Librarian's Choice

Marriage is a Bumpy Street

-- Lisa Navidi, Rockville Library

“Marriage: it’s what brings us together today” this line from THE PRINCESS BRIDE describes these two books about marriage and of course everything involved: cultural identity, children, lack of children, adoption, fidelity, infidelity, and most of all love.

Gish Jen, author of MONA IN THE PROMISED LAND and WHO'S IRISH has outdone herself with her novel THE LOVE WIFE, a modern fairy tale about marriage between Chinese American Carnegie Wong and his big blonde American wife, Janie, hereafter called Blondie, at first by his domineering, hateful mother, Mama Wong and then by everyone else as well. It was Lizzy, a found Asian baby that first brought them together. After they got married, they went to China and adopted Wendy. Unexpectedly, Bailey was born, a “half-half” but very blonde like his mother.

Life went well for them until Mama Wong’s death when a non-legal but very morally binding letter was found requesting that Lan, a cousin from China must be sent to live with the Wong family as the children’s nanny.

From then on we learn from the perspective of all the characters in the novel how Lan changes the dynamic of the family. The audio version uses many narrators and makes the book come alive and less confusing as each character tells the story from his/her own viewpoint.

Anyone who has ever been in a multicultural relationship will understand all the problems that can arise and this family has more than its share: growing up in a family where your mother is a different race than you, not knowing what ethnic origin you are, having children that identify themselves with the nanny rather than you, having a mother-in-law that hates you, and finally trying to keep a marriage together with all of this negativity swirling around.

By turns funny, ironic, and tragic, THE LOVE WIFE paints a picture of multicultural family life in America that should strike a chord with anyone who has ever been in a relationship.

In Lolly Winston's novel, HAPPINESS SOLD SEPARATELY, marriage is no less rocky.
Eleanor and Ted had a good marriage. They loved and respected one another but when it came time for them to start a family, they couldn’t. They tried everything and failed; at least that’s what Eleanor regarded it as: failure. She became depressed and withdrawn, angry at herself and Ted. So Ted turned to Gina, an aerobics instructor; pretty, athletic, and limber, she made Ted feel important and needed. And then Eleanor found out about the affair.

As Ted and Eleanor try to reconcile, another wrinkle shows up: Gina has a troubled ten-year-old son, Toby, who immediately becomes attached to Ted. And Ted becomes attached to him as well.
Sound like a typical Chick Lit story? Winston knows how to turn a tale and let the reader see it not just from Eleanor’s but from both Ted’s, Gina’s, and even Toby’s perspectives. Love is a tricky thing. Not so black and white as one might think. And no one (or everyone) is at fault here. They are all nice people, just trying to stave off loneliness and find love. Will Ted and Eleanor stay together? Will Gina find someone else? Will Toby find the father figure he so desperately craves?

Read on because Lolly Winston is not your ordinary Chick Lit writer. And if you enjoy this novel, try GOOD GRIEF, her first novel about a young widow.

Past Titles

EPISTOLARY FICTION: A NOVEL WAY TO WRITE LETTERS

PHRYNE FISHER MYSTERIES

THANK YOU, JEEVES

THE GOOD WAR REVISITED

THE HUNGRY TIDE

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