Book Review: "The Mad Wife" by Meagan Church

I think there are lots of books about female rage already but there are very few books like this one: books that deal with the terrifying realities of female powerlessness. Like The Bell Jar and The Yellow Wallpaper, this book covers what happens when women try to talk about their realities, talk about their health issues and make it known that they are not simply able to function anymore. This book has a warning before it, stating that it will be a difficult read and it is. Though I don't think it warranted the warning, that might have been a bit of marketing - this book was definitely a brilliant read. I devoured it in one sitting.

Lucy "Lulu" Mayfield is the wife of Henry Mayfield. The entire book is narrated by her and that, when she starts to descend psychologically, becomes so horrific and gut-wrenching to read that you really do feel for her. It's not graphic as you might think, it is terrifying. It's the little things that start with her dropping water all over her dress from Jell-O not setting, it's not being able to find a sock and it's the thought of her husband not really showing her any real affection. After this, we see a family move in across the street, a family where we are told nothing makes sense according to Lulu. The writer definitely gets us involved and immersed in Lulu's world which is mostly confined to her home, the houses of friends and the supermarket or shops. These internal worlds where she is continuously masking is something I think all women can relate to - be happy, be good, don't rock the boat. And yet, the more Lulu tries to not rock the boat, the worse it gets for her.

Lulu becomes obsessed with the woman living across the street from her, convinced that there is something wrong going on there, something that she wants to find out as her husband, and the husband of the woman become closer and the child, Katherine, is over-protected to the point that Lulu thinks it is very, very weird. As the author introduces us to the narrator's obsession we are also met with these small things that go wrong, the odd things that happen in her own home, the fact that this woman is frequently talking about ghosts and hauntings and yet, when everyone asks her if she is alright, she cannot find the words to communicate what is wrong. She just tries to power through. This is where breakdowns begin and everything goes wrong. She is prescribed a medication that she soon refuses to take. A medication that clouds her psychological vision and makes it harder for her to feel or think.

One bad thing after another happens and her discovery about her second child, Esther, starts to drive her insane. Atop of this is the woman across the street, she is convinced there is something wrong and eventually, after much waiting she wanders into their home when they're not there. What she will find out will change her life and make her think that basically everyone is out to get her. But how much does she actually know and how much is she simply assuming? Also, why are her pleas for help at this point being ignored? Lulu cannot seem to understand as rashes begin to develop on her skin and steps are taken to sedate her - she is completing her transformation though not in her own home. The question is: what is causing this? The author definitely does a great job at hinting at things throughout the text.

Again, I devoured this book in one sitting and I loved it. It has a brilliant message about medical misogyny and the way women were and are still often ignored if they don't push for treatment. It also looks at the dynamics of life: what we don't know about people can be the worst, other people might be suffering as much as we are, they're just hiding it well. They might fall apart in private. As soon as you fall apart in public though, when the mask slips for a moment, apparently you're the problem. It is infuriating but addressed well in this book.