The Professors' Wives' Club

This is the story of four women with a common goal--saving the garden adjacent to the university housing where they live from demolition by the evil, self-serving Dean Havemeyer. Three of the four meet for the first time in the garden, and their relationship/s become tied with an intriguing subplot about Edgar Allan Poe. I'd say this story is primarily character-driven and I found it hard to put down. Mary is the tragic, beaten wife of the evil Dean Havemeyer. On faculty at Manhattan U (a fictionalized version of NYU), she has made a name for herself as a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, however, she's stressed and preoccupied with the personality changes in her husband, her daughter's upcoming wedding and her plan to move to San Francisco. Hannah is a former model whose husband, a professor of computer science, is obsessed with her looks. When we meet her she's steeped in guilt over her recent affair with one of her professors in the MFA program. She claims her husband is a sweet, wonderful man, but as his character develops there's all evidence to the contrary. Sophia is a feisty former Hollywood agent to the stars. She married her movie star client's brother, an egghead expert on Edgar Allan Poe, and gave it all up to have babies. Ashleigh is an in-the-closet lesbian, afraid to admit her sexual preference to her parents, particularly her right-wing conservative father the senator. She works as an attorney for the family law firm and is the only member of the "club" who isn't married to a Manhattan U professor. Each character is given equal time to develop her role within the plot and her relationship/s with the other women. This well written story doesn't lapse into gossipy accounts of lifestyles and decisions, but instead progresses through believable dialogue and very real characters. It left me satisfied and reassured that when women get together, they can accomplish amazing things. Well done. From the author of It's Not Your Mother's Bridge Club.

I couldn't put this book down! I loved the four main characters, particularly Mary, the wife of the evil dean. There's everything in here from the glamour of Manhattan's fashion and art scenes to the intrigue and suspense of an intellectual mystery. The writing is so smart and the whole Edgar Allan Poe plot added a little something extra. Can't wait to see what Joanne Rendell's next novel is about!

Rendell has really put a humorous finger on the social and political dynamics systemic at any college or university. It's well written, witty, and the characters are delightfully developed. This is a fun page turner and I hope for a movie!

I fell in love with these four woman who, through their friendship, find the strength to stand up for what they believe while coming to grips with their own personal predicaments. Joanne Rendell has woven an intriguing tale that kept me turning the pages until the very end.

The Professors' Wives' Club is a great read. It will be an excellent book for book club discussions. There are several interesting characters who remind us of someone we know or have known. We can identify with the emotions the author presents and think about how we would react in similar situations.