The Husbands
Fiction
Flatiron Books
August 3, 2021
Purchased
352
Purchased
Nora Spangler is a successful attorney but when it comes to domestic life, she packs the lunches, schedules the doctor appointments, knows where the extra paper towel rolls are, and designs and orders the holiday cards. Her husband works hard, too... but why does it seem like she is always working so much harder?
When the Spanglers go house hunting in Dynasty Ranch, an exclusive suburban neighborhood, Nora meets a group of high-powered women--a tech CEO, a neurosurgeon, an award-winning therapist, a bestselling author--with enviably supportive husbands. When she agrees to help with a resident's wrongful death case, she is pulled into the lives of the women there. She finds the air is different in Dynasty Ranch. The women aren't hanging on by a thread.
But as the case unravels, Nora uncovers a plot that may explain the secret to having-it-all. One that's worth killing for. Calling to mind a Stepford Wives gender-swap, The Husbands imagines a world where the burden of the "second shift" is equally shared--and what it may take to get there.
I'm not exactly sure how to classify this book. It's got a lot of moving parts. First, there is the generic story of a family looking to purchase a house and finding one in a desirable neighborhood, with a somewhat interesting HOA pre-approval policy. Second, it's a social commentary on the extra work of moms with careers outside the home, and the husbands who could volunteer to do more (but don't). Third, it's a mystery about what happened at the house in Dynasty Ranch that burns down one night killing one of the residents. Was there something nefarious going on, or an accident? His wife wants to know, and hires our main protagonist to be the lawyer on the case. All of these facets are written in a cohesive way to propel the story along. I loved the articles included as chapter breaks that explore the women's issues in the home, especially the comments included. They formed a nice segue into the next segment of the plot. It does get a little messy toward the end, in fact I had to go back and reread the ending as I was listening to the audiobook and thought I missed something. The weird ending threw me at first, but upon further reflection I've decided that I liked the ambiguity of leaving some things to the readers imagination. It also fit with the uncomfortable feeling that permeates the entire novel.
This was an impressive undertaking into the inequalities of parenthood, with a creepy vibe thrown in. It should appeal to most readers who are looking for something a bit different that incorporates several genres in one package.
