Mrs.

by Caitlin Macy

In the rarified world of New York’s Upper East Side, coolly elegant Philippa Lye is the envy of all the mothers at the school gate. Despite a shadowy past, Philippa has somehow married a true ‘master of the universe’, the scion of the last family-held investment bank in the city. And although this puts her at the centre of this world of hedge funds and privilege, she refuses to conform.

Then, into her precariously balanced life, comes two women: Gwen Hogan, an awkward childhood acquaintance who uncovers an devastating secret about Philippa’s past, and Minnie Curtis, a newcomer whose frank revelations about her upbringing in Spanish Harlem and probing into the women’s private lives unsettles everyone.

When Gwen unwittingly leads her husband, a prosecutor in the US Attorney’s Office, to stumble over the connection between Philippa’s past and the criminal investigation he is pursuing at all costs, the whole delicate ecosystem of wealth and privilege becomes a tinder box set to explode.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Audiobook, Book Club, Literary Fiction, Adult

341 pages, Paperback

First published February 13, 2018

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

"But to be clear, we had nothing against her.
We actually really liked her.
We really, really liked Philippa Lye."

Philippa Lye - the it girl - has long been a subject of fascination and intrigue among the New York Mommies of St. Timothy's preschool. Philippa always appears to have it all, but beneath the designer brands and perfect looks, she holds a deep secret.

"Mummy never polishes her nails because it reminded her of when she had to wear nail polish for a living."

Gwen - the scholarship girl - proudly totes her little Mary to preschool despite the dirty looks and sneering mouths. She knows Philippa from long ago, and every minute Gwen gets closer, she threatens to topple the house of cards.

"And it all went downhill from there - if you can imagine that there was still any vertical distance to descend."

Minnie - the new girl - seems to be shallow through and through, but there is a sharpness to her that neither Gwen nor Philippa are prepared to handle. She just might be enough to spark an explosion.

"They felt they deserved what Philippa had gotten."

Meanwhile, Gwen's husband (a lawyer) has set his sights on both Minnie's and Philippa's spouses - and he is nothing, if not relentless.

"To repeat, we had nothing against her. In fact, we all really liked her....At the same time, you have to admit that she was an anomaly."

Whew. An absolute whirlwind!

Watching these women circle each other, the husbands circle each other, the drama of the New York Mommies just waiting for a kill - definitely a page-turner.

I really enjoyed Gwen's point of view - she felt very down-to-earth among the affluent and snobbish upper class.

Also (and this is a bit unusual for me) - I really liked Mary and the other children! I feel like the author did an excellent job of portraying the kids without leaning into the precocious (aka annoying).

In addition, seeing the parents interact with their children really rounded out this story for me...that and lines like this:

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck this fucking fuck!"

Cause who hasn't had a recipe gone wrong and only one word strong enough to summarize all that frustration!?

The one thing that threw me out of the book time, and time again...was the inner dialogue.

We have at least 4 main with 3 minor perspectives...and yet all of their inner dialogue would digress into this:

"...for some reason, I don't know...God, I don't know what's wrong with me - bluhhh! I wanted her to know my name. I wanted to make a connection with her. I wanted - I wanted her to remember me."

Essentially, there's a lot of words but not much being said. . .

To me, that really detracted from the drama and the intrigue of the story. Every time we went round and round with the inner monologue, I felt myself pull a little bit away from the story.

All in all, I liked this one. Really enjoyed the mystery of Philippa Lye and I am itching to find out what happened after the last few pages!

"Jed?" she repeated. "She will sacrifice you if you let her."

With thanks to Little Brown and Company for a free copy in exchange for an honest review

All quotes are from an uncorrected proof and are subject to change upon publication.

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[Susanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 Stars.

Phillipa has a past and it comes back to haunt her. She is a former model, who is both beautiful and wealthy. She is married to a very successful man named John, who is cutthroat lawyer. Fingers crossed that she can keep her past a secret from him! Little does she know that he hasn’t set his sights on her.. Once Gwen and Minnie enter Phillipa’s life, nothing is the same. Gwen knew her a long time ago and Minnie? Well, she keeps both ladies on edge constantly. What happens once all of these characters get together? Sparks fly, and emotions are on high and that’s not all!

More of a character study, than a mystery, “Mrs.” by Caitlin Macy is an interesting novel, though the sentences tended to run on a bit which made the pacing of the story a bit slow. Recommended for those who like immersing themselves in interesting characters!

Thank you to Little Brown and Company and Caitlin Macy for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on Goodreads on 1.9.19

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 elegant stars to Mrs.! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ .5

Caitlin Macy’s novel, Mrs., is a character study featuring Philippa Lye, a socialite who has it all, or so it appears to be precariously portrayed. Her life is shaken up when two other women enter the scene, Gwen Hogan and Minnie Curtis. The dynamics between the three women are fascinating to watch. How will Philippa cope when Gwen’s husband uncovers an enormous secret from her past that’s sure to ruin her reputation and standing in the community?

Philippa, Gwen, and Minnie live on the Upper East Side of New York City, and while I found none of the characters particularly likable or relatable, I enjoyed watching how the story unhurriedly unfolded, exposing betrayal, secrets, and lies. The storylines were dramatic and at times a little stereotyped.

Overall, I found the characters to be vividly depicted, and the story was engaging and well-planned.

Thank you to Caitlin Macy, Little, Brown and Company, and Netgalley for the copy to read and review. Mrs. is available now!

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

⭐️ / 5

First of all, thank you so much to Little, Brown and Company for sending me a free finished copy of this book, I really appreciate it!

I feel TERRIBLE, but this was just not the book for me. I got to page 76 and I just could not go on. I wasn’t into the book at all and there wasn’t anything going on that interested me. This was my first ever, and I mean ever, DNF. 🙈

I hope everyone else will have better luck than I did!

* This book was published on 13, February 2018 *

[Janine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve just read my first worst book of 2018 😒 The hype said that this could be the next Big Little Lies - um definitely not. The only comparison is that both books are set around a school, that’s all. I found the characters not very likeable, the writing too wordy and too much descriptive narrative. There was so much back story every chapter which became boring. The pace picked up at around 80% but then deteriorated again. No use telling you what it was about, why did I bother 😚

[debra · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5- Was looking for something a little more gossipy like Primates Of Park Avenue or Swans of Fifth. This wasn't it, and the characters were never fleshed out enough to be real in their own right.

[Betsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This Book was a S L O W send up of the “haves” ... - turned out to be a downer .... NOT anywhere near Big Little Lies ...nope.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Mrs.” Is another novel about the ultra privileged families in New York. What sets this one apart from others is author Caitlin Macy’s writing skills. She provides great observations of the insecurities of the wealthy, and humorously pokes fun at them.

Philippa Skinker is an ex fashion model who is beautiful, wealthy, and distracted. She could care less about social conventions and who does or does not like her. It could be because she has a bit of a drinking problem.

The story begins at pick-up time at an exclusive preschool in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Philippa arrives late, per usual, in a taxi with a minor dispute with the taxi driver about the fare. A new mother to the school, Minnie Curtis, tries to befriend Philippa, which is a faux pas and not following protocol. It’s a funny scene. The third main character is Gwen Hogan who is not part of the wealthy mother group, but knew Philippa back in primary school. The three characters lives collide into a strange and humorous plot.

I enjoyed the story, but found some of Macy’s rambling sentences distracting. The best parts of the novel are when she provides dialogue. I recommend it to those who love character-driven stories.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book but was sadly disappointed. I found the narrative disjointed, the characters dull and the plot unimaginative. It was a struggle to finish it.

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

One “poor” star rating and truthfully, I’m being generous. This book was a complete and utter disappointment. I had no idea where we were going with this story - it was so disjointed! The characters were dull and unlikeable and I just did not even want to read any more about them to find out why. The plot was just all over the place, like a big train wreck. People having conversations but uttering back responses like ummh or mmh mmh, or not even responding back at all. Why was I wasting my time with this? I’m not - this is a DNF, R.I.P. book.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a hard one to review. The synopsis of the book is technically accurate, but it's written in a very cool and removed tone with a lot of exposition and unnecessary detail. Since the book's milieu is Upper East Side New York, the tone is probably intentional and is meant to reinforce the superficial verneer of the surroundings. Maybe. I don't know.

It's a slightly odd novel, which is probably why it has fairly low ratings for Goodreads. It's a choppy read, as Macy alternates between several characters at various points in their lives. She even uses the Greek chorus routine in several chapters, in which a group of unnamed peers weigh in with one voice on one of the main characters ("To repeat, we had nothing against her. In fact, we all really liked her.").

If you like social critique kinds of books about the wealthy and privileged and are okay with offbeat writing styles, you may enjoy this. I liked it but I also had to get into it a good ways before I felt comfortable. I would definitely read something by Macy again, but she may be an acquired taste.

[jmNYC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun send-up of Upper East Side types, sharply observed.

[Heather Boaz ( mlleboaz.bibliophile) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Little Brown & Company for my free copy for review!

It is important to realize that this is a character-driven story - there is a plot, and it's equal parts scandalous and delicious - but that's not quite the point here. Macy's writing in this book is being compared to a modern Edith Wharton. And if you know Wharton, you know that the real delight will be in observing carefully crafted, multi-dimensional and fascinating people - and seeing what sort of troubles spin out as they attempt to interact with each other.

The inner and outer lives of these characters are completely on display -obvious to the reader, yet not so obvious to the surrounding characters in this world. This makes for a darkly funny portrait of these Upper East Side families with young children, navigating the worlds of finance and play-dates and attempting to understand eachother and behave "correctly". Macy's characters are a study in re-creating people into living, breathing, complicated characters- much the way you would see an incredibly talented actor think through every detail of behavior and motivation making them pop into sparkling clarity.

This might be a fun one to compare and contrast in a book club up next to House of Mirth, or one of Wharton's other books. It is so interesting that while modernized, Macy sticks to this late 19th c. style of making quite a large book out of holding up a magnifying glass to a very specific slice of society.

If you're the sort of person who could spend an afternoon on a park bench, museum bench or an evening at your local cafe with a glass of wine just eavesdropping and watching people, you will certainly love this book.

*3 words: sensational, underbelly, modern

*what i loved: the dynamic dichotomy of inner v. outer lives, particularly in relation to a tightly knit society

*what i questioned: though we see a lot of the complicated husbands inner lives, I would have liked even more of a window in - the balance sits a bit with the women of the book (though, it is aptly titled "Mrs.")

*overall rating: 5 stars

*Find my book posts and pictures on Instagram: @mlleboaz.bibliophile

[Sy · Rating 1 out of 5]

It might be a bit unfair to rate this book as 1 star after choosing to finish it after 107 pages but, try as I might, there was no way I could get in to the book. By page 50 I realised that absolutely nothing had happened and was still not happening any time soon. I had no interest in the characters at all and tried flicking through later in the book and realised it was still just as bland.
I'm sorry but I really did try!!

[Michelle]

The fundamental flaw in Caitlin Macy's novel, Mrs., is that she assumes readers are going to care about the über-wealthy New York socialites with their nannies, multi-million dollar apartments complete with doormen, and places for their children among the toniest private preschools in the city. I do not see this happening. In fact, given the fervor over the recent tax changes and the growing divide between the haves and the have-nots, I see the exact opposite occurring. It is difficult to feel sorry for or find empathy for the social elite and their scandals when so many others in the world are struggling to put food on the table.

This is not to mention that pretty much every character within the novel is fairly despicable. In the scenes that take place in front of the school and among the various other interactions of the parents, the story does call to mind Big Little Lies, except the women and men in Ms. Macy's care even less about their children and more about how the world perceives them. They are pretentious, self-obsessed, and completely oblivious to the real world. We are supposed to fall under the spell of Phillipa's mysterious confidence and take pity on her past. We are supposed to empathize with Minnie as she attempts to break into this new social circle. We are supposed to see ourselves in Gwen as the most "normal" mother of the bunch. Except we don't because there is nothing to connect these characters with the readers.

Philippa remains aloof and untouchable even once we know her most sacred and shameful secret. Minnie remains a social climber, anxious to make it into the top milieu and stay there. As for Gwen, while other readers might find her wholesomeness and the sacrifices made for the sake of her family admirable, I could not do so. I got a kick out of the fact that she was the only mother to actually cook real meals for her family, but there is a forcefulness behind her domesticity that is bothersome.. It is as if Ms. Macy needed someone to whom readers would relate and created Gwen to fit that mold, except she missed out on one crucial detail. The reasons for Gwen becoming and remaining a stay-at-home mother never ring true. Neither does she provide an adequate explanation given how much time Gwen spends reminiscing about and longing for her former career. Ms. Macy spends little time explaining why Gwen gives up her beloved job and practically no time explaining why she continues to remain home. All of the reasons mothers stay home do not apply to Gwen's situation, so it makes no sense and is yet another black spot within the story.

Another element that disconnects the readers from the story is the criminal investigation over which Gwen's husband obsesses. The story occurs just after one of the numerous investing scandals of the early 2000s. The husbands and fathers of the novel are mostly men involved in the investing business. Considering the recession that occurred after these scandals hit the front pages, it is difficult to find sympathy with anyone who earns their money in that field. To make things worse, Ms. Macy constructs her novel in such a manner that assumes readers understand the ins and outs of the world of trading, so there is little explanation to help readers understand what is illegal about certain transactions or why. The obscene amounts of money made by these traders and the lifestyle they afford sets them apart from everyday readers and is a tiny bit disgusting given how many people lost their homes and livelihoods as a result of the investing scandals.

Mrs. may be social critique but it is social critique of the one-percenters. Frankly, it is difficult to get upset about these so-called social elite tearing themselves apart over a scandal or three. Moreover, the subject of class and privilege is too divisive right now for her story to be in step with the times. This is not escapist literature, as one cannot escape to such a back-stabbing, false world of gossip, innuendo, and mimicry. It is a heavy novel, with topics that are anything but light. Neither is it amusing because the fact remains there is a social strata that lives this way. Mrs. is the type of novel that would be more successful were the country in the midst of an economic boom and political harmony. As it stands, it is the wrong story for the wrong time, and each page is a reminder of the great divide that separates us more every day.

[Aisling · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, really. The writing is good, the plot slightly less so. Like many other reviewers I almost gave up on this book (and I rarely, rarely do that) because the characters were completely unrelatable and the plot moved slowly. I like Ms Macy's writing and observances but did not give a lick about one single character. After reading several reviews that said the ending was worth it, I plowed on.

The second half of the book is better. There is some deft weaving of plot and characters. Nothing unpredictable --done is a very good but not quite great way. Enough to save a dull first 200 pages? Well, I would not loan this book to a friend (unless they were uber rich NY or hedge fund people) but I would definitely give the author another try.

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s hard to put my finger on why I enjoyed this book but there was just something delightful about it. For all its unusualness, call me crazy, but I loved it!

Looking forward to the authors next book.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

didn't like it. was very dull. nothing really happened untill about 80% in and even then it was meh. hated the ending. not sure why it couldn't at the very least end on a happy note. sigh. I can not recommend it. I can't even imagine who would like this book

[Lauren Cecile · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I have an affinity for books about wealthy women living in New York City. I like the story to have some heft though; I don't really care for cardboard characters and a setting that could be Any City USA. I want the author to take advantage of the textured lifestyles and socioeconomic (class stratification) issues in one of the world's most interesting and complex cities, and breezy beach reads don't do those ideas justice.
Having said this, Mrs. is terribly overwritten. It started off strong. I could picture the women standing around a pretentious elementary school having pretentious conversations for "pick up" of their children and the descriptions were vivid without being trite and predictable.
But the book quickly devolved into a mishmash of boring backstories with a barely discernible plot line. The relationships weren't dynamic, the "revelations" weren't very dramatic and the actions and reactions were odd and unrealistic. It was a chore to finish.

[Maddie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know this book is trying to compare itself to Big Little Lies & Bonfire of the Vanities, and those are both unfortunate comparisons that set the bar far too high. Big Little Lies is certainly chick lit, but it is well-written, a page-turner, and you understand the basic motivations of the characters. Bonfire of the Vanities has a big exciting mix of characters, a plot that makes sense, and it effectively skewers New Yorkers of a certain social class. I think the author was aiming too high and doesn't have the talent to pull this off. Her attempts at a greek chorus effect, jumps around in time, and sparse writing about major events (e.g., the end of the book) could work if you're a talented writer, but it didn't work here.

Though I had many problems with this book, I would say the biggest flaw of Mrs. is the completely unrealistic characters and dialogue. The author does not have an ear for how real people talk and it makes the interpersonal drama hard to be interested in. Many characters are also strangely obsessed with each other in ways that are never fully explained. She also has pointless interludes with very minor characters that are never followed up on. That works for some authors, particularly those who are better able to nail characters with a few pages, but it is a waste of time here.

As someone who has lived in New York for a while, and spent time with people who send their children to private school here, I don't think the author is breaking new satirical ground. She's not saying anything that hasn't already been said (with more damning specificity) by the Nanny Diaries. Rich New Yorkers care a lot about where their children go to preschool, and gossip about each other. They have country homes and sometimes dark secrets. To really satirize, you should be able to pull in some more interesting details and better nail the way people speak to each other. To write a more compelling chick-lit book, you should have a more interesting plot and characters. Mrs. has none of those things.

[Scottsdale Public Library]

A light and quick read, I can see this made into a movie or mini-series as it reminded me of Big Little Lies. Told from multiple viewpoints, with engrossing dialogue, and rich description, Mrs. might be considered a modern novel of social criticism not unlike society novels of Victorian times. Classism is tackled, as well as new money versus old money prejudice. The woman on top of the parent’s social food-chain is discovered to have some rather serious secrets in her past and social decorum slowly unravels. Worth a weekend of reading!
-Lisanne E.

[Ilyssa Wesche · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not exactly what I expected but I liked it. Sometimes I felt like I had missed something, rather than just didn't find it out yet, and there are a couple of thing where I feel like "really, would someone have reacted that way?" But I chalk that up to me not being rich. I did enjoy the occasional one-off chapters, like with the stockbroker in the bar, and even the Greek chorus of women.

Good story, good if unbelievable (to me) characters, good ending.

[Lakinloveslit · Rating 1 out of 5]

I never ever don’t finish a book but this isn’t even deserving of one star. How this ever got published is beyond me. Truly had no clue what the story was meant to be. Got to 100 pages and my brain felt like it was turning to mush. Would not recommend!

[Freesiab BookishReview · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring. Scattered. Confusing. Very little development at 65%.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I’ve read so far this year. The tone is gossipy, but so cleverly constructed to give the reader just a little bit, like overhearing something you’re not privy to and wanting more. A contemporary remake of House of Mirth with a particularly manipulative male character who is talked about more than viewed in action, and a gorgeous ex-model who presents a drunken puzzle to the parents picking up and delivering their children at their exclusive Manhattan preschool. Most of the action here is in the keen observations, the conversations that flesh out character (or lack thereof), and the ways people play each other or back away from conflict. The characters, all with a connection to the preschool by one degree or another, are often unlikeable, sometimes appallingly self absorbed, but occasionally just the friend another character needs. I enjoyed the nuances of behavior, the occasional self-examination of the characters, and the occasional point of view of a child observing the entire social mess.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very enjoyable. Was it Lianne Moriarty good, well no, but it was sound in and of itself. The characters are well-developed, the tone is gossipy and atmospheric and the writing style is engaging. The multiple perspectives allow for a slow reveal of the traumas that ripple across the lives and between characters. I found this book to be impossible to put-down.

[AngryGreyCat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free signed copy of Mrs. from BEA in exchange for a fair review.

This is an interesting look at wealthy society in New York mainly through the lenses of the women, the Mrs.-es. The story spirals between three women Philippa, Minnie and Gwen and how their interactions have repercussions beyond what they could imagine. The novel explores themes of feminism and marriage, secrets, Protestant work ethic, motherhood, greed, sexual violence/power, insider vs. outsider, and justice.

I found it difficult to get into this book initially, perhaps some reverse snobbery on my part? The problems of the whinging wealthy don’t really resonate with me, however as more of the character’s stories are revealed I was drawn into their lives. There is some foreshadowing of the ending that was very well done and shows the thought put into the plotline of the novel. One character’s connection to every single other main character seemed to stretch the disbelief a little and I found that somewhat problematic. Perhaps this was purposeful, to demonstrate how small the world of the wealthy is? Everyone knows everyone else?

Overall, a good read that touches on many powerful themes.

[Liz Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs. by Caitlin Macy

Every so often I feel like reading about rich people in New York. Not just any book - it needs to be a bit sociological (I don't want to ogle, ahem, but to analyze) and if it provides some schadenfreude well, I won't complain. So when I heard that Caitlin Macy had written a new novel (18 years after her first) I knew it was the one. Not only is she well-attuned to pecuniary nuance - she can really tell a story! She starts with a classic of class-consciousness: her earlier book riffs on The Great Gatsby while Mrs. is full of echoes of The House of Mirth - social-climbing, stock market shenanigans, addiction, blackmail. Her focus is a trio of women from different social strata but she also voices characters from a Wall Street trainee to a seven-year-old with hilarious and touching fluency, saving most of her snark for a Greek chorus of private pre-school mommies. After laughing and tearing up and thoroughly enjoying myself, I came to feel what I was least expecting: a kind of Go, Girl! compassion for Philippa, Gwen and Minnie.

[Trudy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure if it was me or the book, but I had to stop reading this book almost halfway thru because the author seemed to get too carried away with the details; rambling on about little things which only left me lost and needing to go back and re-read whole chapters or sections too many times. The IDEA of the story is excellent, and the plot seemed really good and juicy, but you never really seem to feel like you're getting anywhere in the book - with all the fading out in to details over things that just felt so unnecessary and then you forget what the point was towards the end of the sentence and .....it got frustrating. If I were Caitlin Macy's editor, this book would have gone back with a big REWRITE in block red letters!!! Not recommending this book, but in my defense, I did try. I pushed myself and kept reading until about almost halfway thru - the point in a book where I should be hooked, not forced to keep reading!

[Mary-Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel focused on a small group of mothers who are part of the swanky UES preschool set, with comparisons to Curtis Sittenfeld's "Prep" and Liane Moriarty's "Big Little Lies". Great set-up, right?

Too bad each character was more flawed, unpredictable, and unpleasant than the next. I think the author believed that emphasizing the negative characteristics made these figures more relatable, but that particularly literary device was quite unsuccessful. I won't spoil it here, but the whole premise was extremely far-fetched, and the characters' actions were both inconsistent and unrealistic. There wasn't even as much real estate porn as I would have expected!