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An Inconvenient Wife

by Megan Chance (Goodreads Author)

3.77 of 5 stars 3.77 · rating details · 1,354 ratings · 258 reviews

In this wholly absorbing historical novel, Mrs. Lucy Carelton, who comes from one of the wealthiest and most prominent families in 1880s New York City, has been completely undone by her nerves. Her ambitious husband, a nouveau riche stockbroker, drags her from one doctor to another in search of a cure that will allow her to fulfill her many social obligations without givin...more

Paperback, 432 pages

Published December 28th 2005 by Grand Central Publishing (first published April 27th 2004)

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Sep 16, 2010 willaful rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of intelligent gothics or historical fiction

I find it annoying that some reviewers criticize this novel on the basis of Chance having been a romance writer. If a book isn't to your tastes, that’s one thing, but I suspect these readers were too prejudiced by that information to give it a fair shake to begin with. Chance has always been an amazing writer; she's definitely moved from historical romance to historical fiction, but I have no complaints--not when she’s still writing such complex and fascinating windows into another time.

Lucy is...more I find it annoying that some reviewers criticize this novel on the basis of Chance having been a romance writer. If a book isn't to your tastes, that’s one thing, but I suspect these readers were too prejudiced by that information to give it a fair shake to begin with. Chance has always been an amazing writer; she's definitely moved from historical romance to historical fiction, but I have no complaints--not when she’s still writing such complex and fascinating windows into another time.

Lucy is wealthy, well-born and married to a man who loves her. What could be more wonderful for a woman in 1884? And her husband William knows and understands her so well, as seen in this bit of dialogue: “You see?” He smiled a how silly you’re being smile. “Really darling, you can’t want this at all. You only think you do.”

Yet for some reason, Lucy keeps having hysterical fits and depression.

Her many doctors diagnosis her as having “uterine monomania,” dose her with laudanum, and suggest either an insane asylum or removal of the ovaries, an extremely dangerous surgery at the time. Then hope appears in the form of Dr. Victor Seth. At first attempting hypnotic suggestion to calm Lucy down, Seth discovers something startling--she does not really want to be calm. That is, she doesn’t, deep down, want to submit to the role of docile, fragile wife that has been ordered for her. And he sets out to attempt something else, to see if he can unleash the passionate inner woman Lucy has been stifling her entire life.

If we read only Lucy’s narrative, we might think Dr. Seth is an enlightened thinker, trying to help Lucy break free, which in some ways is true; but his case notes reveal a more sinister truth. He is selfish, ambitious, manipulative, as misogynistic in his way as her husband, and almost as much of a prisoner of his Victorian world as Lucy is herself.

I don’t want to say more and destroy the surprises of the story, but I was captivated by its characterizations and cultural insights. William, whose feelings for his wife are so thoroughly stunted by his expectations and conditioning, is especially fascinating. A must read for anyone interested in women's (and men's) roles in history or in dark historical fiction.(less)

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Dec 19, 2011 Christina rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 18, 2011 Monique rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: five-stars-best-i-ever-had, miss-independent-strong-woman-book

Whoa..wavered between a four and a five star rating for this book but alas had to admit that this novel was compulsively readable and interesting...I found myself reaching for this book every spare moment I had and I love that feeling because honestly I wasnt that sure this book would be all that it turned out to be..This is the story of Lucy, a woman born into high society, spoiled and married for the last four years and living a life that would be perfect except she suffers bouts of nervousnes...more Whoa..wavered between a four and a five star rating for this book but alas had to admit that this novel was compulsively readable and interesting...I found myself reaching for this book every spare moment I had and I love that feeling because honestly I wasnt that sure this book would be all that it turned out to be..This is the story of Lucy, a woman born into high society, spoiled and married for the last four years and living a life that would be perfect except she suffers bouts of nervousness, hysteria and has become quite an embarrassment to her husband and family. Lucy's illness becomes the topic of everyone's conversation and her husband takes her to try several questionable treatments as he longs for her to be a proper society wife and have children-- but the question that begs to answered is what does Lucy want? As the attempts at treatment get more and more desperate there is talk of even sending Lucy to an asylum to cure her and then almost as if summoned they are introduced to the curious new doctor in town Victor Seth who practices a controversial brand of treatment through hypnosis and electotherapy. Lucy's husband William is intrigued and begins to send his wife there for treatment and it is here that the story takes off..While under hypnosis Dr. Seth is able to release Lucy and make her question all she is and all she wants, I found myself deeply entranced by the issues raised about women's freedom and sexuality as even though this book takes place in New York circa 1880's it is oh so prevalent in today's society as well....the only difference is now women can make their own money and define their own destinies... in theory..... Dr. Seth uncovers the unrequited and suprressed passions within Lucy that she was forced to deny her entire life..passions that found no other outlet but hysteria. As Lucy is treated and begins to show real signs of improvement she also shows her rebelliousness and her passions for sex, art and to be a free woman able to do as she pleases. Her husband hates it. William begins to fear and resent her and her relationship with Dr. Seth and as the book draws to its climax I find the story suffers and loses some of its depth but overall I thorougly enjoyed this book, it makes you think, feel and empathize with yourself and women everywhere. (less)

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Dec 06, 2012 Diana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-books

Wow....my first experience with Ms. Chance and I just couldn't put it down, literally. I ended up downloading it to my phone so I could read it while waiting in line at the market, while running on the treadmill, waiting at the ATM....you get the idea. End result: A library book that I chose because of its interesting sepia cover, which languished on my book pile until it was almost due back was devoured in just 3, sleep-deprived days.

What a riveting story: from the illness to the affair - or wa...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Rachel G rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio, rart, read-2012, romance, historical-fiction

The New York high society of the 1880s never saw Lucy Carlton coming. She suffers from hysteria and has already gone through 10 doctors in 4 years who haven't been able to cure her when her husband, William, takes her to Dr. Victor Seth. Dr. Seth is a neurologist who specializes in women's issues and treats his patients through hypnotism. Lucy Carlton is a hypnotists dream patient who takes to suggestion perfectly. This leads to Dr. Seth giving into temptation and suggesting to Lucy that she sho...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Elizabeth Scott rated it 5 of 5 stars

I should have reviewed this book ages ago, but I recently re-read it and realized that a. I hadn't written anything about it on goodreads and b. I absolutely need to because this book is majorly under appreciated.

An Inconvenient Wife is set (mostly) in New York City during the mid-1880s. Lucy Carleton, a member of New York's most elite social circle, is having some problems. She finds most of the social events she's required to attend taxing, frequently having "fits" and her husband, William is...more I should have reviewed this book ages ago, but I recently re-read it and realized that a. I hadn't written anything about it on goodreads and b. I absolutely need to because this book is majorly under appreciated.

An Inconvenient Wife is set (mostly) in New York City during the mid-1880s. Lucy Carleton, a member of New York's most elite social circle, is having some problems. She finds most of the social events she's required to attend taxing, frequently having "fits" and her husband, William is concerned not just about her, but the amount of cordial (laudanum) she's taking and the fact that he's taken her to see several specialists and they all agree that Lucy has hysteria--but their treatments aren't helping.

Enter Victor Seth, the newest trend among society, a neroulogist and a hypnotist. William decides Lucy needs to see him and Lucy doesn't want to go. But, of course, like every other woman she knows, she doesn't have a choice but to submit. After all, that's all she's done her entire life.

Victor Seth's "treatment" is part hypnosis and part vibrator. I know, but seriously, this was an emerging "treatment' for hysteria at the time and Chance does a great job of showing how utterly baffled some women, like Lucy, can be about their bodies and their minds.

Then the complications start. Victor realizes that Lucy is unhappy because all of the things she longs to do--travel, draw, paint--are forbidden to her. Her father felt that made her too high-spirited and William agrees.

Victor encourages Lucy to start to reclaim her passions, first on a professional level, and then, as thing shift between them, on a personal level.

The twists and turns are not unexpected except for the last two paragraphs. And the final sentence of the novel..oh, it sent chills up my spine. It was one of those sentences that makes you say "Holy crap!" and then think about what you've read and see that everything can be seen in an entirely different light.

And that, I think, is something that is majorly kick-ass and makes this novel worth checking out. (less)

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Mar 14, 2010 Mary Novaria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Mary by: Linda

An Inconvenient Wife, although more complicated, is reminiscent of Kate Chopin's The Awakening. Megan Chance's heroine, Lucy Carleton dares to have lusty desires and creative passions in 1895 New York, much to the dismay of her husband, father and society friends. They all think she's lost her mind--and as was in vogue for that repressed era, a woman's psychological problems were assumed to be caused by her reproductive system. Despite consulting doctor after doctor for help, Lucy's husband coul...more An Inconvenient Wife, although more complicated, is reminiscent of Kate Chopin's The Awakening. Megan Chance's heroine, Lucy Carleton dares to have lusty desires and creative passions in 1895 New York, much to the dismay of her husband, father and society friends. They all think she's lost her mind--and as was in vogue for that repressed era, a woman's psychological problems were assumed to be caused by her reproductive system. Despite consulting doctor after doctor for help, Lucy's husband could not find anyone to "fix" his wife. In addition to daring to have emotions, Lucy had not conceived a child in four years of marriage and, naturally, this was considered to be her fault.

The Carleton's find their way to Dr. Victor Seth, a modern thinking physician who treats Lucy through hypnosis and "electrical stimulation," which brings her to a pleasurable relief she didn't know existed. Although Lucy begins to feel better, her husband isn't sold on Dr. Seth and still can't fathom why his wife is not the compliant, frigid, cookie cutter society girl he thought he had married. Afterall, men could go elsewhere for lust, they certainly didn't want that in a wife.

From the get-go, it's easy to dislike and distrust Lucy's husband. It's more difficult to know whether or not we should trust Dr. Seth's motives. And ultimately, we may find ourselves wondering about Lucy's own integrity. Is she strictly under Dr. Seth's control or is she simply behaving in the way of a strong, independent spirit?

As a 21st-century woman who makes her own choices and whose marriage is a partnership, I feel sorry for Lucy and shudder that hers would be any woman's plight. An Inconvenient Wife serves as a reminder that women in our culture have come a long way, baby, in a relatively short period of time.

It occurs to me, though, that there are plenty of women around the world who are still constrained by their own cultural mores--figuratively and perhaps even literally bound by husbands, fathers and extreme religions that would rather sentence them to death or otherwise persecute them for daring to desire personal or creative fulfillment. In that context, perhaps Megan Chance's novel is a more modern tale than it first appears.

(less)

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Jul 10, 2010 Kathleen Valentine rated it 4 of 5 stars

I ordered Megan Chance's An Inconvenient Wife from Amazon on impulse. I tend to love books about the “upper classes” in Victorian New York. I love Edith Wharton and gobbled up Caleb Carr's two books (The Alienist and Angel of Darkness) on that period with relish. E.L. Doctrow's Ragtime is still one of my favorite books. So when I read the description of An Inconvenient Wife it sounded like my kind of book. It arrived Thursday at 4, I finished it last night at midnight.

I won't say it was a great...more I ordered Megan Chance's An Inconvenient Wife from Amazon on impulse. I tend to love books about the “upper classes” in Victorian New York. I love Edith Wharton and gobbled up Caleb Carr's two books (The Alienist and Angel of Darkness) on that period with relish. E.L. Doctrow's Ragtime is still one of my favorite books. So when I read the description of An Inconvenient Wife it sounded like my kind of book. It arrived Thursday at 4, I finished it last night at midnight.

I won't say it was a great book comparable to Doctrow, Carr and, of course, Wharton. It didn't have their scope but it was a darn entertaining read and, quite frankly, even though I suspected what might happen next, it was filled with surprises. In fact the last paragraph of the book is still on my mind --- did she really mean what I think she meant?

The story in brief is this: Lucy, descended from a very upper class, prestigious, old NY Money family is married to William, a nice enough young social climber who is certainly respectable but far beneath her status. Lucy is prone to “incidents”, she has failed to conceive, numbs herself with laudanum, is too outspoken in social situations, and generally embarrasses her socially-conscious husband. Her husband takes her from one doctor to another hoping to cure her embarrassing (to him) behavior. Eventually he hears about the controversial neurologist Victor Seth who treats patients using hypnotherapy. At first it seems Dr. Seth is something of a miracle worker --- until everything gets very confusing. That's as much as I'll tell you, I don't want to spoil the story.

The most disturbing aspect of the story is just how powerless women of that era were. Their fathers and husbands had total control over every aspect of their lives. How these poor women endured the social pressures of the time is a mystery to me. On the surface they were glittering, pampered jewels but underneath the illusion was a life that was so regimented, controlled and proscribed it was little better than a prison. Lucy is intelligent, talented and, above all, passionate --- all of which embarrass her husband. The scenes when she is confined to an asylum are disturbing but even more disturbing is her husband's reaction when she attempts to introduce some passion into their intimate life. “I thought you were a lady,” he tells her as he backs away.

It is never productive to judge the behaviors of characters in one era by the standards of a different era. I've read reviews of this book that express incredulity at the way various characters acted but within the context of the times, they seem perfectly believable to me. The writing style is clean, quick, efficient and highly readable. I'm a reader who gets annoyed when the writing style gets in the way of the story. That is never a problem in this book.

Ultimately, when the story is told and the book is closed there are still a lot of haunting questions. Is this what Dr. Seth really intended? Did he create a monster or did he bite off more than he could chew? How much was a product of science and how much of desire? And, above all, how much influence did he really have? Who used whom? I liked this book. I'll be thinking about it for awhile and that is something I appreciate writers for. Well done.(less)

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Apr 23, 2013 Ktphd1 rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is a sexy, women's lib coming of age story. It begins by strongly indicting the culturally male dominated, socially inferior female status of the Gilded Age and its associated, abhorrent, medical treatment of female hysteria, such as the use of medical faradizations. (Interestingly, Sigmund Freud was also a student of Charcot's medical electrotherapeutic orgasms---REALLY-- but gave up faradizations for hypnosis two years into his practice).

"I am a highly qualified physician and she is...more

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Oct 24, 2010 Collsells rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the exact time period that I'd love to travel back to and live a day. I just loved this book and have been searching for others like it, since I've read it.

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 03, 2009 Rachel Gaffney rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this book last Summer at the beach. I could not put it down. I loved it...loved the writing and how she doesnt labour a point too much...it had everything in it from story,to history,sex to a twist !

1 like · like · see review

Jul 24, 2011 Nina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-5-stars, historical-fiction, 19th-century

New York in the late 1800's; Lucy Carleton is 30 years old, married to a handsome man, wears elegant gowns, and attends the best parties, but for the last four years she's been suffering from hysterical fits and depression. Lucy and her husband William have seen no less than ten doctors who have suggested many things, the latest, spending time in an asylum. William is desperate, but wants to find an alternative, and soon meets a new Doctor.

Victor Seth is a neurologist and hypnotist, but to some,...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 02, 2011 Suze rated it 3 of 5 stars

What I learned from An Inconvenient Wife about life for society women in New York in the 1880s made me happy I grew up some 90 years later. Lucy Carelton is a passionate woman living in a repressed Victorian society. Descended from the Knickerbockers, she marries (beneath her) stockbroker William Carelton, believing that he shares her passions, at least in love. In fact, William is a social climber who has little use for painting and other indulgences that provide outlets for his wife's passions...more

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Jul 01, 2010 Jen Hayes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As I finished the last 124 pages this afternoon at a Cosi in Mt. Kisco, "An Inconvenient Wife has me in a spell, like Lucy's spell cast by Seth," I mused. I raced through to the end of the book, and then sadly, the end of the last paragraph, my mouth agape. As if in a trance, I swept up my half-empty iced latte, and made a slow start for the door. As I pushed through the 12' tall glass doors, littered with fingerprints of guests of all sizes, I thought, "Surely I haven't been reading long enough...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Kait rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Historians, Students, Women, Escapists, Lovers of Historical Fiction.

Shelves: chick-lit, historical-fiction, beyond-stellar

I loved this book and I could not put it down (I even read it during some of my college classes)! I picked this book up on impulse while perusing the college library fiction stacks and I wasn't sure I would enjoy the book. It sounded very similar to The Awakening by Kate Chopin or Room with a View by E.M. Forster, neither of whom I'm a fan. I thought I'd give it a try anyway and I was not disappointed.

The novel follows Mrs. Lucy Carelton, a woman who comes from high society and has married well....more I loved this book and I could not put it down (I even read it during some of my college classes)! I picked this book up on impulse while perusing the college library fiction stacks and I wasn't sure I would enjoy the book. It sounded very similar to The Awakening by Kate Chopin or Room with a View by E.M. Forster, neither of whom I'm a fan. I thought I'd give it a try anyway and I was not disappointed.

The novel follows Mrs. Lucy Carelton, a woman who comes from high society and has married well. However, Lucy is very different from her other hoity-toity acquaintances, as she longs for more from all aspects of her life. She is essentially trapped by a society who sees her a an accessory who should be seen and not heard.

Lucy's husband is a kind and caring man who really believes he has Lucy's best wishes at heart. He is successful as a banker in New York and provides her with all that she could ever want. Neither he nor Lucy can figure out why she is so unhappy. Lucy's father also believes he has Lucy's best interest in mind as well. Between her father and husband, Lucy has little control over who she is, what she can do, or where she is going in life.

To remedy this problem, Lucy is sent to Dr. Victor Seth, a prominent neurologist who believes hypnosis to be the answer to Lucy's problems. During the course of Lucy's treatment, she and Dr. Seth become very close. The relationship becomes more complex and Dr. Seth almost has complete control over Lucy. The book comes to a head in an event that neither Lucy nor the likes of New York's high society ever thought possible.

While it was a little predictable, most of the time I found myself going back and forth in my mind over several issues in the book. Who is controlling whom? Who is the good guy? The bad guy? Is there even a good or bad guy? Even after I finished the book, I still wasn't sure where my allegiance lie with the characters. If you are interested in historical fiction, women's studies, or a good drama, this is the book for you. It will have you on the edge of your seat the whole read!(less)

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Dec 21, 2010 Deb rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club, audiobook, historical-fiction

Lucy is a society wife who suffers from "nervous disorders" and "uterine monomania" in the late 19th century. She has seen many doctors, but none seem to be able to cure her until she is under the care of Dr. Victor Seth, a neurologist who uses hypnosis to cure female patients. He discovers a passionate woman who has been told to button up her passion since she was a young girl. He helps her find her true self while falling in love with her "his creation" as he sees it, and the resultant scandal...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Deborah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow, this book was so unexpected. It's historical fiction, erotic, and a filled with passion. It was one of those books that a reader can't wait to get back to reading.

Lucy is trying to escape the confines of a high society social life that keeps her restricted and tense most of the time. Her husband has sent her to numerous doctors hoping one of them will keep his wife from going into hysteria.

Then one day Lucy stumbles upon Dr. Seth who is an up and coming doctor educated in the powers of hypn...more

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Feb 01, 2010 Lady of the Lake rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-mystery, victorian, 1850-s, i-own

I really liked this book the subject matter is an eye opener letting you know that Victorian women were property of the husband and there is no romance about the time period for women wether high society or lower classes woman were not their own person. So if you think it would be romantic to time travel the Heroes we read about in our romance novels are not the norm! It would be awful to be a woman back in time! No rights to anything other than your own thoughts and only if you never speak them...more

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Dec 29, 2008 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Great idea, poorly executed. The author's background as a romance novelist really shows-- think something with Fabio on the cover. Shallow characters, stale dialogue, and narration that directs your conclusions rather than eliciting them. I would LOVE to see this fascinating topic (Victorian era women diagnosed with "hysteria") tackled by someone more competent.

That said, it's reasonbly entertaining and a fast read, largely due to the subject matter. I would take this over chick lit or Lifetime...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Teatree_elle rated it 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this book. I had read the sample and thought it was entertaining enough to purchase and continue reading. I should have just put the book down when after numerous attempts, I would always find something better to do. Putting on my earphones to listen to music, for example. There wasn't much that compelled me to continue reading it other than the fact that I had bought it. So I forced myself to read...

And while I was occasionally amused, I felt that the book lacked definitive sub...more

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Jan 07, 2011 Vicki rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was Intrigued by this period novel. Wealthy Women were treated like accessories to their husbands. They were expected to do as their husband expected. They had babies, shopped, entertained friends, organized dinners and balls and were expected to be very prim and proper. Lucy the main character did not fit the perfect mold. She loved to paint and draw and enjoy nature and passion and she did not want children, she wanted to pursue her passions. This book explores how women, who did not coopera...more

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Sep 27, 2009 Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, own-hardback, study-heidi, gilded-research, written-review, gilded-fiction

Three stars because I could stand to read it. Definitely would not have read it just for itself, but it covers a period of history that I'm writing about and the characters are not so one-dimensional that to read about them is unbearably boring. On the other hand, they are definitely not shaded, unpredictable, multidimensional, or fully real. Victorian upper class society woman in New York is compelled to follow stultifying rules and becomes hysterical and neurasthenic through emotional and sexu...more

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May 10, 2011 Cathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I highly reccommend this book! Set in 1885, this is the perfect book for anybody who likes historical fiction with romance, without the modern day "smut" that comes into play with some "romance" novels. Very tastefully written, and the reader feels Lucy's strain her society life puts on her. The reader will sympathize with her, even during the dark times that she herself creates. It takes a couple of twists I certainly didn't see coming and one simply can't put it down in the second half. It's a...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Tamara Herrera rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book surprised me in a good way. I picked this up expecting a story about a society woman's hysteria in late 1800 New York, including all the barbaric and misguided treatments that follow. The story did have this, but then it took a turn toward Chopin's The Awakening, and we get to see how this society woman struggles to overcome what society put upon her (her predetermined roll by not just her father, but her husband, her friends, and her doctors). Without giving away too much, the story e...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Crystal O'Leary-Davidson rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Seattle Times' blurb called this a novel that "Edith Wharton might have written if she had lived in the twenty-first century." While Wharton's artistry is still ahead of Megan Chance's, she does explore some of the same territory about The Gilded Age. Chance's novel is also reminiscent of Kate Chopin's The Awakening, and a few of her short stories. Well-researched, well-written, excellent plotting. An absorbing read that leaves you much to think about on the roles of women in the 19th and 21...more

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May 28, 2012 Regina rated it 4 of 5 stars

An insightful account of the severe restrictions of a "hysteria-prone" society woman in the Victorian era. I was mesmerized yet horrified by the total control not only of husbands and fathers over wives and daughters, but also by ambitious doctors who treat these women. Although Lucy's account was written in first person--usually an instant turn off--I was immediately engrossed in her tale and remained that way throughout the end. A wonderful and highly recommended read and certainly worthy of a...more

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Sep 26, 2011 Josee rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I liked this book a lot but wish the author took more time to develop the ending. I liked Lucy's changes, as she went from a hysterical woman to one who wanted to be free, but thought toward the end (after the asylum scenes) I needed to see her will more so the last line of the book wasn't so out there. I do believe her character underwent a huge change and was almost ready to be "free" but at the same time, one doesn't go from being coddled and bossed around to being a leader either.

I liked wh...more

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Mar 08, 2010 Pamela Pickering rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

3.5 stars. My first book from this author. Actually, I've never heard of her before and I believe she has 4(?) books out. I'm having a little bit of a hard time rating this book. It's an interesting look at how women in the late 1800's were being diagnosed with "hysteria". If a woman might be exhibiting some sort of behavior that didn't coincide what society thought was the norm or proper it was believed in many cases that this was somehow related to the uterus or sexual release. I know this way...more

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Dec 29, 2008 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mike recommended this book to me. He saw someone reading an airplane and thought I would like it. This is the story of a society wife in the late 1800 in New York. She feels stifled by her life and she and her husband go from doctor to doctor seeking a "cure" for her behavior and receiving horrible "treatments" along the way. It is amazing to think about how little freedom women had during this time period. I would hate to have lived back then. This book reminded me of The Yellow Wallpaper.

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Oct 14, 2007 Miss_otis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: would-buy, history-or-historical-setting

I did like this book a great deal, even as it pissed me off HUGELY. Seriously, just the word “hysteria” in this context can send me on hour-long rants about the Victorian patriarchy and how women of certain social standings were delicate little flowers, and that the entire point of a woman's existence was apparently to serve (and service) men; certainly they weren’t to have sexual feelings at all, and if they did, then clearly, there was something wrong with them they had to be “cured” of. Not t...more

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About Megan Chance

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Megan Chance is the critically acclaimed, award-winning author of several novels. Her first book won Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award for excellence in Romantic Fiction, and since then, her novels have received several awards and award nominations. The Be...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/979474.An_Inconvenient_Wife?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344265467l/979474.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/979474.An_Inconvenient_Wife?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]An Inconvenient Wife by Megan Chance[/url]

An Inconvenient Wife

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