A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK
"Chandler Baker, queen of the feminist thriller, has delivered once again! The Husbands is a poignant exploration of what it would take for women to have it all." —Sally Hepworth, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Sister
Chandler Baker, the New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Network, is back with The Husbands, a novel that asks: to what lengths will a woman go for a little more help from her husband?
Nora Spangler is a successful attorney but when it comes to domestic life, she packs the lunches, schedules the doctor appointments, knows where the extra paper towel rolls are, and designs and orders the holiday cards. Her husband works hard, too... but why does it seem like she is always working so much harder?
When the Spanglers go house hunting in Dynasty Ranch, an exclusive suburban neighborhood, Nora meets a group of high-powered women—a tech CEO, a neurosurgeon, an award-winning therapist, a bestselling author—with enviably supportive husbands. When she agrees to help with a resident's wrongful death case, she is pulled into the lives of the women there. She finds the air is different in Dynasty Ranch. The women aren't hanging on by a thread.
But as the case unravels, Nora uncovers a plot that may explain the secret to having-it-all. One that's worth killing for. Calling to mind a Stepford Wives gender-swap, The Husbands imagines a world where the burden of the "second shift" is equally shared—and what it may take to get there.
A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books
"The Husbands is both a gripping, well-crafted mystery and an insightful critique of motherhood and marriage in the modern age—working mothers everywhere will feel seen in the best possible way." —Kimberly McCreight, New York Times bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia and A Good Marriage
A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK
"Chandler Baker, queen of the feminist thriller, has delivered once again! The Husbands is a poignant exploration of what it would take for women to have it all." —Sally Hepworth, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Sister
Chandler Baker, the New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Network, is back with The Husbands, a novel that asks: to what lengths will a woman go for a little more help from her husband?
Nora Spangler is a successful attorney but when it comes to domestic life, she packs the lunches, schedules the doctor appointments, knows where the extra paper towel rolls are, and designs and orders the holiday cards. Her husband works hard, too... but why does it seem like she is always working so much harder?
When the Spanglers go house hunting in Dynasty Ranch, an exclusive suburban neighborhood, Nora meets a group of high-powered women—a tech CEO, a neurosurgeon, an award-winning therapist, a bestselling author—with enviably supportive husbands. When she agrees to help with a resident's wrongful death case, she is pulled into the lives of the women there. She finds the air is different in Dynasty Ranch. The women aren't hanging on by a thread.
But as the case unravels, Nora uncovers a plot that may explain the secret to having-it-all. One that's worth killing for. Calling to mind a Stepford Wives gender-swap, The Husbands imagines a world where the burden of the "second shift" is equally shared—and what it may take to get there.
A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books
"The Husbands is both a gripping, well-crafted mystery and an insightful critique of motherhood and marriage in the modern age—working mothers everywhere will feel seen in the best possible way." —Kimberly McCreight, New York Times bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia and A Good Marriage
Reviews-
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April 26, 2021
House-hunting Austin, Tex., attorney Nora Spangler, the protagonist of bestseller Baker’s disappointing sophomore effort (after 2019’s Whisper Network), thinks Dynasty Ranch looks like a dream come true, an “enclave community” of enviably accomplished professional women—and husbands who, unlike her own spouse, Hayden, seem to pride themselves on sharing domestic duties. But all may not be quite as idyllic as it appears. After Nora meets Dynasty Ranch resident Penny March, a renowned advice columnist, Penny retains Nora to explore a wrongful death suit on behalf of her husband, who was burned alive in the blaze that incinerated their home. Though wary of a potential conflict of interest since she and Hayden are weighing an offer in the community, Nora starts investigating—and grows increasingly suspicious about the fire. She also gradually becomes more and more uneasy about all the Stepford-like hubbies. While Baker puts everywoman Nora in frightening peril, she paints such a convincing picture of her stretched-to-the-breaking-point existence that the novel proves something of a downer, a situation its unbelievable final bombshell does nothing to improve. Hopefully, she’ll return to form next time. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House. -
Narrator Allyson Ryan delivers an engaging narration of this feminist romp. Nora is an overworked and underappreciated pregnant mother, wife, and lawyer. While house hunting, she and her husband find Dynasty Ranch, a community of successful women with wildly supportive husbands and, it turns out, unorthodox methods for getting ahead. The characters are well developed; Ryan depicts them with slight but consistent variations, allowing for easy distinction. While the mystery lacks a fast pace and shocking twists, Ryan's delivery of the social commentary keeps the story entertaining. Additional points of view are provided through various online articles, forums, and social media posts, which Ryan deftly incorporates and elevates. A fun listen for those who enjoy domestic drama with slow-burn suspense. V.T.M. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
