'A Reliable Wife'

This is a psychological thriller. It begins with an ad in the paper for a reliable wife, to which Catherine responds that she is a simple, honest woman. Catherine is anything but simple, and honest ... matter of fact nearly all the characters in this
story are anything but simple and honest. All through the story we wrestle with characters who are searching for love while believing that they are neither worthy of it nor capable of receiving it. As the two main characters each struggle with their own psychological complications their close proximity begins to ignite the light of love in both their lives. Sex is often seen as the most powerful force in this novel, but that is a red herring, for the most powerful force in this story is how a growing love fosters forgiveness and grace; and how the rejection of that forgiveness and grace destroys one's life. There were are illustrations of how the quality of our life is often stunted because of our unwillingness to allow love to change us; how our unwillingness to accept forgiveness from others makes our lives even more bitter. As the story weaves its tangled web it invites us to not only step inside the story, but examine how our lives are often filled with bitterness and disappointment and how we respond to those times. As we come to the end of the story I am shocked by the change that has come into each character's life through their relationships; relationships entered into for selfish reasons that now have become open to selfless sharing. ENJOY.
A RELIABLE WIFE. Goolrick, Robert, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 2009 ISBN: 9781565129771