From the Bookshelf of Q&A with Leah Stewart…

Husband and Wife

Leah Stewart

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Apr 17, 2010 Elizabeth rated it really liked it

Leah Stewart has said (right here on Goodreads) that she is interested in identity. This theme, particularly the loss of identity, can be found in her latest novel. Sarah Price, the first person narrator and wife mentioned in the title, suffers a crisis when her husband confides that he cheated with a fellow writer that he met at a conference. While this news (delivered before they are due to give a toast at a wedding) is devastating, it is only compounded once Sarah realizes that the other woma Leah Stewart has said (right here on Goodreads) that she is interested in identity. This theme, particularly the loss of identity, can be found in her latest novel. Sarah Price, the first person narrator and wife mentioned in the title, suffers a crisis when her husband confides that he cheated with a fellow writer that he met at a conference. While this news (delivered before they are due to give a toast at a wedding) is devastating, it is only compounded once Sarah realizes that the other woman is leading the life she wanted for herself. That is, the life she wanted before she became a wife to a stay-at-home writer and the mother of two small, demanding children.

While Leah Stewart may be interested in identity, what she gets right in her novels is the nuances of relationships. In this novel, she explores the crumbling marrriage between a cheating husband and his baffled wife: the intense emotion that ranges from love to hate to love once again. Stewart offers believable dialogue between the estranged couple.

The novel contains many recognizable North Carolina landmarks, especially bookstores (Regulator in Durham and Quail Ridge in Raleigh). In fact, Leah is appearing at Quail Ridge on June 1 (shameless plug alert)to talk about this novel. Leah Stewart used to live in the country outside of Chapel Hill. (After reading the novel, I am picturing a house similar to the one that Nathan and Sarah inhabit in the novel.)

In a strange twist, I began reading this novel in a motel room. Because of my germ phobia, I forced my daughter to wear socks in the room at all times and to stand on a hand towel in ofer to take a shower (no bare feet to be touching any surfaces). Then, I get to the part in the novel where Sarah Price mentions her revulsion at the blood and sperm stained comforters in rented rooms. Ugh! One more thing to worry about! Of course, I stripped the comforters from the bed for the rest of our stay.

I was lucky enough to win a copy of this novel, but I would have found my way to it anyway. I will leave you with some words of wisdom form the novel: don't step on the died girl.
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