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Wife in the North
How far would you go to be the perfect mother? The hilarious Wife in the North by Judith O'Reilly, based on her enormously popular blog, recounts one woman's attempt to move her family and her life from cosmopolitan London to rural Northumberland. Maybe hormones ate her brain. How else did Judith's husband persuade her to give up her career and move from her beloved London to Northumberland with two toddlers in tow? Pregnant with number 3 Judith is about to discover that there are one or two things about life in the country that no one told her that she'd be making friends with people who believed in the four horsemen of the apocalypse; that running out of petrol could be a near death experience and that the closest thing to an ethnic minority would be a redhead. Judith tries to do that simple thing that women do, make hers a happy family. A family that might live happily ever after. Possibly even up North ... 'Genuinely funny and genuinely moving' Jane Fallon, author of Getting Rid of Matthew 'Cold Comfort Farm with booster seats. Funny, honest and moving' Stephanie Calman, author of Confessions of a Bad Mother 'I howled with laughter, tears of recognition at every page' Jenny Colgan 'Funny, poignant and beautifully written' Lisa Jewell Judith O'Reilly, a journalist and the mother of three young children, was persuaded to move from London to Northumberland by her husband in August 2005. She started a blog, wifeinthenorth.com, in November 2006, which quickly picked up fans around the world with its witty tales of family and country life. Her second book A Year of Doing Good is published by Penguin.
295 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 2000
26 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
About the author
Judith O'Reilly
10 books32 followersJudith O’Reilly's claim to fame is that one of her books was a Radio 4 Book of the Week. As far as she's concerned that's as good as it gets.
Judith has written three books. Her latest book is called Killing State and is out in November. It's a commercial political thriller and her first novel – at least the first one she's allowed to leave the house without her. She likes to describe it as a Lee Child meets Robert Harris, with a young and very British action hero and compelling and dynamic female characters. She may be the only person who ever thinks that. We'll have to see.
Judith's a former political producer with BBC 2’s Newsnight and ITN’s Channel 4 News, and a former education correspondent with The Sunday Times where she also covered politics, undercover reporting and general news. She still writes for The Sunday Times.
Her two non-fiction books were called Wife in the North and A Year of Doing Good (both published by Viking Penguin, in 2008 and 2013 respectively). Wife in the North reached number three in the UK bestsellers’ chart and was in the top ten for five weeks. It was also a top ten bestseller in Germany. It sold into ten countries, was serialised by The Sunday Times and the Daily Telegraph, was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week (has she mentioned that already?), and was based on Judith’s eponymous blog which was named as one of the top 100 blogs in the world by The Sunday Times. Judith’s blog is credited with kicking off the popularity of domestic blogging in the UK. For A Year of Doing Good, she did a good deed a day for a year. It did not make her a better person. She has taught memoir and blogging at Newcastle University, and occasionally advises on strategic communications. Most of all though, she writes and drinks a lot of tea. Occasionally, she shakes things up and drinks covfefe.
Judith has written three books. Her latest book is called Killing State and is out in November. It's a commercial political thriller and her first novel – at least the first one she's allowed to leave the house without her. She likes to describe it as a Lee Child meets Robert Harris, with a young and very British action hero and compelling and dynamic female characters. She may be the only person who ever thinks that. We'll have to see.
Judith's a former political producer with BBC 2’s Newsnight and ITN’s Channel 4 News, and a former education correspondent with The Sunday Times where she also covered politics, undercover reporting and general news. She still writes for The Sunday Times.
Her two non-fiction books were called Wife in the North and A Year of Doing Good (both published by Viking Penguin, in 2008 and 2013 respectively). Wife in the North reached number three in the UK bestsellers’ chart and was in the top ten for five weeks. It was also a top ten bestseller in Germany. It sold into ten countries, was serialised by The Sunday Times and the Daily Telegraph, was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week (has she mentioned that already?), and was based on Judith’s eponymous blog which was named as one of the top 100 blogs in the world by The Sunday Times. Judith’s blog is credited with kicking off the popularity of domestic blogging in the UK. For A Year of Doing Good, she did a good deed a day for a year. It did not make her a better person. She has taught memoir and blogging at Newcastle University, and occasionally advises on strategic communications. Most of all though, she writes and drinks a lot of tea. Occasionally, she shakes things up and drinks covfefe.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
June 28, 2020
Spoilt middle class woman from London buys a second home in Northumberland and moans about it. She judges the northern mums for doing the school run with no make up on and even though they’re friendly and give her their numbers she “cannot remember where I put their numbers”. She keeps her London house and goes back at every opportunity (including a last min sprint when pregnant cause she is sooo desperate for her kid to be born in London). The snobbery is off the charts, “Shopping in the local market town is not the same as Selfridge and Fenwick.” Argh! I’m done! Check your privilege love, you’ve got a husband who supports you and TWO houses, three healthy kids and an amazing career. DNF page 51.
May 29, 2012
This book turns out to be a transcription of O’Reilly’s blog about a London wife removed to the north of England—hardly the Arctic adventure that I imagined from the title. O’Reilly, mother of three small children, and a former Sunday Times correspondent and TV producer, chronicles her daily life in what she sees as the remote sticks populated by farmwives. While she gradually grows to appreciate some of their qualities and the natural surroundings in which she has been immersed by her husband, subject of many wails about unhelpfulness (though it is apparent he must travel a lot for business, something that is supporting the cottage renovations that are being undertaken) O’Reilly is given to lamenting the lack of her interesting and convenient city life. The writing is part entertaining, part whine with an emphasis on the latter. Occasionally, O’Reilly gets off a truly amusing phrase or anecdote, but for the most part,this book like most blogs, is pretty self-indulgent.
August 27, 2017
OK. Right. Well there is no way on God's green earth I would voluntarily pick up this book to read; but a friend gave it to me for my birthday and told me it was hysterical. Being the loyal friend / 'always up for trying something new' sort of person that I am, I gave it a go.
Wife in the North is a collation of two years worth of blog posts from a professional middle class woman who moves her family from the bright bustle of London to the chilly openness of Northumberland. O'Reilly is a well educated woman who already writes for a living so I thought at least the syntax wouldn't boil my blood too much.
My initial reaction to Judith O'Reilly's musings on life was hostility. Pretentious and desperate are the main two words I can call to mind on reading almost the first half of this book. Another wife and mother trying to turn their dependence on alcohol to get them through each day into something hilariously funny. Those who know me, know that this 'booze banter' that has become prevalent, primarily among woman who are mothers, does not sit comfortably with me and I nearly chucked the book in with the chickens to be covered with a liberal coating of faeces; but them something changed ....
Perhaps it was O'Reilly's own changing attitude and demeanour as she struggled on through this emotional quagmire of fulfilling other people's needs while fighting her own confused feelings about her life circumstances. The tone of the blog changed. O'Reilly become more real to me and her writing became infinitely more beautiful - with vivid descriptions of her surroundings and of her relationships with her loved ones: her ageing parents, her feisty sons, her sweet baby daughter and her husband. She dug deeper into herself and came up with poignant commentaries on bullying, stillbirth and shifting roles as parents who once nurtured disintegrate into those who need nurture; and so so much more besides. O'Reilly was no longer trying so hard to make me laugh; but let some raw emotion in and her blog was much the better for it. Thank you Judith.
Wife in the North is a collation of two years worth of blog posts from a professional middle class woman who moves her family from the bright bustle of London to the chilly openness of Northumberland. O'Reilly is a well educated woman who already writes for a living so I thought at least the syntax wouldn't boil my blood too much.
My initial reaction to Judith O'Reilly's musings on life was hostility. Pretentious and desperate are the main two words I can call to mind on reading almost the first half of this book. Another wife and mother trying to turn their dependence on alcohol to get them through each day into something hilariously funny. Those who know me, know that this 'booze banter' that has become prevalent, primarily among woman who are mothers, does not sit comfortably with me and I nearly chucked the book in with the chickens to be covered with a liberal coating of faeces; but them something changed ....
Perhaps it was O'Reilly's own changing attitude and demeanour as she struggled on through this emotional quagmire of fulfilling other people's needs while fighting her own confused feelings about her life circumstances. The tone of the blog changed. O'Reilly become more real to me and her writing became infinitely more beautiful - with vivid descriptions of her surroundings and of her relationships with her loved ones: her ageing parents, her feisty sons, her sweet baby daughter and her husband. She dug deeper into herself and came up with poignant commentaries on bullying, stillbirth and shifting roles as parents who once nurtured disintegrate into those who need nurture; and so so much more besides. O'Reilly was no longer trying so hard to make me laugh; but let some raw emotion in and her blog was much the better for it. Thank you Judith.
September 5, 2011
This book was nothing like I thought it would be. I was expecting a light-hearted memoir, but instead got a moving, poignant tale of motherhood.
This author has a writing style unlike anything I've read before, and it took me awhile to get used to the cadence and tone of her writing. I struggled with it at first. But once I got attuned to her style, it became a much easier read.
Yes, there are moments of hilarity. But there are also many more moments of despair, love, sadness, fear, happiness, belonging. As a mother of 3 boys very near in ages to the author's children, I could completely relate to the author's feelings of frustration, hopelessness, tiredness and yet deep, unending love for her children. The shock near the end was heart-wrenching (despite the fact that it had been hinted at, and I was half-expecting it), and I had real tears falling as I read it. I was quite moved.
The descriptions of the northern English countryside and way of life were also very entertaining. I love British books, but so often they are set in London, and so I had never really read about this part of the country. It was a refreshing change.
If you are looking for a fluffy, light read, this is not it. But this book is so definitely worth reading - especially if you are a mother - do give it a try. :)
This author has a writing style unlike anything I've read before, and it took me awhile to get used to the cadence and tone of her writing. I struggled with it at first. But once I got attuned to her style, it became a much easier read.
Yes, there are moments of hilarity. But there are also many more moments of despair, love, sadness, fear, happiness, belonging. As a mother of 3 boys very near in ages to the author's children, I could completely relate to the author's feelings of frustration, hopelessness, tiredness and yet deep, unending love for her children. The shock near the end was heart-wrenching (despite the fact that it had been hinted at, and I was half-expecting it), and I had real tears falling as I read it. I was quite moved.
The descriptions of the northern English countryside and way of life were also very entertaining. I love British books, but so often they are set in London, and so I had never really read about this part of the country. It was a refreshing change.
If you are looking for a fluffy, light read, this is not it. But this book is so definitely worth reading - especially if you are a mother - do give it a try. :)
March 9, 2010
http://tinyurl.com/6glw47
Surprisingly, it took me quite some time to realize that this book is a collection of blog posts. I think that's because the series of posts had a definite theme that was enhanced as the diary entries continued. That theme being: why the heck have I moved away from London on the whims of my husband who isn't even here half the time and who leaves me to handle the wild countryside, loneliness and 3-kid-ring circus.
O'Reilly is a clever and experienced writer, so these issues in a lesser writer's hand would have fallen flat. Sure, there are some incredibly ridiculous entries. Once you get to the 15th time she or her husband have either mislaid their car keys, run out of gas, or burst a tire, you feel that you're reading about a family of morons. As well, the juxtaposition of posts detailing extreme depression over living in Northumberland with descriptions of its utter beauty are a bit bewildering.
But, anyone is certain to feel for the chaos in this woman's life and how she alternately rails at it and loves it, in equal measure. It sounds like a fairly normal life, actually. For that reason, it is sure to resonate with nigh on everyone.
Surprisingly, it took me quite some time to realize that this book is a collection of blog posts. I think that's because the series of posts had a definite theme that was enhanced as the diary entries continued. That theme being: why the heck have I moved away from London on the whims of my husband who isn't even here half the time and who leaves me to handle the wild countryside, loneliness and 3-kid-ring circus.
O'Reilly is a clever and experienced writer, so these issues in a lesser writer's hand would have fallen flat. Sure, there are some incredibly ridiculous entries. Once you get to the 15th time she or her husband have either mislaid their car keys, run out of gas, or burst a tire, you feel that you're reading about a family of morons. As well, the juxtaposition of posts detailing extreme depression over living in Northumberland with descriptions of its utter beauty are a bit bewildering.
But, anyone is certain to feel for the chaos in this woman's life and how she alternately rails at it and loves it, in equal measure. It sounds like a fairly normal life, actually. For that reason, it is sure to resonate with nigh on everyone.
December 31, 2008
Judith O’Reilly and her husband and children were living in London. Her husband has always dreamed of living in the country, so they move three and a half hours away to Northumberland. Judith agreed to a two year trial period and Wife in The North is her diary of that period.
At the beginning of the book, I found myself wondering why he wanted to move to the country when he still worked in London, and Judith ended up living as a single mother during the week. As the book progressed, I wondered why she agreed to the move when she loved London so much. Judith came across as very negative to me - she ran out of gas five times and always blamed her husband, even though he was in London. She was overwhelmed by her children, even though she had a “Girl Friday” come in to help her.
This book was just okay for me. There was really no plot and little character development - none of the characters had names beyond things like the “London Diva” and “the four-year-old”. Judith does have a dry sense of humor, so there were a few humorous moments in the book.
At the beginning of the book, I found myself wondering why he wanted to move to the country when he still worked in London, and Judith ended up living as a single mother during the week. As the book progressed, I wondered why she agreed to the move when she loved London so much. Judith came across as very negative to me - she ran out of gas five times and always blamed her husband, even though he was in London. She was overwhelmed by her children, even though she had a “Girl Friday” come in to help her.
This book was just okay for me. There was really no plot and little character development - none of the characters had names beyond things like the “London Diva” and “the four-year-old”. Judith does have a dry sense of humor, so there were a few humorous moments in the book.
August 7, 2008
This book pinged a lot of my buttons, and I wanted to like it, but at the core, it's a lot of venting from a whiny annoying bitch who probably has post-partum depression. Her husband moved the whole family to Northumberland, but she loves London... blah blah blah. In general, I don't have a lot of patience with big city types who rag on country living, and this was no exception. HOWEVER, if my husband moved me from my beloved London to a backwater and then spent all *his* time in London himself for work - abandoning me in a place I hated - that would be grounds for immediate divorce, or being shot behind the woodshed. Or both. That was just not cool of him.
January 19, 2012
Inhalt: Die Autorin Judith O'Reilly beschreibt in diesem Buch ihr Leben nachdem sie von Lodon nach Northumberland gezogen sind. Sie selbst wollte dies jedoch eigentlich nie wirklich und macht es nur ihrem Mann zu liebe, der sich in ihren vielen Urlauben in Northumberland in diese Gegend verliebt hat. In Blogform erzählt Judith O'Reilly die ersten zwei Jahre, die sie in Northumberland verbracht haben und in denen sie entscheiden wollten, ob sie für immer bleiben oder nach London zurückkehren werden. Sie selbst jedoch stößt in Northumberland auf viele Unwegsamkeiten, denn mit dem Landleben und den Leuten vom Lande kann sie eher wenig anfange. Außerdem macht ihr Heimweh und ihre Sehnsucht nach London das Einleben in Northumberland nicht leichter und wirkt sich negativ auf ihr Verhalten aus. Zu alldem kommt noch dazu, dass ihr Mann, der unbedingt nach Northumberland wollte, die meiste Zeit zwecks seines Jobs in London ist und sie allein mit ihren drei kleinen Kinder kämpfen muss.
Meinung: Ich gebe zu, dass ich von dem Buch nicht erwartet hatte, dass es in Blog-Eintragsform geschrieben ist. Im Allgemeinen ist das jedoch kein Grund, dass ein Buch schlechter ist als ein anderes, denn es gibt dem Buch halt einfach einen anderen Stil. Jedoch war es bei diesem Buch so, dass in vielen der Einträge eigentlich gar nicht wirklich etwas erzählt wurde, so dass ich mich erhlich ziemlich oft gefragt habe, was die Autorin einem damit wohl überhaupt sagen wollte. In den restlichen Einträgen vermittelte sie einem ansonsten entweder, dass sie strohdoof ist oder so tut, als sei sie es oder sie jammert einfach nur rum. Auf Dauer ist sowohl das Gejammer, als auch ihre vorhanden Dummheit ziemlich nervig, so dass es mir ehrlich schwer viel das Buch bis zum Ende zu lesen, denn es passiert in ihrem Leben nun auch nicht grade wirklich etwas erzählenswertes. Auch sind die meisten Dinge die sie erzählt eher langweilig und selbst Vorkommnisse, die lustig sein könnten, werden von ihr so erzählt, dass sie nicht mehr so wirken.
Alles in allem muss ich sagen, dass ich von dem Buch ziemlich enttäuscht bin und der Verlag der Autorin lieber hätte empfehlen sollen den Blog als diesen zu belassen und lieber kein Buch draus zu machen.
Meinung: Ich gebe zu, dass ich von dem Buch nicht erwartet hatte, dass es in Blog-Eintragsform geschrieben ist. Im Allgemeinen ist das jedoch kein Grund, dass ein Buch schlechter ist als ein anderes, denn es gibt dem Buch halt einfach einen anderen Stil. Jedoch war es bei diesem Buch so, dass in vielen der Einträge eigentlich gar nicht wirklich etwas erzählt wurde, so dass ich mich erhlich ziemlich oft gefragt habe, was die Autorin einem damit wohl überhaupt sagen wollte. In den restlichen Einträgen vermittelte sie einem ansonsten entweder, dass sie strohdoof ist oder so tut, als sei sie es oder sie jammert einfach nur rum. Auf Dauer ist sowohl das Gejammer, als auch ihre vorhanden Dummheit ziemlich nervig, so dass es mir ehrlich schwer viel das Buch bis zum Ende zu lesen, denn es passiert in ihrem Leben nun auch nicht grade wirklich etwas erzählenswertes. Auch sind die meisten Dinge die sie erzählt eher langweilig und selbst Vorkommnisse, die lustig sein könnten, werden von ihr so erzählt, dass sie nicht mehr so wirken.
Alles in allem muss ich sagen, dass ich von dem Buch ziemlich enttäuscht bin und der Verlag der Autorin lieber hätte empfehlen sollen den Blog als diesen zu belassen und lieber kein Buch draus zu machen.
April 9, 2010
Judith O'Reilly's book, based on her blog of the same name, has a unique combination of dry humor and poignant, heart-wrenching family stories. I particularly enjoyed her writing style, but at the same time, it's obviously a collection of blog posts that were combined to create a book.
It took awhile to get through and at the end, I was left to wonder if I would have enjoyed reading the author's blog more. When something is published, I expect it to have more meaning, and while well-written, I don't quite know the point of O'Reilly's story.
Regardless, I will definitely refer back to certain passages in the book that share beautiful imagery of a funny woman and her family's life in a rural setting.
It took awhile to get through and at the end, I was left to wonder if I would have enjoyed reading the author's blog more. When something is published, I expect it to have more meaning, and while well-written, I don't quite know the point of O'Reilly's story.
Regardless, I will definitely refer back to certain passages in the book that share beautiful imagery of a funny woman and her family's life in a rural setting.
May 11, 2023
(NOR) Leseutfordring 2023: En bok utgitt mellom 2010 og 2019
December 31, 2020
Enjoyed her ability to write, and to inject words/phrases/comments that made me laugh, sigh, and empathize with the writer's blog.
When Judith O'Reilly, a successful journalist and mother of three, agreed to leave London for a remote northern outpost, she made a deal with her husband that the move was a test-run to weigh the benefits of country living. In the rugged landscape of Northumberland County, O'Reilly swapped her high heels for rubber boots and life-long friends for cows, sheep, and strange neighbors.In this tremendously funny and acutely observed memoir, O'Reilly must navigate the challenges and rewards of motherhood, marriage, and family as she searches for her own true north in an alien landscape. Her intrepid foray into the unknown is at once a hilarious, fish-out-of-water story and a poignant reflection on the modern woman's dilemma of striking the right balance between career and family.
When Judith O'Reilly, a successful journalist and mother of three, agreed to leave London for a remote northern outpost, she made a deal with her husband that the move was a test-run to weigh the benefits of country living. In the rugged landscape of Northumberland County, O'Reilly swapped her high heels for rubber boots and life-long friends for cows, sheep, and strange neighbors.In this tremendously funny and acutely observed memoir, O'Reilly must navigate the challenges and rewards of motherhood, marriage, and family as she searches for her own true north in an alien landscape. Her intrepid foray into the unknown is at once a hilarious, fish-out-of-water story and a poignant reflection on the modern woman's dilemma of striking the right balance between career and family.
August 24, 2025
This is a book of two distinct halves. The first half is unfunny, dull and very irritating. I nearly didn't carry on as I found the narrator so difficult and self-obsessed. However, once you get to the second half, it becomes really rather moving and has some interesting things to say about making friends in midlife. It also becomes a very powerful elegy to motherhood - with some beautiful passages about lost children, being a mother and looking after a mother. Yes, it's absolutely not a novel, it's not funny and it should have a different title and cover. But the second half of the book is worth the agony of the first half. An interesting and challenging read.
October 20, 2017
This book could have been like so many others on this theme but it was certainly a cut above the rest. Beautifully written, Judith is quite poetic in some of her descriptions, & just when you are immersing yourself in Northumbrian country life, wham!...a cracking one liner hits you & you can't help but snigger & smile. But as well as some very funny moments there's sadness & the entry titled All My Sons where she talks of her lost baby is heart wrenching.
Overall, it's a well written, amusing & poignant account of a family beginning a new life...loved it!
Overall, it's a well written, amusing & poignant account of a family beginning a new life...loved it!
June 11, 2021
joseph hopper ok I am biased ,I live here and love it, also Northumerland needs to remain a secret otherwise it will turn into the Lake District and become far to busy so hopefully this will put people off from buying second homes here, so at leat we have Judith to thank for that. This book is funny, amusing and at times I can sympathise with the writer, But frankly most of the time I found her so bloody annoying I could not wait to get this book finished . It read and was written like a blog and that is where it should have remained to be honest.
December 7, 2022
I read this on the recommendation of a woman in my group after we did ‘night waking’ by Sarah Moss. There is some similarity to this book, but a very tenuous one. It is actually a series of blogs about a family moving to Northumberland from London; the main protagonist, the author, misses London dreadfully. It is meant to be humorous and is in parts, but a lot of it is quite sad and covers such themes as childhood bullying, depression, and an intrauterine death. I heard it on radio four many years ago and I think it is better listened to or read in its original format.
August 12, 2023
DNF. Leste 75 sider, og det er ikke morsomt eller følelsesmessig engasjerende. Spe på med kvaler om det å være mor og ønske seg karriere (bare det ordet, grøss!), rasisme, irritasjon over truede dyrearter og generelt gammeldagse holdninger. Bilen har gått tom for bensin tre ganger, og selv om han stadig er på jobbreise og det er hun som kjører barna rundt, er det mannen sitt ansvar å fylle. Det er mulig dette var morsomt på engelsk, for briter for femten år siden, men jeg tviler. Livet er for kort for så dårlige bøker som dette.
October 16, 2019
La vita ordinaria di una donna normale: i figli, il marito, la casa, i genitori, la depressione...
A tratti è interessante ma l'ha decisamente tirato per le lunghe; io ho finito il libro solo per il fastidio di aver sprecato tutto quel tempo (anche per capire che scusa avrebbe usato per non tornare a Londra)
A tratti è interessante ma l'ha decisamente tirato per le lunghe; io ho finito il libro solo per il fastidio di aver sprecato tutto quel tempo (anche per capire che scusa avrebbe usato per non tornare a Londra)
January 13, 2021
This book just did not intrigue me much. It was fairly interesting and even kind of amusing at times. I think the author's negativity and moaning about her husband was a bit too much for me. Even intended as humor it "got to me" in a depressing way.
February 8, 2018
So harmlos wie das Buch klingt, ist es ganz und gar nicht! Diesen Sarkasmus hätte ich nicht erwartet - unbedingt lesen!
January 23, 2019
È scritto molto bene, è autoironico ed è pieno di profonde e sacrosante verità. Ma mi manca troppo il lato romance per apprezzarlo. Consigliatissimo a chi ama il genere.
March 3, 2020
Easy reading, quite funny in places and relatable.
September 7, 2020
Quite funny for two chapters but not enough for a book
March 31, 2024
The book was okayish. Most of the book was the author moaning about London and how much she wanted to go home. Some amusing bits at times but found it a bit boring, not what i thought it was about.
February 8, 2020
Ich persönlich fand das Buch am Anfang sehr spannend, jedoch gab es keinen richtigen Höhepunkt oder eine jegliche Entwicklung der Handlung!
Es wurde leider nur immer wieder aufs neue erwähnt und immer wieder aufs neue betont, dass es ihr dort draußen auf dem Land nicht gefällt, was immer so anstrengend war zu lesen, denn man hat ihre Lage ja verstanden!
Sehr Schade!!!
Es wurde leider nur immer wieder aufs neue erwähnt und immer wieder aufs neue betont, dass es ihr dort draußen auf dem Land nicht gefällt, was immer so anstrengend war zu lesen, denn man hat ihre Lage ja verstanden!
Sehr Schade!!!
September 27, 2010
I should start by confessing that after reading several "blog-to-books", I've decided I don't care for the genre overall. Anecdotes that I might find funny, quirky and insightful in a day-to-day or weekly format don't seem to translate well into books. I find they often come off as too self-absorbed (how could they not?), too whiny and just plain trying too hard to pull a story out of an everyday, non-linear life. What works in small doses becomes hard to swallow in a tome.[return][return]After reading about a third of Wife in the North, I'd resigned myself to the same experience with this book. It seemed like it was going to be a combination of two themes: first, "long suffering wife gives up high power, glamorous career to raise children while husband keeps his career"; and second, "city girl unwillingly uproots herself to the country and through her own determination and fortitude, learns to appreciate the charms of its bumpkin people and character".[return][return]Of course, the book does cover that ground, as the author, her husband and three children move from London to the far northern English countryside of Northumberland. Having lived in England for two years, I concur that the two places are worlds apart culturally. O'Reilly's chronicles of her angst and foibles trying to craft a new life for herself and her family in a rural setting are funny without being condescending toward her new neighbors and village folk. [return][return]What really surprised me about the book, however, and why I gave it four stars, was O'Reilly's ability to capture the emotional highs and extreme lows of motherhood, and the fierce, unrelenting love of a mother for her children. As we learn more about her, she reveals a depth that I didn't expect based on the beginning of the book. Her writing is sumptuous -- in turns hilarious and heart-wrenching, and very, very accurate when it comes to describing the complexity of everyday life and the precarious balancing act required to keep self, marriage and children intact when much of the time, one or another (or all) are teetering on the brink.[return][return]O'Reilly has a talent for bringing forth emotion in small moments through descriptive passages, such as the one recounting her relationship with the view of the lighthouse from her bedroom window and another when she notices the birdsong heralding the onset of spring. I cried a face full of tears at the end over an unexpected revelation (I won't hint, so as not to create a spoiler). After that, I understood her story and felt like I'd bonded with her at last. [return][return]Gorgeous book.
December 14, 2008
I thought this was a really sweet and funny book in a journal format. The journal format works really successfully in this book, turning her memoir into a bunch of little stories and memories.
Throughout the whole book, the author longs for London and I can definitely understand that. I am a city person one million times over, I don't know how I would fare in the country. There is a great passage where the author encounters a double decker bus in the country and hopes it will take her back to London. I think she is only half joking!
The author also has a great sense of humor that is seen throughout the book in every type of situation! One of my favorite examples is where she leaves a note for her husband when she leaves for a trip. Talking about if her oldest son gets something, the younger son will want one too and that's it's best to get the baby one as well so she doesn't feel left out. I just love her sense of everyday humor. Another great example is the difference between a haircut in the country and one in London. The country haircut takes much much less time, why is that? The author has a great explanation for why that might be!
A lot of my favorite entries are the interactions between the author and her three children, lots of cute things the kids say and do. I also really felt for her while her son is being bullied at school and it will not stop. She wants her son to enjoy school but that's very hard when he gets knocked about all the time. You can definitely feel her pain and unhappiness during this time. Who doesn't want their children to be happy and enjoy school?
My only two hang-ups with the book were the fact that her husband made the family move from their beloved London but he got to spend a lot of his time there in London for work. Talk about unfair! It kind of seems if the family stayed in London and saw him when he was working and he stayed in Northumberland when he wasn't working they would have seen him more often! The other was the fact that she couldn't get her own gas and expected her husband to get it for her and ran out of it often. I see wanting to let her husband get it for her I guess, but after running out multiple times I think maybe she should have started getting it herself, it got a bit old after awhile. I was pretty much over these two things about halfway through the book though.
Overall this was a very delightful book about family and adjusting to a new environment!
Throughout the whole book, the author longs for London and I can definitely understand that. I am a city person one million times over, I don't know how I would fare in the country. There is a great passage where the author encounters a double decker bus in the country and hopes it will take her back to London. I think she is only half joking!
The author also has a great sense of humor that is seen throughout the book in every type of situation! One of my favorite examples is where she leaves a note for her husband when she leaves for a trip. Talking about if her oldest son gets something, the younger son will want one too and that's it's best to get the baby one as well so she doesn't feel left out. I just love her sense of everyday humor. Another great example is the difference between a haircut in the country and one in London. The country haircut takes much much less time, why is that? The author has a great explanation for why that might be!
A lot of my favorite entries are the interactions between the author and her three children, lots of cute things the kids say and do. I also really felt for her while her son is being bullied at school and it will not stop. She wants her son to enjoy school but that's very hard when he gets knocked about all the time. You can definitely feel her pain and unhappiness during this time. Who doesn't want their children to be happy and enjoy school?
My only two hang-ups with the book were the fact that her husband made the family move from their beloved London but he got to spend a lot of his time there in London for work. Talk about unfair! It kind of seems if the family stayed in London and saw him when he was working and he stayed in Northumberland when he wasn't working they would have seen him more often! The other was the fact that she couldn't get her own gas and expected her husband to get it for her and ran out of it often. I see wanting to let her husband get it for her I guess, but after running out multiple times I think maybe she should have started getting it herself, it got a bit old after awhile. I was pretty much over these two things about halfway through the book though.
Overall this was a very delightful book about family and adjusting to a new environment!
August 9, 2008
DATE: August 8, 2008
TITLE: Wife in the North
AUTHOR: O’Reilly, Judith
PUBLISHER: Public Affairs
COPYRIGHT: 2008
RATING: 4.5 of 5
The subtitle of this book is three young children, two aging parents, and one absentee husband 350 miles from home, but it should end with ‘one very funny woman’.
As I started reading this book, I got out my little sticky tabs because there were so many funny, sarcastic sometimes but very funny, comments. After a while the edge of my book looked like it had been sprinkled with a heavy dose of confetti.
The honest feelings, sometimes bordering on blatant, that Ms. O’Reilly uses to describe her life as it unfolds during her transplant from London to Northumberland can resonate with many women. Every time you think she has run out of expressions or comparisons up pops another one. Her definition of a “health visitor” and then soon to follow the description of her body in a surfing wet suit had me practically rolling on the floor.
However, the book has a touching side to it as well. There were times when I wanted to pick up the phone and call her husband and tell him that he would later regret it if he did not go home and help his wife with their children during such a trying time and for Gosh sakes, at least pump the petrol. For someone who wanted to have his family raised in such a rural location, he was spending way too much time in London.
But when I came to the August 4, 2007 entry, and she described what the loss of child meant for her new friend, The Yorkshire Mother, I was very surprised that she was able to see it so clearly. I lost my only son and I have only found a kinship in that pain with other women that have lost a child. No matter what anyone says, it is loss very different from the loss of a parent, spouse, or sibling. And so it is.
I recommend this book to anyone who needs to appreciate their present station in life, anyone who wants to laugh their way through a book for a change, and to let them know that the best part is once you finish the book, you can continue the story by visiting her blog, www.wifeinthenorth.com. I have waited until I finished the book to make my first visit, so I would not read any spoilers. :>)
May 13, 2013
Judith O'Reilly liebt London von ganzem Herzen. Nebst ihrer Familie genießt sie Ausstellungen, Kino, Starbucks, Shopping, den wöchentlichen Blumenmarkt und ihren Beruf als Journalistin. Doch ihr Ehemann träumt von einem neuen Leben in Northumberland und da Judith die Träume ihres Mannes wichtig sind, willigt sie ein, probeweise nach Northumberland zu ziehen. Hochschwanger und mit zwei kleinen Jungen beginnt Judith O'Reilly ein neues Leben im Norden Englands. Da ihr Ehemann beruflich oft nach London muss, ist es an Judith, sich mit den neuen Gegebenheiten herumzuschlagen. Der Umbau zweier Cottages zu einem Familienheim, die neue Schule ihres Ältesten, eine kränkelnde Mutter und ein Baby, das es mit den Schlafenszeiten nicht so genau nimmt, entpuppen sich als ziemliche Herausforderung.
Manchmal fühlt sich Judith wie auf einem fremden Planeten. Doch tapfer versucht sie, sich an das Leben im Norden des Vereinigten Königreiches anzupassen. Kälte, Regen, Gummistiefel, Kühe, Matsch, Sand und ein Aga mit beträchtlichem Eigenwillen gehören plötzlich zum täglichen Leben. Doch Judith nimmt es auch mit dem Reiten, der Jagd, neuseeländischen Schafscherern und einem Schloss mit zahlreichen Geistern auf. Und ganz langsam gewöhnt sie sich an ihr neues Leben, schließt Freundschaften und sieht Northumberland als neues Zuhause der Familie an.
In Tagebuch- bzw. Blogform erzählt Judith O'Reilly aus ihrem Leben. Mit bemerkenswerter Ehrlichkeit lässt sie den Leser an ihrem täglichen Leben teilhaben. Mal traurig, mal zum Lachen, berührend und frappierend schonungslos breitet die Mutter dreier kleiner Kinder die vielen Schwierigkeiten, die sich nach ihrem Umzug ergaben, vor dem Leser aus. Sie ist eine hingebungsvolle und zärtliche Mutter, die aber jederzeit eingesteht, dass sie manchmal nicht weiter weiß. Ihr Haushalt ist nicht perfekt zu nennen, doch stets spürt man, dass in dem manchmal auftretenden Chaos eine Familie lebt, die zusammenhält, die füreinander da ist und nie aus den Augen verliert, dass sie zusammengehören.
Ich hätte die O'Reillys auf jeden Fall gerne als Nachbarn.
Manchmal fühlt sich Judith wie auf einem fremden Planeten. Doch tapfer versucht sie, sich an das Leben im Norden des Vereinigten Königreiches anzupassen. Kälte, Regen, Gummistiefel, Kühe, Matsch, Sand und ein Aga mit beträchtlichem Eigenwillen gehören plötzlich zum täglichen Leben. Doch Judith nimmt es auch mit dem Reiten, der Jagd, neuseeländischen Schafscherern und einem Schloss mit zahlreichen Geistern auf. Und ganz langsam gewöhnt sie sich an ihr neues Leben, schließt Freundschaften und sieht Northumberland als neues Zuhause der Familie an.
In Tagebuch- bzw. Blogform erzählt Judith O'Reilly aus ihrem Leben. Mit bemerkenswerter Ehrlichkeit lässt sie den Leser an ihrem täglichen Leben teilhaben. Mal traurig, mal zum Lachen, berührend und frappierend schonungslos breitet die Mutter dreier kleiner Kinder die vielen Schwierigkeiten, die sich nach ihrem Umzug ergaben, vor dem Leser aus. Sie ist eine hingebungsvolle und zärtliche Mutter, die aber jederzeit eingesteht, dass sie manchmal nicht weiter weiß. Ihr Haushalt ist nicht perfekt zu nennen, doch stets spürt man, dass in dem manchmal auftretenden Chaos eine Familie lebt, die zusammenhält, die füreinander da ist und nie aus den Augen verliert, dass sie zusammengehören.
Ich hätte die O'Reillys auf jeden Fall gerne als Nachbarn.
January 3, 2009
This book is Judith O'Reilly's account of her family's move from London to the Northumberland countryside. A devoted city girl, O'Reilly is married to a Northumberland man who dreamed of going back, so she decideded to grant his wish; she agreed to move to the north for two years. But for O'Reilly life in the north is hardly a dream. She misses her London life, lacks close friends in her new home, and finds that everything, from her neighbors's dress to local pastimes is a world apart from what she knew in London. Culture-shocked, O'Reilly begins writing a blog about her experiences. This book is comprised of the blog entries. I'd never read a book comprised of blog entries before, but I found that the format worked surprisingly well. It's more like jumping into the middle of someone else's life than just about any other could be. I very much enjoyed reading this. O'Reilly is humorous, and she's willing to bare her soul on her blog. Her story is interesting, and I couldn't wait to get to the end to see what they would decide to do at the end of two years (she won't tell you until the epilogue!) In the interest of full disclosure I should mention that I, too, have recently move from a more urban and populated area to one very different, so I had a great deal of sympathy for O'Reilly's plight. Ultimately, this book combines some of the best features of the memoir and the travel narrative, as O'Reilly clearly approaches Northumberland as an outsider, and it's interesting to see how she interprets her experience through the lens of place. The book offers an intimate picture of a family and a marriage, and shows the ways in which people define home. When I got to the epilogue the final decision was what I had anticipated, and it's interesting that O'Reilly's words illustrate the direction the family is headed, even if she could not see so at the time she was writing the blog. Overall, a very enjoyable read.
February 5, 2016
Wife in the North is the memoir of Judith, a Brit who leaves her happy and exciting life in London to support her husband as he fulfills his dream of living in Northumberland, a rather barren stretch of land bordering Scotland. She has two children when she arrives in the country; a third arrives shortly after she does. Her husband, however, still works in London, so he is often away from home and Judith has to learn how to be the mum of three and a country girl, all on her own.
The book is initially written as a journal, but about halfway through, Judith starts a blog and the entries are then posts to her blog. I really loved reading this format – perhaps because I am an active blogger myself; it’s such an interactive way of getting to know someone. Her stories of parenting resonated so clearly and she certainly has wonderfully biting British wit. Certain stories and phrases had me laughing out loud; her life was so full of misadventures, even funnier because they aren’t fiction. Other posts were so poignant, she worries and stresses about many of the same things that I do, only she does a much better job of putting these fears into words.
Sometimes I felt she was a bit too down on her husband, but the transition to Northumberland was, quite obviously, a terrifically challenging one for her and I could understand her frustration. All in all, it was a pleasure to read. I especially loved reading about her tender love of her children, her fiercely protective nature (played out in blog posts about some incidents at her son’s school) and her joy in the moments that put mothering truly into perspective. For me, it was as much about those things as it was about her journey from city-woman to country-woman. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to go look up her blog.
The book is initially written as a journal, but about halfway through, Judith starts a blog and the entries are then posts to her blog. I really loved reading this format – perhaps because I am an active blogger myself; it’s such an interactive way of getting to know someone. Her stories of parenting resonated so clearly and she certainly has wonderfully biting British wit. Certain stories and phrases had me laughing out loud; her life was so full of misadventures, even funnier because they aren’t fiction. Other posts were so poignant, she worries and stresses about many of the same things that I do, only she does a much better job of putting these fears into words.
Sometimes I felt she was a bit too down on her husband, but the transition to Northumberland was, quite obviously, a terrifically challenging one for her and I could understand her frustration. All in all, it was a pleasure to read. I especially loved reading about her tender love of her children, her fiercely protective nature (played out in blog posts about some incidents at her son’s school) and her joy in the moments that put mothering truly into perspective. For me, it was as much about those things as it was about her journey from city-woman to country-woman. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to go look up her blog.
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