Wife

A brilliantly witty novel by literary star Charlotte Mendelson about the joys of passionate love and those left in its wake when passion curdles.

'Crackles with female fire and fury' – The Guardian'A bravura portrait of a marriage in meltdown' – The Observer'Fast and furious' – The Sunday TimesWife, the gripping novel from the prize-winning author of The Exhibitionist, is a nail-biting portrait of the beginning – and the end – of a rollercoaster marriage. When Zoe Stamper first catches the eye of the sophisticated Dr Penny Cartwright, she thinks her life has changed for the better. Entering into a relationship with an older woman introduces Zoe to a world she previously thought unreachable. Their love story begins. Now married with two children, Zoe is sick of living a lie. On the outside she's a loving and beloved wife, but inside she's a nervous wreck. She knows she must escape this secret darkness, but how?Moving between the beginning and the end of Zoe's marriage, Wife brilliantly conveys the horror, humour and suspense of a midlife bid for freedom. 'A terrific panic attack of a novel' – i newspaper'Lacerating' – Financial Times'Unbearably brilliant' – Nigella Lawson'A gift to the reader . . . Irresistible' – Amy Bloom, bestselling author of In Love'Compelling' – Glamour'Truly radical' – The Spectator