A More Obedient Wife: A Novel of the Early Supreme Court

by Natalie Wexler

Book Overview

Set against the turbulent background of the 1790s, this novel blends excerpts from over 100 letters and other 18th-century documents with speculation to create an engaging tale of four real historical... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0615135161
• ISBN13: 9780615135168
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Kalorama Press
• Length: 452 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

This Story Will Capture Your Heart

I just finished reading A More Obedient Wife. The only part I didn't like is that it ended. This is a real sleeper that I recommend to anyone regardless of age, gender, or reading preference. Take me, for example: I started the book with no expectation of finishing it, much less enjoying it. It just so happened that I ran across it while I was temporarily out of reading material. I skimmed a few pages and put the book down. I prefer action stuff. I came back a short while later. Hannah Iredell had grown on me. I admired her. I couldn't get her out of my head. I simply had to find out what would happen to her. It didn't hurt one bit that the writing is smooth. Natalie Wexler's feel for the rhythm of the language can't be taught or learned. When I run across it, which is rare, I know I am in the hands of a born writer, the real McCoy. Never mind what genre. This story is told primarily through the diaries of two women wedded to US Supreme Court Justices in the late 1700's. The story unfolds also through excerpts from letters. All the diary entries and the excerpts are fascinating, sometimes spine-tingling, always moving, and never too long or too short. The excerpts are so well-placed within the story as to be downright sneaky in their role of carrying heavy loads with few words. They keep the pace lively. The letters also do yeoman's work in breathing life into those characters who, while not cast in starring roles like the two diarists, are nevertheless vital to the story. Hannah Iredell comes to the reader already molded, set, and unlikely to change. I had no wish for her to become different. She is not a beauty; she knows that. Her husband James betrayed her once to her knowledge, and she accepts the likelihood that he did so at other times as well, perhaps many. She lost a child. She has another who is (probably) schizophrenic. Someone else's child was lost while in her care. She endures hardship and loneliness so acute I felt it down inside my bones. In spite of all that, Hannah Iredell does not succumb to feeling sorry for herself. She soldiers on. She uses her intelligence to remain a steady force through troubled times. Then along comes the other Hannah, a green bud straining to open--quite pretty, somewhat flirtatious, restless to enter a wondrous future, impressed by the wrong things, and eminently lovable for all of that. What a delight to see this child still in her teens evolve into the principal catalyst for effecting change in a character as rock-solid as Hannah Iredell. When adversity comes young Hannah Gray Wilson's way, as it does in torrents, she reaches into her soul and draws forth all the courage she has, and then some. Even Hannah Iredell, older and as courageous and rock-solid as she herself is, cannot help but be moved--and changed--by the courage shown by Hannah Wilson. I believe the development of these two characters, as their stars cross during these crucial, formative years in American history, is the founda

A great book club selection

When we decided to read this book for our book club, I expected that half of us would howl. If your book club is like ours, there are at least two factions. Some of us always like the same things while the other half hates everything we like. So it was a great surprise to discover that this book had something for everyone. Tightly written and historically accurate, it's also a terrifically good read. In spite of the fact that the two main characters share the same name (Hannah), it's hard not to get caught up in their very different personalities and predicaments. It's also hard not to find the historical back story compelling, even if you have no interest in 18th century American life or the early Supreme Court. This is the kind of book that gave us much to discuss and also sparked our curiosity to learn more about the times and the real life characters. Highly recommended.

More Praise for "A More Obedient Wife"

Reading Natalie Wexler's novel provided me with that wonderful experience of being so riveted, so engaged, so caught in the tale being spun that I literally could not put the book down. Travel back in time and meet her remarkable (and very real) characters. You won't be disappointed.

It will exceed your expectations

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (3/07) When you read a book and you get what you expect, it is a good thing; however, when you read a book and it exceeds your expectations, it is a wonderful thing! "A More Obedient Wife" greatly exceeded my expectations. My reading preferences tend to lean more towards fantasy-escapism type books. Knowing that the author, Natalie Wexler, combined fictional accounts with true historical events, I wanted to read her novel to broaden my horizons and increase my knowledge of American history. Well, in addition to expanding my knowledge of American history, Ms. Wexler also totally managed to get me caught up in the story. Ms. Wexler does a great job describing her scenes, to the point that you actually feel like you are there. She accomplishes this with her words, more so than most movies that I have seen are able to. It was not surprising to find out that she actually visited some of the places that she includes in her story. This story involves the lives of two Hannah's. Hannah Iredell, is in her forties when her story begins. She is a shy, plain, yet intelligent woman. Her husband, whom she refers to as "Mr. Iredell," is appointed to the Supreme Court and has work obligations take him away from home for long periods of time. He is younger than his wife, yet appears to be very devoted to her. She isn't as confident of his loyalty and spends a great deal of time worrying about his fidelity to her, especially in regards to the other Hannah. Hannah Wilson was just 19 when she met James Wilson. He was a 51 year old widower who was instantly smitten with her. He was a Justice who had to travel frequently. He was also one of only six men who had the privilege of signing both the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. After he married Hannah, he took her home to take care of his six children, one of whom was actually older than her. Society and his family speculated on Hannah's reasons for marrying him. Most assumed that it was to gain access to his wealth and to enjoy his status in the high society. This was proven wrong when he ended up heavily in debt, in trouble with the law and has lost everything. Hannah still stood by his side until his death. The two Hannah's lives intersect at various points during their lives, mainly when their husbands are interacting. They do not have much in common and initially are not friends. As Hannah Wilson struggles through the conflicts brought on by her husband's poor choices, a mature woman begins to emerge and she gains the respect of Hannah Iredell. "A More Obedient Wife" covers a lot of historical information, yet it has more dimensions added to it with the personalized accounts of each woman's life. They both dealt with financial worries and the loss of a child. They had to struggle through illnesses with their children. They also had to carry much weight on their shoulders with their husband's frequent absences. I highly recommend this novel. I reall

A More Enthusiastic Review (is not possible)

This book transformed my (previously ambivalent) views about historical fiction. Wexler has seamlessly interwoven actual letters with a creative imagining of the lives of seminal figures of the 1790s to create a novel that is a gripping story and an affirmation of the ultimate humanity of all of us. Her prodigious research has produced a level of detail that transports the reader into an intimate familiarity with daily life more than 200 years ago. And her ability to enter the minds and hearts of her characters -- even replicating the cadences of their speech and the idiosyncracies of their writing -- creates fully realized and authentic individuals from whom I was sorry to part. The Hannahs and the Jamess could not have asked for a more compassionate or eloquent memorialist. They, and we, should be grateful.