An unexpected favorite about 1950s expectations and the cost of being dismissed
Meagan Church has been on my radar for a while. I even have one or two of her earlier books sitting in my Audible library, still unplayed. Despite all the praise I’d seen for The Mad Wife, I wasn’t planning on reading it—until I met her virtually at The Back Room. Hearing her talk about the book was captivating, and that was all it took.
The Mad Wife follows Lulu Mayfield, who has spent five years perfecting the role of the 1950s housewife. Her house is spotless, her husband is content, and her gelatin salads are the talk of the neighborhood. But she’s haunted by painful memories, and after the birth of her second child, her carefully constructed life begins to unravel. When a new neighbor named Bitsy moves in, Lulu can’t shake the feeling that something lurks behind that constant smile. The more she digs, the more unsettled she becomes, and the people around her begin to question her sanity. Is Lulu losing her mind, or has she uncovered something no one wants her to find?
I borrowed the audiobook through Hoopla. Susan Bennett’s narration was a perfect fit for Lulu.
This novel was excellent. I loved it far more than I expected to. As a former therapist, I was especially curious about how Church handled the lobotomy and the broader treatment of women’s physical and mental health in that era. Lately I’ve been drawn to the 1950s, and watching how women were expected to behave was fascinating in a deeply sad way. At times, as the plot established itself, I found myself wondering how some relationships still operate under that same mentality, while also feeling grateful for how much has changed.
One reason I hadn’t planned to pick it up is that I’m kid-free and often don’t relate to the specific experiences of women with children. That turned out not to matter. Church wrote such a strong story, with vivid images and genuine emotion, that I immediately connected with Lulu and felt complete compassion for her.
I noticed the disclaimer at the very beginning—the one that validated readers who might need to step away and return when they felt ready. I sensed the book would be heavy, and it is—particularly in how it treats women’s physical and mental health. Church handles it all with pure grace and tenderness.
I finished the audiobook grateful for the way Church honored Lulu’s story. She never flinches from the weight of the era’s expectations or the quiet violence of being dismissed, yet she handles it all with such tenderness that the novel never feels exploitative. The Mad Wife is a book I won’t soon forget, and one I’m glad I didn’t let pass me by.
If you’d like to hear more about the evening I met Meagan Church, check out my post about her author event on The Back Room.
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