Recipe for a Perfect Wife: A Novel

When I finished this quick read, I felt...annoyed. This is the first book of thousands I have read that sent me to the reviews to see if maybe I had read too quickly, missed something, or misconstrued a plot point. Nope, just the story of a self-absorbed whiner with a lovely husband who is somehow painted as controlling because he believes what she tells him. When I finished I had a physical shiver of dislike for the protagonist. Not an entertaining, educational or uplifting read for me.

I found it to be really predictable, from the rash on Nellie's hand I knew how it was going to end. I also found the main character to be irrational, and just stubborn and immature- I don't actually think real women are like this! She lacked any real communication skills, projected fears o to her partner, and just demonized him for no real apparent reason. I mean, yeah, tracking someone's period is weird and the normal thing to do is COMMUNICATE that, no? I don't see them staying in the house as a victory for her in any way and that kind of lack of compromise is actually pretty crappy. She was putting her foot down just so that she could prove to herself that she had power to do so and not for objectively better options, I don't know. The book read as outdated and honestly not a real depiction of the nuances and sacrifices in a real mature relationship

I was looking forward to engaging with the protagonists in this novel. What could be more dear than two narratives unfolding within the same house in differing temporal spaces? The 21st century character, Alice, however, was not only a monster of self-absorption and pathology, but also completely unbelievable as a person. That is, I could read about someone who is shot through with Evil (not sympathetically but with curiosity), but it doesn't float when one piles on the Stupid. Too bad the story ends with the beginning of her pregnancy, which would be a solid prelude to a modern-day "Mommy Dearest."The husband is barely drawn. The "best friend" takes vapid to a new level. The mother is presented as a has-been (at 60?) when actually she could have been a rich character.The 1960's character is no more believable, although her victimhood borders on credible. Her skill with herbs is a poorly presented gimmick. Her husband is a pitiful and mean but barely revealed.Like the author, I have an affinity for all things midcentury. My collection of 1950's-60's women's magazines is not to be outdone. I have the further advantage of having been alive in the 50's, with genuine if pediatric memories of how women actually lived in that era. Yes, housewives read Good Housekeeping (GH) and Better Homes & Gardens, and even McCall's. They sometimes clipped recipes or "escaped" into the fiction, tried out sewing patterns or read the ads. But beyond an occasional stolen half-hour with GH here or there, their lives were no more about following the dictates of Good Housekeeping than any 21st century woman's life is about living life based on a current women's magazine's blueprint.For the record, in the 50's people did not say they were "over the moon," nor did they wear tennis bracelets.It's fun to be into the 50's. But the recipe here is for poorly presented characters doing absolutely idiotic things under the guise of "finding their way." Or something. . If you want some nostalgia, stick with the magazines.

This book had it's "ups and downs". I very much enjoyed seeing the recipes and, through the first half of the story, I enjoyed the characters.As the book wore on, I found myself strongly disliking the "modern" character. The juxtaposition of these two just became too stark. The woman in the past dealt with seemingly insurmountable issues and terrible situations; whereas the modern protagonist seemed to be dealing with trivialities by comparison. Trying to equate the two just cheapened the parallel the author was trying to draw.Overall, I'd say this is a reasonably enjoyable casual read, but it won't be making any "best" lists for me.

I love a book with a dual narrative. And, isn’t fun when you can imagine two characters who seemingly have so much in common or have the potential to learn from each other but will never meet but author has magical powers to give them that special something to help them cross paths? This is Karma Brown’s novel RECIPE FOR A PERFECT WIFE.Reflecting on Nellie, a 1950s housewife, whose connection to the past is her mother. She taught young Nellie how to garden and to cook. Both skills that have come in handy and made her self-sufficient. But does a girl ever stop needing or loving her mother?In the present day, we see Alice and her husband who arrive in Nellie’s long vacant house, unaware of the previous residents or their history. With troubles of their own and secrets that they are keeping from each other, slowly, the dilapidated house has a way of shedding light.Two women. Two different eras. One will help another in ways never imagined. While the 1950s might seem so far removed and irrelevant from today, this story allows a closer look at just how similar things might be. Especially for women. It’s about women taking control of what they want, need, and ultimately standing up for themselves.A fascinating look at what was yesterday and what is today.

Within my book group we talked about choosing this book a few months ago. We settled on something else but I fancied this book so bought it anyway.It has almost 300 pages and is split into 44 chapters.I hadn't read anything about this book other than the blurb on the back but was curious about the author linking cookery to the darkness of relationship problems.The front cover is very disturbing. It's a lovely looking 1950s woman who has been cut into pieces and displaced slightly - looks normal at first glance but look closer and the picture is not right. This is a clever visual representation of everything this book is about.The chapters flip between Nellie and Alice who are both recently married and living in the same house - just 70 years apart. They have many problems in common but the different times mean they can behave in very different ways.Alice's chapters all start with old quotes giving tips about how to be a good wife - they seem to come from books/magazines and are worth reading in their own right. Nellie's chapters each start with a recipe from the 1950s which is usually related to that chapter in some way. These recipes may inspire a modern reader or simply remind them why cookery has changed so much in the last 70 years.There are plenty of light hearted moments but there is much negativity as well - isolation, secrecy and betrayal, more being revealed as we get deeper into the relationship at the centre of the plot.The story has a sharpness which I didn't expect and I enjoyed how the plot evolved. The end was cleverly thought through and didn't go in the way I expected which is always a joy.I don't expect the story to stay in my head for long but it was a good read.

Don’t be put off by the book title. This is not a piece of fluff, but a serious look at the role of the two women living in one house, decades apart. Well written. Terrific.

As well as being an amazingly written insight into these women’s lives, I can’t express or explain the emotions I felt reading the quotes about how women should behave not that long ago! I think it’s because of the exception of that’s just how it was. We teach girls and women to not except abuse and yet the advice given in these quotes is abuse as we know it now, but then it was acceptable. But........as the women’s lives start to cross over you start thinking of maybe how some much simpler and fulfilling things were if you were happy. Ignorance is bliss?

Such a well written, heart wrenching but captivating story. I honestly didn't put my Kindle down from the moment I started reading! Such a clever way of combining two great stories about two strong and resilient women. Would recommend to everyone, you won't regret it 👍

I loved this book but I just wanted more at the end. I was gripped and liked how it had the two stories of the women from different decades side by side. I wasn't prepared when I turned the page and the book had ended. Maybe there could be sequel?