The Wife by Meg Wolitzer

The moment Joan Castleman decides to leave her husband, they are on an airplane thirty-five thousand feet above the ocean. Joan's husband, Joseph, is one of America's preeminent novelists, about to receive a prestigious international award, and Joan, who has spent forty years subjugating her own literary talents to his career, has finally decided to stop. Meg Wolitzer flashes back to 1950s Smith College and Greenwich Village and follows the course of the marriage that has brought the couple to this breaking point -- one that results in a shocking revelation.

REVIEW:

I loved this book, though the plot 'twist' wasn't exactly a twist, or unexpected. I haven't read anything else by Meg Wolitzer but I'll definitely be rectifying that problem. Her writing is fast-paced and clever; her characters are well-developed as the narrative moves back and forth between the past and the present; and her apt descriptions of human interaction at its best (and worst) resonated so deeply with my own experiences. I can believe that so many women throughout the ages have found themselves in a position similar to Joan's, just waiting for the moment to step forward and say "I'm done". 4.5 stars.