[BOOK REVIEW] The Testament of Harold’s Wife

Title: The Testament of Harold’s Wife
Author: Lynne Hugo
Pages: 224
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This is an Advanced Readers Copy of the book so some things may be changed between now and publication– including the quote at the end.

This book opens with a woman talking about a picture of Glitter Jesus while having tea with a group of chickens. Louisa is a recently widowed woman who is trying to find a way to live after the passing of her husband and grandson. This is a great no limits book about the test of time and grief and to what lengths people can be drawn to. Louisa shows us what being an older woman wrought with regret can truly be capable of.

This is very reminiscent of a book you would read in school. Perhaps like Of Mice and Men. It is very thought provoking but also playful across the board.

Oh No’s

This novel is very paragraph heavy. Louisa likes to drag on in her thoughts, which can be quite repetitive. I actually had to put a stop on reading just to take a break. This book is very reminiscent of ones that we would have read in high school.

I hated the son pushing his religion on to his mother so much. It was understandable given the loss that Gary has gone through but it was like he would not give up. The least he could do was give her the space she needed and try again later.

Yay’s

Her love for Harold is so pure I love how much she talks about him. He wasn’t just her husband, they lived their entire life together. When he passed, she couldn’t just let him go. His suicide is also another thing that even if you fully are with someone, sometimes other things can still bother them. This is why communication is important in relationships and just being there for the other person as much as you can.

Her idea of The Plan and how it changes and evolves throughout the story due to interactions with people. I loved how she comes up with The Plan and all of the crazy things she does to try and get back at this man. The ending was great in this aspect and of course, not all things go according to plan.

Altogether, this was an interesting read. I honestly will be looking for this to be in the school curriculum in the future. Other than for teaching purposes, this book was not much of an enjoyable leisure read for me. I do recommend this book if you have any interest in farm life, perhaps.

Favorite Quote

“Harold and I would have been unstoppable.”

-ARC

Catch you on the next page!

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