Before I get into this review, I think it’s important that I tell you I was born and raised in Mormonism and spent a great deal of time in Utah. So the polygamy of it all is extra interesting to me.
That’s right. The title of this novel refers to “plural marriage,” which is what fundamentalist Mormons call (and called) polygamy from the 19th century to today.
Thursday is the second wife of a man who is married to three women. His first wife, Monday (Regina), is a career-driven lawyer who he met in college. His third wife, Tuesday (Hannah), is a sweet young women who is pregnant with Seth’s child. All three women live in the Pacific Northwest – Thursday lives in Seattle while the other two wives live in Portland.
Thursday had a traumatic miscarriage, but she keeps her husband’s attention with sex and by playing the role of the perfect housewife. The wives all know about one aother, but the details are kept secret. Hence, the days of the week in place of names. But when Thursday finds some details about each of the other wives, she can’t help but do some research. After all, it’s “natural” for women to be jealous and compare themselves to one another, right? At least that’s what Thursday thinks.
Eventually, as in all of these novels, she finds herself deeper in the story than she intended, and she knows more than Seth wants her to. More than she should.
Without totally spoiling everything, I’m kind of a fan of the unreliable female narratior who has some sort of problem. Thursday is nosy and imperfect, and I love that about her. At the very same time she thinks she is unraveling the mystery, she is also affecting the story and changing the outcome.
I guess I’m a big fan of the deeply imperfect woman…