Type of bind: Paperback
Format: Bargain Price
Label: Amazon Remainders Account
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 352
Printing Date: November 29, 2005
Publishing house: Amazon Remainders Account
Sale Popularity Level: 617133
Studio: Amazon Remainders Account
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
“Appearances are deceiving in this psychological thriller . . . a compelling read.”— The Boston Globe
“The memory starts here, in my apron pocket, with the gun.”
So begins The Doctor’s Wife, a stunning debut novel about four people and the cataclysmic intersection of their lives. Michael is a rising OB/GYN at a prominent private practice in Albany, New York; he also moonlights at a local women’s health clinic. But Annie, his wife, has become tired of her workaholic husband’s absences, and the soccer-mom lifestyle has worn thin. She begins a passionate love affair with bad-boy, fading celebrity painter Simon Haas—an affair that quickly goes awry when Simon’s wife Lydia, who is also the model upon whom he built his career, discovers the truth.
Abortion, local evangelism, marital disenchantment, and the rifts of social class: Brundage takes on the fault lines of our era with a deft hand.
“A fine debut, full of psychological suspense, plot twists and turns, malice disguised as religion, the taint of incest, and cheating spouses.”—Library Journal
“No character inhabiting this story will escape unscathed from the choices they’ve made... [a] well-crafted work.” —Ms. Magazine
Amazon.com:
A suspense novel crossed with a literary exploration of infidelity and marital rancor, Elizabeth Brundage's ambitious debut, The Doctor's Wife, provides more than the usual kick of adrenalin for readers. In a small town in upstate New York, urban transplants Annie and Michael Knowles--he is a rising OB/GYN, and she is a once-trailblazing journalist who has settled into a teaching job--hope to escape the noise and bustle of the city. But both are drawn into danger: Annie begins an affair with an infamous (and married) painter, Simon Haas, and Michael is coaxed into helping an ex-lover at her family planning clinic. He performs abortions for poor women, and tries to ignore the cars that follow him home and the increasingly threatening phone calls. ometimes Brundage perfectly navigates the twisting, overlapping elements of her complicated story line, but other times gives us too much at a time. And one of her characters, Simon's disturbed wife Lydia Haas, is so fascinating that she puts the others in the shade. Nevertheless, this is a rich very first novel and a promising beginning for its author. --Regina Marler
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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This is an unusal thriller, the sort of novel that looks at many issues most people would rather not talk about, like the abortion issue - and mostly you don't find these subjects in regular thrillers. While there were a few scenes that made my hairs stand on end, I applaud this author's skill and courage in taking on serious issues in such a way that I was compelled to read on. I also found the characters and their stories to be unusual and fascinating. This book is not for everyone, however. In times like these, when people seem oversensitive to the "big issues" and political ideas, some readers might be offended. However, that may be the most powerful aspect of this book, and this is a writer I will continue to watch out for. If you don't mind a little controversy, this book's for you. Read it!
Rated by buyers 
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I want my money back.
What a tiresome book.
I struggled and I cant remember when I have read anything so trite.
Needless to say I was surprised that one of the chapters didnt start out "It was a dark and stormy night..."
I always finish every single book I start but to be honest with you I almost had to break that rule with this juvenile blather.
Thing is I like reading new authors. You can find some truly gifted people who are unknown. But not this time.
To sum it up. Bad guys are rich Republicans. I'm sure you can take the rest of the manufactored drivel and create the ......rest of the story. HA!
Hope this author doesnt give up her day job. Or, if her day job is writing might I suggest Burger King is now hiring.
Rated by buyers 
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I found not too much original in this book. While there were several themes with intriguing possiblities, (abortion, mental illness) the author never really fleshes them out, but rather depends on cliches and one dimensional portrayals - all anti-abortionists are religious zealots, all sexually abused children turn out to be murderers, etc. The become simply a backdrop for soap-opera or romance novel theatrics. I also found Michael's ambiguity regarding the safety of his family totally unrealistic.
I would not recommend spending your time on this novel.
Rated by buyers -
Brundage's very first novel is a study in the psychological deterioration of two women - Lydia, the abused and damaged young wife of a once-popular artist, and Annie, the lonely wife of an overworked obstetrician. The convoluted plot revolves around Annie's torrid affair with Lydia's husband, the doctor's increasingly dangerous work at an abortion clinic, and crazy Lydia's desire for vengeance against Annie, her husband, and the horrible people who murder unborn children.
While it's easy to recognize the bad guys in this story (slimy Rev. Tim, for example, is a disgusting religious fanatic training young girls to shoot abortion doctors), it's not so easy to find anyone likable. Annie is selfish and shallow, and she stupidly gets involved in an affair that makes little sense and seems so totally destined for disaster that it's difficult to comprehend why she can't see it herself. The artist, Simon Haas, is arrogant and abusive, alternating between tormenting his psychologically disturbed wife and having sex with Annie in run-down motels. The doctor, Michael, is never there for his family, disappointing his wife and children on a regular basis. His work at the abortion clinic is annoying even for those who support a woman's right to choose - this man's children are threatened by anti-abortion crazies, but still he refuses to stop performing abortions. In fact, never once does he even consider leaving the clinic. And crazy Lydia, who should have earned our sympathies because of her horrible childhood, ends up going completely around the bend, taking the story with her.
The novel reads like a combination of Stephen King's Misery and an episode of Desperate Housewives. It all seems eerily predictable and derivative. Brundage is a skilled writer, and there are sections of the book that easily transcend the ridiculous story. But in no way is this a good read. I had trouble finishing it - somewhere two-thirds of the way through I found myself struggling to get through the paragraphs. I will say that Brundage's second novel, Somebody Else's Daughter, is far superior to The Doctor's Wife. Those who have sworn off Brundage's work after being disappointed with this one should think twice. But this one isn't worth the time it takes to read it.
Rated by buyers -
This was a very quick and easy read. I read it while flying across country and back this week. Ms. Brundage takes on some controversial topics including religion, depression, infidelity, and abortion. No matter your feelings on these issues, I think it makes a great read. Yes, it does have a predictable ending. Hard to put down, all the same.
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