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Availability:
Library | Call Number | Format | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Abington Public Library | FIC HAW | BOOK | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Braintree Thayer Public Library | HAW | BOOK | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Brockton Public Library | HAWKINS | BOOK | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Hanover John Curtis Free Library | HAWKINS | BOOK | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Holbrook Public Library | HAWKINS | BOOK | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Marshfield Ventress Memorial Library | HAWKINS | BOOK | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Norwell Public Library | FIC HAWKINS | 28 DAY BOOK | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Plymouth Public Library | HAW | BOOK | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Plymouth Manomet Branch | HAW | BOOK | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Randolph Turner Free Library | HAWKINS | BOOK | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Rockland Memorial Library | HAWKINS | BOOK | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Sandwich Public Library | LARGE PRINT HAWKINS | BOOK | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Scituate Town Library | HAW | BOOK | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Sharon Public Library | HAWKINS, RACHEL | BOOK | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Stoughton Public Library | FIC HAW LT | BOOK | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Weymouth Tufts Library | FIC HAWKINS | BOOK | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Whitman Public Library | HAWKINS | BOOK | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
A delicious twist on a Gothic classic, Rachel Hawkins's The Wife Upstairs pairs Southern charm with atmospheric domestic suspense, perfect for fans of B.A. Paris and Megan Miranda.
Meet Jane. Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates--a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name.
But her luck changes when she meets Eddie Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates' most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can't help but see an opportunity in Eddie--not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she's always yearned for.
Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea, an ambitious beauty with a rags-to-riches origin story, who launched a wildly successful southern lifestyle brand. How can she, plain Jane, ever measure up? And can she win Eddie's heart before her past--or his--catches up to her?
With delicious suspense, incisive wit, and a fresh, feminist sensibility, The Wife Upstairs flips the script on a timeless tale of forbidden romance, ill-advised attraction, and a wife who just won't stay buried. In this vivid reimagining of one of literature's most twisted love triangles, which Mrs. Rochester will get her happy ending?
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
YA author Hawkins (Her Royal Highness) makes her adult debut with this spirited reboot of Jane Eyre. Shortly after starting to walk dogs in tony Thornfield Estates, a gated community in Birmingham, Ala., the penniless young woman calling herself Jane meets dashing recent widower Eddie Rochester--whose wealthy wife, Bea Mason, went missing and was presumed drowned in a boating mishap, along with her BFF Blanche Ingraham, six months earlier. Sparks fly, but plain Jane has a tough time living up to the legend of the glamorous Bea, who created the Southern Manors lifestyle brand. Then Blanche's body is found, and it's clear from the massive skull fracture that her death was no accident. As the police reopen their probe, an increasingly concerned Jane starts investigating Bea's fate and what part, if any, Eddie played. Hawkins shows real wit in outsider Jane's sharp-eyed take on the entitled ladies of Thornfield Estates, but the mercenarily motivated characters will put off some readers. Nonetheless, this suspenseful domestic thriller will keep readers turning the pages. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. (Jan.)
Booklist Review
In her adult debut, YA author Hawkins (Royals, 2018) twists together the suspense and storytelling of Jane Eyre with the atmosphere, tension, and odd characters of a Southern-gothic novel into a tale of a young woman trying to escape her past. Jane walks the dogs of the rich socialites of Birmingham's Thornfield Estates, understanding she's an outsider. That is, until she meets Eddie Rochester. Eddie can give her everything she ever wanted. But as they prepare to marry, the death of Eddie's first wife, Bea, and her best friend, Blanche, hangs over them, until Jane discovers that Bea may not be as much a part of Eddie's past as she'd thought. The bleak setting provides the appropriate mood to each of Jane's discoveries, leading to well-plotted surprises that may not be entirely shocking, especially for fans of Charlotte Brontë's work. First-person narration by Jane allows for a slow reveal of her past, and occasional perspectives from other characters provide clues to their motivations. An altogether sinister novel that will make readers of Jennifer McMahon, Ruth Ware, and Donna Tartt shudder.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Expect a lot of media coverage of (and therefore a lot of demand for) this Southern-gothic Jane Eyre adaptation.
Library Journal Review
In her first adult title, YA author Hawkins presents a twisted Jane Eyre, reimagined and set in a modern-day affluent gated community in Birmingham, AL. Penniless Jane is a dog walker whose wealthy customers include Eddie Rochester, a widower who has recently lost his wife, Bea, to a mysterious drowning accident. Strangely, Bea's body has not been found. Jane falls in love with the rich and handsome Mr. Rochester and moves in with him. She is obsessed by thoughts of the successful and beautiful Bea and wonders if Eddie will ever love her as intensely. Narrators Emily Shaffer, Kirby Heyborne, and Lauren Fortgang do an excellent job reading this gripping and intriguing mystery. Patrons who have read Jane Eyre will enjoy the similarities between the two books and be delightfully surprised by the unexpected twists in the modern story. VERDICT This well-narrated, suspenseful psychological thriller is recommended for the audiobook collections of all public libraries.--Ilka Gordon, Beachwood, OH