Search - The Senator's Wife

The Senator's wife is told from the two main characters: Meri, a young married transplant, and Delia, an older, wiser woman who is married to an ex senator, but living separately from him. The stories toggle back and forth between the two even recounting some of the same instances, and begins in 1993, and ends in present day, 2007. In my opinion, the novel starts off slow as the background is set, but picks up about halfway through. It is worth it to trudge along to get to the real story. This is the first book I have read by Sue Miller. I do not know if I will pick up any of her others, but I am glad I finished this book about imperfect marriages, and non traditional women who make their own paths.

I like how the main character Meri in “The Senator’s Wife,” yearns for a healthy mother-daughter bond. I was drawn to this part of the storyline in a unique way. I am a woman easily enticed by older, grandmotherly women willing to share their advice and life history. I like how Delia (a mother for more than 50 years and the wife of a philandering senator) who is Meri’s neighbor fills this role and takes a motherly interest in Meri. Since Meri is a newly married woman she is curious about the marriage of Delia. Or is she just needy because she is missing something in her relationship with her new husband? The young bride learns things about the older woman’s marriage that at first repulse her but, I believe, later are perceived by Meri with caution because she herself learns how a marriage can sometimes take a course you never dreamed it could take. I like comparing the fates of the two marriages and taking into consideration what each woman wants and desires versus the actual outcomes of those desires. Expect to be surprised in typical Miller style and know this won’t be a book you will easily forget.

This is a good read for mature women. Worth quoting: "She thought this might be the moment…when the grown children swept in and irresistibly took over your life. When you could no longer say no, because it was so clear that all the things you thought of as belonging to you were in the process of becoming theirs - their possessions, and, of course, their heavy burdens, too: your life, your spouse's life, your illness, his illness, your death. The moment when you owed them something, when you had to give way, out of a kind of fairness to them; and then also because you just didn't have the strength left anymore to fight."

Listened to this as an audio book in the car. The main character Meri is not very likable, sneaky and is passive-aggressive. I found the book to be dull and looked forward to it being over. The ending is a little shocking, but even more so is Meri's justification for her marriage-destroying behavior while she leads her "happily ever after" life.

an enjoyable read - Sue Miller never disapoints

Miller's writing is so precise, you feel every emotion, you can see every thought. You are there. This is an excellent novel of admiration, love and betrayal. When Meri and Nathan move in next door to the senator's wife, you sense trouble. the story slowly builds tension as you being to realize you don't quite trust Meri. I hated to see the story end even though Miller wraps up all the loose ends. What a great read!