The Senator's Wife

This book was marketed very well and I honestly thought it would be great! But no!!! I couldn't find a bit of sympathy for Meri and I was totally frustrated with Delia's continual desire for a husband with the wandering eye. The story is contrived and boring. I ended up skimming through much of it just to get to the ending and then to find out it's not shocking at all. What a waste of 6 hours.

I have vision issues--and I listen to books now, not read them. But the reader's plummy tone quickly put me in chick book territory. Then when they named the kid Asa, I knew this was way too cute. Don't they look at possible nicknames, these book characters? Well, the mother was Meri (this was spelled out in the text). That explains a lot. She's not that Meri. Oh--and a woman putting up with a philanderer, gosh, that's new. And then she gets to be his nurse, with all her evolved love and everything. My dream. Sometimes I am so glad I am not evolved.

I absolutely loved this book and did not think that Delia was anything like Hillary Clinton, who a number of reviewers likened her too. This is a story about two very different women Delia, who stands by her man despite the fact that he constantly cheats on her and even with her daughter's friend. I believe Delia was foolish but for those years that she had her husband (the Senator) she seemed to be at her happiest. Would I do as she did, not in a New York minute but to each his own. I would have loved to know more about Meri's background and the fact that she was unable to fully love her son Asa. I saw her as a damaged woman; she obviously had an unhappy childhood and her ability to parent was hampered by that. Does that heppen often, I believe it does but it is not spoken about. I thought the characters in the book were portrayed wonderfully and I swallowed it up in two days. I would highly recommend the book to any thinking woman.

Sue Miller is incapable of writing a bad book. Comparisons here to the Clintons and so on are speculation by people who have nothing better to do. But this is not about DC and certainly paints no particular picture of celebrity wives. This a rich, sweetly turned novel with real women and real relationships that get you in the heart. Miller is as masterful as ever, and I would hope that anyone who appreciates fine literature and compelling stories for women and men as well will disregard any naysayers. This is an exquisite book, with many twists and turns and moments of pure beauty and poignancy. Highly recommended.

We have seen a dreary number of photo-ops with loyal wife standing by recently-exposed cheating political figure husband. I thought perhaps this book might give some insight into the mind of a woman who suffers such humiliation yet stays the course. Wrong. If anything, Delia Naughton, the title's character, leaves us even more puzzled. The senator himself has clearly lost his moral compass, not only cheating regularly on his wife, but then using her shamelessly during his next political campaign. And she even recognizes he's doing it. Don't read this book if you expect any rationale or perspective about women willing to wear a "Kick me, Hurt me" sign on their backs. I think I only finished it because it was kind of like watching a train wreck. The characters are people you hope never to have for neighbors and there was no moral to the story. This book should come with a Tammy Wynette recording of "Stand by Your Man."