What do you think?
Rate this book
His Lovely Wife
Tall, blond, and beautiful Ellen Baxter is mistaken for Princess Diana by the paparazzi just days before Diana's fatal car crash, and when her Nobel-laureate husband attends a physics conference, she visits the site of the accident, only to find an uncharacteristic photograph of Diana that leads her to the man who shot the photo and on a journey of self-exploration. 35,000 first printing.
- GenresContemporary
282 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
3 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Dewberry
12 books6 followershas also written under the name Elizabeth Dewberry Vaughn
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 29, 2017
3.5 stars
This is a unique book, and as such will not appeal to the general reading public. I think there is more to it than meets the eye, you just have to find it. I initially was attracted to it because it makes mention of Princess Diana. I had 'followed' Princess Diana when I was younger and remember where I was when I heard of her tragic demise. I was glued to the news coverage for several days. The idea that this book in some way might deal with that intrigued me. It does, but it also lets us in to the mind of mid-life woman, and her thoughts and fears and desires. She's married to an academic and feels that her life has ended up as his "trophy" and that she doesn't count. The whole book was thought-provoking. There are many who didn't like it, but I have to say I am glad I happened upon it. I appreciate it's diversity and honesty.
Interestingly, I googled the author to see what she looked like, if maybe she might herself be a Princess Di lookalike. Lets's just say my findings were eye-opening and made me see what I had read a little differently. Her life in some ways (even many ways) mirrors Ellen, the main character.
This is a unique book, and as such will not appeal to the general reading public. I think there is more to it than meets the eye, you just have to find it. I initially was attracted to it because it makes mention of Princess Diana. I had 'followed' Princess Diana when I was younger and remember where I was when I heard of her tragic demise. I was glued to the news coverage for several days. The idea that this book in some way might deal with that intrigued me. It does, but it also lets us in to the mind of mid-life woman, and her thoughts and fears and desires. She's married to an academic and feels that her life has ended up as his "trophy" and that she doesn't count. The whole book was thought-provoking. There are many who didn't like it, but I have to say I am glad I happened upon it. I appreciate it's diversity and honesty.
Interestingly, I googled the author to see what she looked like, if maybe she might herself be a Princess Di lookalike. Lets's just say my findings were eye-opening and made me see what I had read a little differently. Her life in some ways (even many ways) mirrors Ellen, the main character.
October 20, 2017
Life lessons from the ghost of Princess Di are just not my jam.
March 12, 2019
3.5 Stars
American Ellen Baxter travels with her Nobel Laureate husband to Paris, where he is to attend a physics conference. As he socializes with colleagues at the hotel restaurant -- "the most interesting conversation I've had in months" --- nice of him to say to his wife *eye roll* --- she decides to take in the sights of the city.
Ellen's first day in Paris happens to be the day before the tragic death of Princess Diana. Papparazzi mistake Ellen for Diana. It confuses her, but after the crash Ellen feels compelled to visit the site of the wreck. There at the site, and after (back at the Paris Ritz Hotel), Ellen begins to hear the voice of Diana and gradually begins to see interesting parallels between their lives.
The cover of this book might lead you to believe you're going into a fluff read. At times it is, but largely the story ends up being much more layered than it lets on. Through the story of Diana's sad marriage, difficult divorce and untimely death, we also learn of similar hardships in Ellen's marriage (minus the death part, obviously). Put the two stories together, and the reader gets a compelling study of a woman's role as a wife in general terms --- the good and the bad, the struggle to get out from under the shadow of a spouse society deems the more successful one. But no worries, it's not all heavy. There's plenty of humor slid into the mix as well. This story had me thinking how entertaining it might have been to trade mother-in-law venting stories with Diana!
A couple of things for readers to note:
* There are no chapter divisions in this book, only paragraph breaks to indicate scene change --- just a heads up if you're a stickler about format.
* Some of Ellen's inner thoughts are pretty sexually explicit or otherwise graphic... again, just a warning for readers who prefer to keep their stories tame.
If you're at all interested in anything to do with the Princess Diana story, this novel is a unique take on the events, while also bringing in thought provoking commentary on the concepts of domestic harmony and maintaining a strong sense of self-worth while in a partnership.
American Ellen Baxter travels with her Nobel Laureate husband to Paris, where he is to attend a physics conference. As he socializes with colleagues at the hotel restaurant -- "the most interesting conversation I've had in months" --- nice of him to say to his wife *eye roll* --- she decides to take in the sights of the city.
Ellen's first day in Paris happens to be the day before the tragic death of Princess Diana. Papparazzi mistake Ellen for Diana. It confuses her, but after the crash Ellen feels compelled to visit the site of the wreck. There at the site, and after (back at the Paris Ritz Hotel), Ellen begins to hear the voice of Diana and gradually begins to see interesting parallels between their lives.
The cover of this book might lead you to believe you're going into a fluff read. At times it is, but largely the story ends up being much more layered than it lets on. Through the story of Diana's sad marriage, difficult divorce and untimely death, we also learn of similar hardships in Ellen's marriage (minus the death part, obviously). Put the two stories together, and the reader gets a compelling study of a woman's role as a wife in general terms --- the good and the bad, the struggle to get out from under the shadow of a spouse society deems the more successful one. But no worries, it's not all heavy. There's plenty of humor slid into the mix as well. This story had me thinking how entertaining it might have been to trade mother-in-law venting stories with Diana!
A couple of things for readers to note:
* There are no chapter divisions in this book, only paragraph breaks to indicate scene change --- just a heads up if you're a stickler about format.
* Some of Ellen's inner thoughts are pretty sexually explicit or otherwise graphic... again, just a warning for readers who prefer to keep their stories tame.
If you're at all interested in anything to do with the Princess Diana story, this novel is a unique take on the events, while also bringing in thought provoking commentary on the concepts of domestic harmony and maintaining a strong sense of self-worth while in a partnership.
August 8, 2018
No spoilers per se, but some points that the book jacket contains.
I've seen a lot of criticism for this book in the reviews and I can understand it. This is not the type of book where there is a storyline, setting or character that you can lose yourself in. It is definitely an odd read and is probably not a general audience book.
Most of the book takes place inside the narrator's mind, which led me to a lot of reflection on my part. This book is written from the point of view of 30-something-year-old Ellen at the time that Princess Di died in Paris (in the late 90s) and with my being only 23, there were some parts that I couldn't relate to, including a lack of knowledge about some of the particulars surrounding her death and her marital struggles. Since Ellen's husband is a Nobel prize winner in physics, the characters use physics terms as metaphors and explanations, but it's definitely not complex physics that an average reader wouldn't understand (my extent of physics knowledge comes from The Big Bang Theory, and I understood it just fine).
That all being said, I couldn't put this book down. It was a thought-provoking novel in the sense that you wonder exactly why the narrator is "hearing" Diana in her head and why the death of the Princess of Wales affects her so much. We learn of her personal struggles and some aspects of her life, past and present. It's the type of story where the reader can see where some of the dysfunctionality comes from but the characters do not see it.
The tone of the book doesn't change very much throughout, but I think one of the most beautiful parts of it would be the character study of a sad, beautiful housewife who is questioning her life up to this point. We see similarities between her and the constantly heartbroken Diana and I personally came to love her as a character and empathize with a struggle that I truly cannot relate to.
I've seen a lot of criticism for this book in the reviews and I can understand it. This is not the type of book where there is a storyline, setting or character that you can lose yourself in. It is definitely an odd read and is probably not a general audience book.
Most of the book takes place inside the narrator's mind, which led me to a lot of reflection on my part. This book is written from the point of view of 30-something-year-old Ellen at the time that Princess Di died in Paris (in the late 90s) and with my being only 23, there were some parts that I couldn't relate to, including a lack of knowledge about some of the particulars surrounding her death and her marital struggles. Since Ellen's husband is a Nobel prize winner in physics, the characters use physics terms as metaphors and explanations, but it's definitely not complex physics that an average reader wouldn't understand (my extent of physics knowledge comes from The Big Bang Theory, and I understood it just fine).
That all being said, I couldn't put this book down. It was a thought-provoking novel in the sense that you wonder exactly why the narrator is "hearing" Diana in her head and why the death of the Princess of Wales affects her so much. We learn of her personal struggles and some aspects of her life, past and present. It's the type of story where the reader can see where some of the dysfunctionality comes from but the characters do not see it.
The tone of the book doesn't change very much throughout, but I think one of the most beautiful parts of it would be the character study of a sad, beautiful housewife who is questioning her life up to this point. We see similarities between her and the constantly heartbroken Diana and I personally came to love her as a character and empathize with a struggle that I truly cannot relate to.
June 12, 2017
Very odd book.
February 25, 2020
I’ve never anything written like this before. Very well written and very strong emotions. The ending is a let down for me.
May 31, 2020
Very different kind of book, woman mistaken as princess Diana right before her death falls for a paparazzi photographer. Was hard to hold my interest
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2019
Dissapointing, the first book i read that sings me to sleep. Thats how horrible it is.
March 31, 2012
I was intrigued by my introduction to this novel as a DearReader.com Fiction Book Club selection earlier this year, which prompted me to buy a copy to finish it. I chose it as my pick for my offline Book Club to read for our September meeting, and we just met to discuss the book on Friday night. By consensus, this isn't going to go on record as one of our favorites.
This is by no means a plot-driven book, so let's call this a synopsis of the premise:
This is by no means a plot-driven book, so let's call this a synopsis of the premise:
Ellen Baxter is a lost woman. Raised by a widowed former Miss Alabama who believed that physical beauty is the only important quality a woman can possess, and if she can't use that quality to find a keep a man, she's no one, Ellen married older, widowed physicist Lawrence Baxter when she was barely out of college. Now, at thirty-six, she seems to have no identity other than that of "the lovely wife" of her Nobel-laureate husband; her stepson is now an adult, and she has no real occupation other than sometime charity work. Ellen and Lawrence are in Paris for a physics conference in late August, 1997, and staying at the Ritz on the weekend that Princess Diana, a guest at the same hotel, dies in a car crash not far away. The accident brings Ellen into contact with a photographer who was at the scene, and prompts a great deal of reflection on her own life and connections to Diana's over a period of a few days.
It's not exactly a character-driven book either. Much of the book is an internal monologue, and it really doesn't lead to much resolution. Stylistically, this appealed to me - it reminded me of my own style of expression at times, with lots of backtracking and tangents - but if you don't much care for Ellen's voice, it could get irksome.
Honestly, the book's not really "driven" by much of anything. Nothing really happens, and there's not much payoff. It's more meditative than anything else, but it doesn't seem that Ellen really grows much from her reflections and actions; she seems to be still in the same place at the end. I feel that a reader who has been through times of psychic crisis, depression, or her own "lost" periods might have more patience and sympathy for Ellen, and this was one of the reasons the book intrigued me, but the lack of any real sense of progress, resolution, or even hope for the character was frustrating. I think it's a book that could spur the reader into some serious reflection on her own life, though, if she's open to it.
May 19, 2012
Beautiful Ellen has been married to Lawrence Baxter, a Nobel Prize winning physicist for fifteen years. As the sparks of love fade into distant memories, Ellen wonders if she has become a trophy wife for her famous husband. Their friends seem to think so.
In August 1997, Lawrence and Ellen arrive at the Ritz hotel in Paris where paparazzi briefly mistake Ellen for Princess Diana. While jogging early the following morning, at the site of a recent automobile crash, Ellen happens upon Max Kafka, the handsome American photographer who took her picture the previous afternoon. In an aura of sexual tension, Ellen and Max walk to a makeshift memorial near the crash, which already has a few bouquets of flowers. Max leaves a small photograph there and bids Ellen goodbye. When Ellen examines the photograph, she realizes Princess Diana died in the crash. Shocked, Ellen thinks about Diana and communicates with her spirit. Ellen realizes there are haunting similarities between Princess Diana's life and her own.
HIS LOVELY WIFE is a lyrical, literary journey into the perplexing role of the beautiful wife in the shadow of a famous husband and the nature of afterlife in terms of the theories of the universe. Ms. Dewberry weaves these two hefty issues together seamlessly in a brilliant tale.
In August 1997, Lawrence and Ellen arrive at the Ritz hotel in Paris where paparazzi briefly mistake Ellen for Princess Diana. While jogging early the following morning, at the site of a recent automobile crash, Ellen happens upon Max Kafka, the handsome American photographer who took her picture the previous afternoon. In an aura of sexual tension, Ellen and Max walk to a makeshift memorial near the crash, which already has a few bouquets of flowers. Max leaves a small photograph there and bids Ellen goodbye. When Ellen examines the photograph, she realizes Princess Diana died in the crash. Shocked, Ellen thinks about Diana and communicates with her spirit. Ellen realizes there are haunting similarities between Princess Diana's life and her own.
HIS LOVELY WIFE is a lyrical, literary journey into the perplexing role of the beautiful wife in the shadow of a famous husband and the nature of afterlife in terms of the theories of the universe. Ms. Dewberry weaves these two hefty issues together seamlessly in a brilliant tale.
May 15, 2009
I have to admit I picked this up because I'm a fan of Robert Olen Butler. I thought they were married, and they were, past tense. After I finished the book, I googled Elizabeth Dewberry to find out more about her and was surprised to find that her marriage had ended in such a public way, and that I completely missed all this great gossip several years ago.
Still, I liked this book very much. I'm sure the author would be displeased to find that I bought it for $2.99 on the closeout table, but still.
Still, I liked this book very much. I'm sure the author would be displeased to find that I bought it for $2.99 on the closeout table, but still.
July 5, 2013
DNF. This one was too "ladies who lunch, in Paris, with nothing better to do" than fantasize about talking to a dead (may god rest her soul) Princess Diana and try to figure out how to have a clandestine affair with a paparazzi photographer. The entire book takes place in just a few days and the scenes - even the unimportant ones drag on forever. Just not my thing...
Oh, and I must add... This was another of the deeply discounted Borders "going out of business sale" books. And the cover and mention of Princess Di sucked me in.
Oh, and I must add... This was another of the deeply discounted Borders "going out of business sale" books. And the cover and mention of Princess Di sucked me in.
July 21, 2011
His Lovely Wife started out good
but as I got in the book more it went off on physics tangents and things like that... things I don't understand nor care about. It was interesting to read how the death of Princess Di affected Ellen and why. Also, it was interesting to read Dianas supposed thoughts after her death. I like to reread books but this one I think I'll pass on for a second go around.
but as I got in the book more it went off on physics tangents and things like that... things I don't understand nor care about. It was interesting to read how the death of Princess Di affected Ellen and why. Also, it was interesting to read Dianas supposed thoughts after her death. I like to reread books but this one I think I'll pass on for a second go around.
July 6, 2013
This novel is a feminism trainwreck. I'm bein generous with two stars because there were some parts that were intriguing and I couldn't tear my eyes away (like a trainwreck). And maybe there were a few nice themes in there, but it all just kind of fell apart at the end (like a trainwreck).
Otherwise that's 3 hours of my life I'll never get back.
Otherwise that's 3 hours of my life I'll never get back.
March 11, 2008
The story begins when a woman is mistaken for Princess Diana, and then propels with the death of Princess Di. But the real gem of the story is the character study of a woman, a lovely wife, trying to come to grips with who she is and what she stands for. Quite a thoughtful story.
December 17, 2006
Very interesting look at the inner life of a woman who is a lovely wife, but feels somewhat lost in the shadow of her successful husband.
Want to read
July 30, 2007Afpl - SS
January 28, 2009
::: morose :::
October 25, 2009
felt like I was inside the head of someone with ADD. Self absorbed characters, totally uninteresting. Skimmed thru the last 3/4, to see if it got better.
February 24, 2010
Total crap about Princess Diana haunting a bored, rich trophy wife. Not at all what I was expecting.
Want to read
August 11, 20111st edition, signed & inscribed by author
September 27, 2010
I rather liked it. It was different.
May 17, 2011
i love the story about Princess Diana :) GREAT !
October 24, 2011
Started out boring and a little weird... I don't have time to read books that are going to be of borderline interest to me. A quick return to the library.
August 1, 2012
3 1/2 stars
October 16, 2013
i did not like this book at all.
September 8, 2013
It was like watching a train wreck. I had to finish it because it HAD to get better, right?
It didn't.
It didn't.
November 26, 2014
Frankly, I liked the book a bit better after I read about the author's marriages and affairs. The real life context gave the book a bit more meaning.
January 29, 2016
Pretty light.
June 8, 2017
I don't read celebrity gossip, nor do I follow all things royal or Diana, so I didn't have the disadvantage of arguing with the storyline. This is a novel, after all, and the truth of it transcends whether a particular thing actually happened.
The concept here is that a woman is trying to figure out what she wants and who she is. Princess Diana's ghost factors in, as does a photographer she doesn't know and a colleague of her husband. I liked it.
The concept here is that a woman is trying to figure out what she wants and who she is. Princess Diana's ghost factors in, as does a photographer she doesn't know and a colleague of her husband. I liked it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews