In her masterful first novel Mrs. Kimble, Jennifer Haigh delivers the riveting story of three women who marry the same man.
Ken Kimble is revealed through the eyes of the women he seduces: his first wife, Birdie, who struggles to hold herself together following his desertion; his second wife, Joan, a lonely heiress shaken by personal tragedy, who sees in Kimble her last chance at happiness; and finally Dinah, a beautiful but damaged woman half his age. Woven throughout is the story of Kimble's son, Charlie, whose life is forever affected by the father he barely remembers. Kimble is a chameleon, a man able to become, at least for a while, all things to all women -- a hero to whom powerful needs and nameless longings may be attached. Only later do they glimpse the truth about this enigmatic, unknowable man.
Candy B. (candieb) from AUSTIN, TX wrote on 4/10/2007...
5 member(s) found this review helpful.
I bought this on a complete whim because the cover and premise called to me. I didn't expect to really like it, but wow, was I in for a surprise. This is a surprisingly insightful book into one man, whom we never really meet; told by his 3 wives. Stuck in the middle of all of it is his son, who your heart just aches for. Definitely worth a read, I'm glad I picked this one up!
Kadie F. (kadiefop) from SAINT LOUIS, MO wrote on 7/27/2007...
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
great story of 3 different women all married to the same man, who becomes a different man himself w/ each of the 3 women. Each woman's story is riveting and surely you will find some aspect to relate to your own life. An excellent read!
Mary B. (eagles) from COLUMBIA, SC wrote on 8/14/2007...
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Absolutely wonderful book. Drew me in with the first sentence. A book about different lives revolving around one man. NOT a romance, dark in some places, but an interesting book that is easy to read.
Jennifer R. (Kittymama) from SAINT CHARLES, MO wrote on 4/25/2008...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Very good book and a fast read. Interesting to hear the different views of the different Mrs. Kimbles.
Genevieve L. from PALMYRA, NJ wrote on 2/28/2007...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
An interesting look at the way three different women approached the same husband at different times in their lives and his life. The ending is an interesting twist.
Terri S. from HILLSBOROUGH, NC wrote on 1/9/2007...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is the story of three different women who marry the same man.
Patty R. from BRISTOL, TN wrote on 12/3/2006...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
AWESOME BOOK! Nothing but memorable characters!
Audrey J. from BRADENTON, FL wrote on 11/25/2006...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Outstanding first novel. A story of Ken Kimble, a handsome man with an unknown past, and Birdie, Joan and Dinah, who each marry ken at successive stages. The wives are complex, three dimentional characters. From a book review "a memorable novel that is bewitching, heartrending and real."
Nancy L. (sewingnancyl) from WINFIELD, MO wrote on 11/20/2006...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Wonderful story of the 3 woman and the man they married.
Laurie Z. (Piros1) from FLORA, MS wrote on 11/18/2006...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Very suspenseful - kept me going till the wee hours of the a.m. Very human, too.
Rate These Member Reviews
Barbara D. (TNFan17) from GRANVILLE, IL wrote on 11/11/2008...
I enjoyed it. A good, quick read.
Charlotte B. from HARAHAN, LA wrote on 9/29/2008...
I did enjoy this book. Kimble was a strange man. I think he was always searching for something such as totally different women and success in business. He loved the limelight and and having a trophy wife on his arm. He was a selfish character-did not care about the children. The bottom line is that there is only one person he really cared about and that was himself.
Jennifer Y. from LANCASTER, PA wrote on 6/26/2008...
This book was well written and a great story. Excellent and would totally recommend
Jan W. (Paperchick) from CHICAGO, IL wrote on 3/14/2008...
I really liked this...read it in one late night/early morning.
Maria H. (ri) from CINCINNATI, OH wrote on 1/13/2008...
I really enjoyed this story of a man who touches (and not usually in a very good way) so many lives. He can turn on the charm initially and draw women in only to leave them empty and wondering what went wrong. I particularly enjoyed the journey each woman took to reflect on the relationship with Ken and see the progression that they didn't realize was happening at the time. It raises questions about the importance of how the other person makes you feel both in the short and long term. Ken really seemed to be quite immature, only really able to connect with much younger women. I was intrigued by the character of Brendan the most, though he was only in the very end of the book. He seemed to embody the way we are shaped by our home environment and the potential we all have to rise out of our circumstances.
I'm glad I finally got around to reading this one. It raises so many questions in my mind about relationships and what draws us to others. This is truly great book, especially given that it is the author's first novel.
Bet S. (SkovePublisher) from AKRON, OH wrote on 12/17/2007...
Compelling story about a man who weds three very different women, and how his personality impacts their lives and the lives of their children. Story begins in 1969 and ends in the 80's.
Diane O. from RICHARDSON, TX wrote on 5/29/2007...
I enjoyed this book very much.
Prudence D. (PrueD) from NEW YORK, NY wrote on 4/24/2007...
I found this a little hard to get into - the characters weren't engaging to me.
D.M. S. (gnomie) from CHARLOTTESVLE, VA wrote on 1/14/2007...
I read this in my book club and we all really liked it.
Michelle C. (houndmom) from EUGENE, OR wrote on 11/15/2006...