would develop empathy over impatience for the girl – I certainly didn’t. And yet, I still loved this novel. Bess was indeed fortunate, more than she was capable of realising, to have a mother such as Mary. Her future could have been vastly different – a whole lot worse off. And as insufferable as Bess was, her presence within the story and all of the trials and petty nonsense that she brought to the table just further displays Lauren Chater’s skill as a writer. In less competent hands, a contrary character like Bess may have given me cause to abandon a novel – I have too much lived experience of teenage dramatics and egotism to want to escape into it by choice through literature!

‘This is the beating heart of London – of life, really. Men like her father are the lynchpin on which the world turns. Without them, everything will grind to a shuddering halt. They are like the Titans Pa told her about, like Cronus or Hyperion or mighty Oceanus, gods of sea and of land. Mam and her friends consider their midwife’s work indispensable but Bess knows it is men like Pa who ensure London’s children have a future. Men keep them all afloat.’
~~~
‘Her mother was just a worrier who liked to flaunt her authority whenever he was away. Bess had enjoyed watching Mam grow flustered as Pa ordered her about. She loved to watch her pa scoop handfuls of coins and traders’ tokens out of the teapot in the parlour while Mam was at work. The china teapot had belonged to Mam’s mother, Bess’s grandmother. It was one of the only things Mam owned which had belonged to her and Mam kept it filled with farthings and pennies for emergencies only. Not that the notion ever stopped her father. Munching on a pilfered shortcake, Bess had watched with glee as her father breathed new life into their stale existences and upended her mother’s carefully ordered world.’

Gulliver’s Wife is a literary achievement, a smorgasbord of delight for fans of historical fiction. I know we’re in for a bit of a wait, but if this is the standard we can expect from Lauren Chater, I honestly can’t wait until her next release.

‘Love takes strange forms. Sometimes it is a pebble, hard and unyielding, at other times a willow birch, bending to accommodate the headlong rush of water in a stream.’


Thanks is extended to Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy via NetGalley of Gulliver’s Wife for review.

[Cass Moriarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

We’ve all heard the story of Gulliver’s Travels and his adventures with the tiny Lilliputian people, but have you ever wondered what happened when Lemuel Gulliver returned home with his extraordinary tales? How did his family and friends react to his fantastical stories? How did his wife cope, firstly with the news of his loss (and presumed death) at sea, and then with the return of the man into a life she had rebuilt without him? Gulliver’s Wife (Simon and Schuster 2020), by Lauren Chater, is a reimagining of Gulliver’s family circumstances, a beautifully written and literary historical novel that maintains a page-turning pace, heightened suspense and literal wonder on every page. I cared so much about these characters and was unsure what would happen to them, right up until the very last page.
As the cover suggests, this really is a book about birth, death and wonder. Set in London in 1702, meticulous research immerses the reader in the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of that time, with gorgeous description, a multi-layered plot, and complex and engaging characters. This book looks behind the ‘famous man’ of Lemuel Gulliver, surgeon and sea-farer, and peels back the curtains to reveal the intimate lives of the women who knew him best – his wife Mary and daughter Bess.
Mary Burton Gulliver is a midwife and herbalist and the novel is bookended by authentic and visceral descriptions of the raw reality of giving birth 300 years ago, when women laboured at home with family and – if they were lucky – with the assistance of a local midwife. This was around the time that surgeons began to want to take over the birthing process and introduce ‘lying-in’ hospitals and surgical intervention. With that ongoing controversy, Mary plies her trade as a respected midwife, attending to births both difficult and easy, both wondrous and tragic. She and her sister midwives have inherited a body of knowledge about plants and their medicinal uses and she maintains herb gardens and mixes potions to treat all manner of pregnancy and birth-related issues. This part of the book had me absolutely hooked. The women, their training, their experiences, the obstacles put in their path, their vocational calling – I found it all enthralling.
But of course, this is only the background to the story. Mary has been ‘widowed’ for three years after her husband was presumed to be drowned at sea. She has rebuilt her life with her daughter Bess and son Johnny as best she can, regretting her decision to marry Lemuel at all because of his abusive and controlling nature, somewhat relieved that he has disappeared from their lives, and harbouring a secret yearning for the person she should have married had not circumstances intervened. But then the unthinkable happens: Lemuel is brought home without explanation, fevered and talking nonsense about the impossible things he has seen and done during his travels. No-one believes him and Mary is mocked for her husband’s apparent madness. At first she tries to care for him at home, believing that he will recover, but it becomes apparent that he really believes what everyone else thinks are his fantasies, and even when he does begin to physically recover, it is only to return to his previous abusive, violent and drunken nature.
Mary is in an impossible situation. She is now a wife again, and accordingly is under the care and control of her husband, both financially and emotionally. But rather than accepting this submissively, she clings subversively to her hard-won freedom and independence, and is determined to fight to retain her family’s honour. In the midst of this is 15-year-old Bess, a child verging on adulthood, who remembers her father only as a much-loved adventurer who promised to take her to sea with him one day. She thinks her mother weak and insubstantial. But as the novel progresses, Bess begins to see the quiet power of her mother in a new light and comes to terms with the terrible nature of her dominating father.
There is so much to love about this book. The writing is well-crafted and literary, but also highly accessible and readable. The characters, even the minor ones, are complex and interesting, with motivations and backstories that we can understand. The plot – a murderer on the loose; the challenges of midwifery; the complicated dynamics of family; addiction; societal and religious constraints on the roles of women – is full of sub-plots and fascinating tangents, including burgeoning romances (more than one). The setting is completely immersive and feels filmic in nature. And of course, because of the details of Lemuel Gulliver’s travels, the entire novel is shrouded in a light dusting of magical realism: what if he is telling the truth? What if his impossible stories are factual? When Mary and each of her children separately find evidence that corroborates his tales, what to make of that? Is Gulliver mad or are they treating him unfairly? What does it mean for him – and for them – if he is not suffering delusions but rather has experienced something rare and magical?
The exquisite cover with its gold foil surrounding the vaguely sensual rich red flowers embodies the heart of this book about the wonder and anxiety of new life, the persistence and courage needed to survive, and the grief and loss that surrounds death. Ultimately, it is a story of the determination and gumption of women during a time when that was discouraged, and they were considered chattels and property.
Lauren Chater’s debut novel The Lace Weaver, also historical, was very good, but the author has really taken a step up with Gulliver’s Wife, in the quality of the writing, the characterisation and the story itself. If you enjoyed Melissa Ashley’s books The Birdman’s Wife and her more recent The Bee and the Orange Tree, you will love this book.

[Kayte Nunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this meticulously researched and absorbing story of life as a midwife in 18th-century London, how it highlighted the inequalities of the time and its portrayal of the not always easy mother-daughter relationship.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gulliver’s Wife is an inventive tale that imagines the life of Mary Gulliver, the wife of Lemuel Gulliver whose fictional adventures are authored by Jonathan Swift in Gulliver’s Travels.

Lauren Chater opens her story in London during the year of 1702. With her husband lost at sea and declared deceased, Mary Gulliver has fought hard to keep body and soul together. Left with crippling debts run up by her feckless husband and two young children to raise, it has taken her three years of hard work as a midwife in Wapping to rescue her family from penury, but all that is cruelly jeopardised when her husband unexpectedly returns. Clearly ill, restless and raving about little people, Mary can only hope that when her husband recovers his health, he will be a better man than the one who left. But it soon becomes clear that Lemuel has bought nothing but trouble home with him.

“Only yesterday she was a widow of independent means. Now she is some monstrous hybrid, a creature who has tasted freedom and knows too well how things might be otherwise.”

Life three centuries ago was challenging for women, and in Gulliver’s Wife, Chater explores the myriad of ways in women‘s agency was curtailed by men. As a wife Mary is beholden to her husband and his selfish and abusive treatment, but as a widow Mary had discovered a modicum of independence. Luckier than most, her work as a midwife provides her with respectability and income, but Mary is still at the mercy of men - to permit her to ply her trade, to educate her son, even to see her home safely at night. With her husband’s return, Mary is powerless as his behaviour threatens to destroy her reputation, their tenuous financial stability, and even their daughter’s future.

Mary attempts to hide the worst of her husband’s behaviour from their daughter Bess, a headstrong, naive girl who was crushed by her adored father’s reported death, and is thrilled by his return. Bess compares her mother’s ordered life unfavourably to her father’s adventures, failing to understand the realities of a woman’s lot in the early 18th century. Chater’s exploration of the fraught relationship between mother and daughter, as Bess rebels and Mary tries to protect her without wholly disillusioning her, is relatable even now.

The risks Bess take are even more frightening for Mary as a violent, serial rapist is stalking the lanes of Wapping, illustrating yet another way in which men assert control over women, as it is the women who are forced to change their behaviour to accomodate the rapist, and his victims who are ruined in men’s eyes.

All this oppression tends to make Gulliver’s Wife a rather bleak read, though it does end with a note of hope.

Rich in historical detail, offering vivid description, and complex characterisation, Gulliver’s Wife is an engrossing, literary read.

[Cassie Hamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauren Chater has done a masterful job of evoking 18th century London. I believed every word and loved getting to know the strong and wise, Mary Gulliver - a woman under immense strain as she battles to hold her family together. An excellent read.

[Tracey Allen at Carpe Librum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in London in the early 1700s, Gulliver's Wife by Lauren Chater is the fictionalised story of Mary Burton Gulliver. Mary's husband Lemuel is the main character in Gulliver's Travels, a novel written by Jonathan Swift and published in 1726.

Instead of reading about Lemuel Gulliver's sea journeys and adventures, we read about Mary's experiences on the home front. When Mary receives word her husband's ship has sunk and he is presumed dead, she is forced to eke out a meagre living as a midwife in order to support her two children. The novel covers the time in the novel that Lemuel is shipwrecked in Lilliput and when he finally makes it home three years later, his return throws Mary's life upside down.

Lemuel is a straight up unlikeable character and I found myself constantly hoping Mary would take a stand against the actions of her husband. As a consequence, I was often frustrated and disappointed when she wasn't able to assert the rights I enjoy as a 21st century woman of privilege. The relationship between Mary and her teenage daughter Bess was just as crucial to the story.

I haven't read Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift but it certainly didn't impede my enjoyment of Gulliver's Wife in any way.

Australian author Lauren Chater does a terrific job bringing Wapping to life on the page and I learned a lot about midwifery practices in the 1700s which was an unexpected bonus. I enjoyed Mary's struggle and attempt to protect her children against the dangers of poverty, while continuing to seek purpose and validation in her work as a midwife.

Gulliver's Wife by Australian author Lauren Chater is a terrific historical fiction novel and I can highly recommend it.

* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *

[Ros · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I thought the premise was an interesting one. I thought I would enjoy reading about midwifery in 17th century London, but it rarely developed beyond superficial description. Even the issue around the controversial use of forceps was poorly described, in terms of the impact on women and babies. Given that the main character was apparently an accomplished herbalist, I had been hoping to also read more about herbal preparations commonly used in that time. What the book contained was a thin plot line, with all the characters endlessly (boringly) worrying around the poorly described problem (whatever was wrong with Mr Gulliver???) without little clarification or character development. I found the character of the daughter, Bess, to be positively painful, and the author lapsed far too much into 21st Century speech patterns when Bess spoke, making her character read untrue for the era. .
Other characters were either villains or heroes, no shades in between. There was no nuance.
In short, this is just another book published for the Book Club market, with a thin idea and a plot stretched far too long, with a bit of historical fiction thrown in to make it seem as though we have not wasted our time in reading it. I think I will read Gulliver's Travel's instead.

[Certified Book Addicts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Australian author Lauren Chater brings lovers of historical fiction her stunning second novel, Gulliver’s Wife. While I am yet to read Charter’s debut novel, The Lace Weaver, I was intrigued by the premise of Gulliver’s Wife. As the title suggests , Chater has taken her inspiration from Jonathon Swifts novel, Gulliver’s Travels. As Chater adds in the author’s note ’Mary is an absent character throughout much of the story. A symbol of the domestic world, she exists on the fringes of Gulliver’s adventures, never to travel further then the outskirts of London, Rereading Gulliver’s Travels, I found myself wanting to know more about this long suffering spouse…’. I too found myself wanting to know about the mysterious wife of Gulliver.

The story of Mary is set in London, 1720. During this time, Lemuel Gulliver is between his first and second adventure. Mary relates her experience as the wife of a missing adventurer who has returned in the third person. While I usually prefer the first person to get inside a character’s head, Lauren’s style of writing allowed me to get close to Mary in another century. I felt like I was transported to the 1700s with the sights, sounds and smells (many awful!) vividly described through Chater’s beautiful prose. Immersing myself in the language of the time, I felt as if Mary was a family member over the course of her journey as a wife, midwife and mother.

As a wife, Mary was someone I truly admired. While her husband was missing, Mary defied society and became an independent woman. She earned her own money as a highly sought-after midwife and her the household with the help of Alice. At this stage in history, midwifery was a woman’s domain. It was also a time of change with the introduction of forceps, to be used by male practitioners. As a result, Mary encountered much criticism and hatred from men who fear the unknown. Despite being an introvert, Mary learnt when to pick her battles or to walk away, always with pride and dignity. Bess, Mary’s daughter, has much to learn from her mother.

Bess is the second point of view that Charter utilizes as a way to become familiar with Mary. Chater perfectly captures the moodiness and resentment that teenagers have experienced over the centuries. Like many fourteen-year olds before and after her, Bess hated her mother and the restrictions that were placed upon her. Restrictions with good intentions as running through the storyline is a rapist on the streets of London, striking fear into the heart of every female. Through Bess, Mary’s faults were highlighted that every mother can relate to as they all come from a place of fierce love. Mary wanted to protect Bess from her father and the world around her. With every moment and feeling in Bess’s life feeling authentic, it was a privilege to witness Bess grow into a mature young woman.

With themes of motherhood, daughters, marriage, midwifery, the 1700s, woman’s role in society and so much more, this is one of the best historical fictions novels I have read.

[Red Ink Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an advanced copy of this book to provide and honest review.

This is the first book written by Lauren Chater that I have read, and I went into this not knowing what to expect. I was quite delighted with this gorgeous story and very much in love with the beautiful cover.

It is 1702 in London, Gulliver’s Wife, Mary, is a midwife and a herbalist struggling to make ends meet but doing what she can to provide for her children, Bess and Johnny. With her husband Lemuel lost at sea and presumed dead, she is happy and content living as widow. He was always more trouble than he was worth when at home.

However, her few years of peace and independence is short lived as one night he suddenly turns up at their little home, possibly drunk and quite out of his mind rambling nonsense and crazy stories. Hoping the ramblings are just the result of a fever, Mary is hoping that given enough time it will pass.

Alas, Mary’s troubles are far from over. Lemuel’s ramblings have intensified, and gossip is spreading around their little town like wildfire. It doesn’t help that Lemuel’s new friend, a fellow sailor, is badly influencing Lemuel. His friend is less than desirable, feeding Lemuel’s delusions and supplying him with his “medicine”. Mary hopes for his presence to disappear along with her husband’s.

But Mary’s woes do not end there with young girls been viciously attacked in their neighbourhood, Mary frets about the safety of her dear Bess, who is a strong willed and stubborn young lady believing her mother is trying to stifle her freedom and keep her young forever.

And now Mary’s profession, the midwife’s profession, is under attack from the male surgeons once again. Trying to push the midwives out and introduce their new “forceps” with the intention of making the role of midwives almost null and void. They are trying to make the midwife profession purely under the control of male surgeons who apparently know what is best for the female body during a birth.

As Mary struggles to deal with this threat to her livelihood, she is also struggling to deal with the threat her husband Lemuel represents to her reputation and independence. Can she keep her reputation from being shattered and her independence torn away from her, everything she was worked so hard and sacrificed for? How is it fair that a man can bring down a woman’s hard work, to look after those that need it and then have to suffer from a man at the same time. She hopes she can find a way to retain her profession and independence and have her Bess trust her and stay safe.

This was an enjoyable story that I felt really highlighted the struggles many women living in London in the 1700s faced. Trying to find their place and survive in a world where men dictated all the rules, leaving women with very little freedom and rights.

Life would have been such a struggle for man y women in Mary’s position with husbands off to work, expected to stay behind keep house and find a way to provide for their children in such a way that wouldn’t bring shame and gossip to the family. All the while having to struggle with gossip of their fellow neighbours and towns folk.

I really felt for Mary and the many women like her, all experiencing their own struggles just trying to make their way through this world. It makes you sit back and appreciate what we have today with our rights and freedoms, how lucky we truly are.

I hope things improve for Mary and there is much happiness for her and her children in their futures.

[Karen Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

The moment I read the first few sentences of this glorious book, I knew I was going to love it - and I did. The writing is lyrical and lovely, the story fascinating and clever, and the history that weaves through its pages brought to life in simply stunning ways. But what really makes this utterly engrossing novel so captivating is the premise that underpins the entire narrative.
While most of us either grew up with Jonathan Swift’s satirical travelogue/novel, Gulliver’s Travels, or know of the extraordinary adventures its protagonist, ship‘s surgeon, Lemuel Gulliver underwent through various popular culture retellings (eg. the movie starring Ted Danson as Gulliver) not much thought at all is given to his wife or family who were left behind. Well, Chater changes that. This is the story of Mary Gulliver and her two children and how they survived in Lemuel’s absence on upon his unexpected return.
The book is set during a time when women were completely subordinated to their husbands and society was patriarchal in every sense. When Lemuel is believed dead after three years missing at sea, Mary Gulliver not only provides for her family through her formidable skills as a healer and midwife, but excels. Imagine then, after attaining liberty, repaying her selfish husband’s debts and raising her children, her husband returns, expecting his household to revert back to the way it was - with him at its head and his every need and whim met. Furthermore, though he’s ill, he won’t be shifted from telling incredible tales of what happened to him while he was away, stories that threaten to undermine and even destroy the reputation Mary has, through hard graft and determination, restored.
This is the story Chater gives us - from the point of view of Mary and her daughter (who grew up adoring her fantasist father and his wild stories and even wilder promises to her) with all its psychological and emotional twists and pain. In this tale, Gulliver is not the heroic survivor of ship-wreck and centre of a wondrous tale, but a narcissist who is unable to see the damage his return, and inability to understand the changes that have been wrought while he was away, is causing. Recruiting whoever he can to take his part, Gulliver reverts back to his old ways undermining not only the livelihood Mary has striven to build, but his very family.
It is a beautifully, heat-achingly told tale - realistic and raw. I was completely swept into this story and didn’t want to part with it. I adored Mary, her daughter, Bess, too. The battles within the Gulliver family are echoed in the professional one that Mary is flung into as well, as midwives struggle for their independence and right to practice without the interference of male physicians and their shocking new technologies.
I couldn’t put this book down and, as soon as I finished, downloaded Chater’s other novel, The Lace Weaver, chastising myself that I have only discovered this gem of a writer now. I cannot wait to read what else springs from her marvellous imagination, what else she grounds in such well-researched history. Magnificent.

[Lisa Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

As historical fiction it's beautifully written, but it's tedious at times and the story is ultimately mundane. Gulliver's Wife is the antithesis of Gulliver's Travels.

[Wendy Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

“… She went to bed and dreamed she was lying in a garden. It was night time, the moon a glowing orb. The air hummed with bees as it was daytime and the ants were busy at work. She heard them chewing, rhythmical chopping as they broke down old leaves and trees for earthworms. Strange flowers bloomed overhead, exploding white petals and yellow pollen. Everything felt new and sacred, a different world to one that came before – Chater, Gulliver’s Wife.


Chater effortlessly takes the reader into a symbolic tale of birth, death and rebirth, a story woven through the reconstructing the past through giving life to characters birthed from another writer’s imagination. Anyone who reads literature would know of or have read the tale of Gulliver Travels. This novel constructs a story by giving voice to the imagined wife and daughter of Gulliver, Mary and Bess – the two major players of this work.

The story opens to Mary thinking herself a three-year widow, and working as a midwife to support her family. It is a profession she wants to do, and has wanted to do since girlhood – and there is a sense of relief and accomplishment in the story’s first pages that her life is no longer emboldened to anyone other than herself. Marriage has not brought her security or happiness, only years of erosion of trust and heartache. So much heartache she fears to risk marriage again, even to the man she truly loves. But then her husband is brought back into her life, telling a fantastical story of his time in a world of tiny people.

Gulliver may be the fictional character we remember in literature, but his story only forms a backdrop to this story of women doing what they can to survive in a world controlled by patriarchy. With Gulliver’s return, Mary, his wife, struggles everyday to surmount her life while coping with the demands of a self obsessed, mentally ill opium addict – a man whose morality has been eroded to such a point he steals from his own wife and children.

Mary is not only devoted to her two children, but embraces motherhood as the essence of her being. Motherhood comes with pain and sorrow – especially when you have a daughter see-sawing between childhood and adulthood, a daughter determined to reject her mother for this image she has built up in her mind and her heart of her father. It is an image which proves as fantastical as the stories produced by his opium illusions.

The mother and daughter relationship drawn in this novel is one that many mothers will be able to relate to – and take hope in. Many daughters do indeed grow up to see the ‘wonder’ of their own mothers.

While the characters in this story flesh out characters already fictional, the world they live in is a very much fleshed out and believable London of the early 18thcentury. Chater’s thorough research is wonderfully woven into the fabric of this beautifully told story. Life is harsh and dangerous – especially for those of the female sex.

Fiction and fact is fused together in such a way the reader remains totally engaged in the story. As with the finest historical fiction, this novel of women’s lives also speaks to our own times – when women still navigate a world where the master narratives are such they are so often blamed for the violence that happens to them simply because they are women. But women – past and present – always survive to re-write a better and more equal world for not only their daughters, but their sons too.

‘…there will be other challenges,” he says. “You know that.’
‘I do. But I have faith. When the surgeon’s guild comes after us, we will be meek. When they threaten us, we well submit. In public. In private, we will do what we have always have done: we will share our knowledge and thrive.”

Gulliver’s wife is exquisite, empathetic and engrossing storytelling from an extraordinarily gifted writer.

[Kali Napier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just the tonic in these times of plague, to break me from a reading slump and immerse me deeply in a past time and place, when women's bodies were the property of men -- though never their minds, their ambition, their dreams. Of course there is the gorgeous cover, but within this book is such beautiful prose creating a textured world of the early 18thC in Wapping, reminding me of Hannah Kent's writing. There, we learn about the organised midwifery trade, which places women at the edges of our known world: birth and death. It's a profession that Gulliver's wife Mary and daughter Bess practise beneath the shadow of the scaffolds where pirates hang. As a mother of a teenaged girl, I related to Mary's dilemma at opening her daughter's eyes to the dangers of the world while simultaneously trying to protect her from it. Recommended.

[Tundra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written story that creates a strong sense of place using descriptive language and settings that bring 1700’s London to life. While the characters were well drawn I wanted them to change or make unexpected revelations. Books that include midwives and women struggling against the oppression of a society that is dominated by religious dogma, superstition and a paternalistic society have been well traversed. The coming of age of Bess and the eventual control Mary gains over her own life, and that of her family, felt more like they were inevitable due to the “misfortune “ of the male abusers than a triumph.

[Rachael McDiarmid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lauren Chater is definitely an author to watch. She is a natural storyteller and draws the reader comfortably into the narrative. We don’t come kicking or screaming, we weave into it and settle in for the journey. Gulliver’s Wife is predominantly about women - their struggles in life and love, and the general difficulties and constraints of being female in the 1700s. It reminds us that while men got to do whatever they wanted there are some fascinating stories of the important roles women played in society, in midwifery in this case, that should not be erased from history.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored the writing of the relationship between mother and daughter, and while this book is about a lot of different kinds of relationships. The mother and daughter is written so beautiful. While I don’t think Bess, would have really been that way back then. I think a lot more modern mothers would be able to relate. I do love, how Bess comes out in the end. I think I didn’t like her at least through about 75% of the book. Nothing to do with the writing, just the character was really annoying.

Setting: London, 1702. When her husband is lost at sea, Mary Burton Gulliver, midwife and herbalist, is forced to rebuild her life without him. But three years later when Lemuel Gulliver is brought home, fevered and communicating only in riddles, her ordered world is turned upside down.

Such a beautiful read. As the relationship between Bess and Mary changes and grows, their relationship will sound so familiar to people who may have had a tumultuous relationship with their mother when they were teenagers.

[Helen - Great Reads & Tea Leaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Why did he return? Where has he been? Nobody seems able to say for certain and his presence in the tavern would suggest he is not as ill as you suggest. It wouldn’t be the first time a man’s gone native and come back, would it, Missus Gulliver? Nor will it be the last.’

Gulliver’s Wife is Lauren Chater’s second novel. Her first, The Lace Weaver was wonderful. This is a much different story. Here Lauren has creatively imagined the tale of Mary Gulliver, the wife of the famous Lemuel Gulliver whose fictional adventures were written by Jonathan Swift in Gulliver’s Travels.

In this tale Lauren has presented an engaging fictional recount not only into the imagined fallout from her husband's infamous voyage, but and perhaps to a definite higher regard, the life and times for women in early 1700 London. Lauren brings to life the sights, sounds and smells of London through rich and detailed prose. Research is clearly evident as you trail along with Mary and her daughter Bess to the many locations and situations they find themselves in. Add to this a convincing reimagined plot to this famous tale of the Gulliver’s seafaring adventures and there is much to entertain here. Lauren does not hold back as themes of domestic violence, drug use and childbirth are forefront.

During this period in history, life was extremely difficult for women to say the least. Women were the property of the men they were married to and abusive relationships were most common. Mary was granted a little more freedom as Lauren placed her in the role of a midwife which granted her a more independence and enabled the reader to venture forth with her to a myriad of cases. Even still, Mary still finds herself often powerless to the demands of her returned husband and she has to work hard to protect those she loves, namely her son and daughter.

‘Because what if she fails? What are the consequences? They are worse for women than for men. Any small error in judgement, any scandal . . . She has spent the better part of her life avoiding drama, but now drama has found her.'

Bess is Mary’s daughter and it was a clever move to include her as another viewpoint into the hardships women had to endure. Lauren I feel, authentically captures not only the day to day living but also the midwifery practices of the time and the challenges they faced as male doctors sought to take control. The relationship between Mary and her daughter is well represented and realistically portrayed with the challenge to assume more control of their lives with strength and resilience.

‘How she wishes she could go back and unsay the things she said and say others in their place. She would peel back the hurt like rotting floorboards and lay bare all the things she should have told Bess years ago. Now, time is against them. The breach is so impossibly wide neither can hope to mend it.’

Gulliver's Wife is a tale that will not only transport you back to 1700 London in exquisite detail but will also educate you on the struggle for women and all of this tied together with a fascinating reimagining of the return of the infamous Lemuel Gulliver.

‘How many of these sailors have never returned home? How many cannot face their families after what they have done and seen? Is it possible Lem never went to Sumatra at all, but holed up in a place like this with a pipe for comfort? Did the years slip by in a whisper? Did they pass in a fever dream, while somebody–a woman, perhaps–milked the last of his coins from his purse, transmuting gold into smoke rings?’



This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

[Sarah Clutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A breathtakingly beautiful book. Lauren Chater has obviously researched meticulously; small details wended into the daily lives of these cleverly drawn characters in the dangerous, grubby streets of 1700s London. The setting is alive, the writing is superb and the story is captivating. I would give this six stars if I could!

[Michael Livingston · Rating 4 out of 5]

An immersive historical novel that imagines the story of the wife of Lemuel Gulliver, at home in London while Gulliver travels and then coping with the chaos when he returns. It's a well told story, brilliantly researched, although maybe a smidgen too long.

[Rose Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written and intriguing storyline. Mrs Gulliver’s story will be one I remember. 😀

[Sam Schroder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read and adored Chater’s first novel, The Lace Weaver, I looked forward to the release of this new book with eager anticipation. Thanks to my local* bookshop, it was in my hands the same day it arrived in store.
In Gulliver’s Wife, Chater has taken the events within Gulliver’s Travels and imagined the life of his wife and children, left behind in London while he is at sea. Specifically, the focus is on Mary’s experiences while Gulliver was on his first journey, and the period of time he was home, before setting off on his second adventure.
This book is a delight. Beautifully written, it is a well-researched exploration of the challenges faced by women in the eighteenth century. I was immediately engaged and enthralled by the plot and characterisation. Mary is a midwife and herbalist who somehow manages to claw a successful life out of the relentless obstacles created by her husband’s choices.
In these unprecedented times, when authors have been unable to tour their books and strive for sales success, I made the choice to buy three new releases by Australian female authors last week. Can I implore you, if you are in a position to do so, to follow my lead.
As we all stay safe at home, we are turning to authors, artists and creators to keep us entertained, amused and sane. Our government has so far shown no respect at all to our creator industry, including the actors who are not on our stages and the musicians who are not in our venues. Find ways to support the creators you love. Buy books, buy albums, donate to your favourite theatre.
*Reach out to your local independent book seller and show them some love as well.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gulliver's Wife by Lauren Chater is a fascinating adventure and tale inspired by the novel, Gulliver's Travels.

If you can remember reading Gulliver's Travels and enjoyed the stories you may not have even thought of his wife.

This is her story ~ The Story of Mary Gulliver, a mid-wife and herbalist who is also a keen gardener with a passion for learning.

Irises and poppies bloom throughout the book as sparrows sing in the distance.

Maps, atlases, old sea-haunts from long ago set the scenes.

It's quite a journey and once you've finished this tale ~ you may want to re-visit Gulliver's Travels.

I loved reading Gulliver's Wife by Lauren Chater and her 'gifted writing' painted word pictures and imagination into my enquiring mind.

I hope you enjoy this new, exciting and at times dark novel set in the early 18th century.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s always interesting to read a different take on well known folk or fairy tales or classical fiction, and every child in my era grew up with the story of Gulliver’s travels to Lilliput. Considering that most of those tales were written in a male dominated society, it was fascinating to explore the story through the eyes of a female character.

Mary Gulliver is a respected midwife and widow – at least so she believes until her husband, long lost at sea, returns home with strange tales of an island full of little people he spent time with until he was rescued by sailors. His return not only costs Mary her independence, but also threatens her social standing with talk that her husband has gone mad. Chater only marginally touches on the story of Lemuel Gulliver’s experiences but instead focuses her attention on Mary as she tries to hold her ground in a male dominated society and raise her teenage daughter to be independent and have choices that a lot of their contemporaries don’t have. Her knowledge of midwifery and herbal lore was fascinating and educational, and the struggles of the poorer labouring mothers sobering in the light of the privileges we enjoy today.

I particularly enjoyed getting a glimpse behind the scenes of the fantastical tales of Lemuel Gulliver, such as the family left behind as he set off to explore the world and the sobering reality of once again having to conform to his wishes when he returns, with little credit or consideration spared for Mary, who has not only survived her husband’s absence, but has also built a good career for herself in the meantime. Mary’s plight reflects the fate of many skilled and smart women throughout history who lived in the shadow of their overbearing spouses, having to keep their light hidden under a bushel to not attract too much attention for fear of being “put in their place”. Chater evokes the era of the early 18th century skilfully and paints a vivid picture of Mary’s life. Lovers of historical fiction will enjoy the fresh take on a well known tale.


3.5 stars

[Caren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauren Chater's talent has matured since the writing of "The Lace Weaver", as evidenced by this compelling historical novel. Building on Swift's 18th century satire, her creative premise itself was intriguing: "...to condense the action {between the first and second of Gulliver's journeys} and highlight the drama around his possible madness and the impact it might have on his wife's life."

Chater's portrait of the little known Mary Burton Gulliver was dynamic, reflecting the limitations on the independence of women, generally, in 1702 London, and portraying a strong, resilient midwife who refused to give up her own dreams and responsibilities within the family and within her community. Despite the threats of poverty, of violence, of society's hypocrisies, and of her husband's instability, Mary emerged as a force to be reckoned with by the religious authorities, by the discriminating laws that restricted women in all aspects of their lives, and by the male surgeons who forcefully discredited midwives so as to promote their own interests.

The meticulous detailing of historical time and place allowed me to walk the streets with Mary Burton, immersing myself in the sights, sounds, and smells she experienced. Equally, Chater's characters and their interconnecting relationships with Mary were three-dimensional and highly credible. The relationship between Mary and her teenaged daughter, Bess, featured in the story and highlighted the conflicts and developments also impacted greatly by Lemuel's "madness". The book was unputdownable!

[Alicia Huxtable · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, yes, good read, but it seemed to take too long to get to the good stuff. It dragged out a little, but at the same time, the story needed all those bits. Good to hear the wifes side