Book Review: Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Willliams
Before I get into the synopsis and my full review, let me just tell you… I loved this book. I could not put it down. It was so addicting and felt like I was immersed into my own little world, or the book’s world, the entire time I was reading it. It was unputdownable and a book that I could not stop thinking about … that I just wanted to keep reading. This is my first Beatriz Williams book, and I know that she is an incredible author. I am excited to get my hands on other books of hers!
Synopsis:
New England, 2022. Three years ago, single mother Mallory Dunne received the telephone call every parent dreads--her ten-year-old son, Sam, had been airlifted from summer camp with acute poisoning from a toxic death cap mushroom, leaving him fighting for his life. Now, searching for the donor kidney that will give her son a chance for a normal life, Mallory's forced to confront two harrowing secrets from her past: her mother's adoption from an infamous Irish orphanage in 1952, and her own all-consuming summer romance fourteen years earlier with her childhood best friend, Monk Adams-- one of the world's most beloved singer-songwriters--a fairy tale cut short by a devastating betrayal.
Cairo, 1951. After suffering tragedy beyond comprehension in the war, Hungarian refugee Hannah Ainsworth has forged a respectable new life for herself--marriage to a wealthy British diplomat with a coveted posting in glamorous Cairo. But a fateful encounter with the enigmatic manager of a hotel bristling with spies leads to a passionate affair that will reawaken Hannah's longing for everything she once lost. As revolution simmers in the Egyptian streets, a pregnant Hannah finds herself snared in a game of intrigue between two men . . . and an act of sacrifice that will echo down the generations.
Timeless and bittersweet, Husbands & Lovers takes readers on an unforgettable journey of heartbreak and redemption, from the revolutionary fires of midcentury Egypt to the moneyed beaches of contemporary New England. Acclaimed author Beatriz Williams has written a poignant and beautifully voiced novel of deeply human characters entangled by morally complex issues--of privilege, class, and the female experience--inside worlds brought shimmeringly to life.
My Review:
This is a historical fiction novel told in three parts: Hannah, in Egypt 1951 and 1952, and Mallory, both in 2008 and 2022 (present day), in the Northeast—somewhere in Connecticut, the Cape? There’s one family heirloom that connects Mallory and Hannah, although you may pick up on its history in Hannah’s parts, but you don’t learn about it much later in Mallory’s parts. Hannah’s POV is told on the backdrop of the Egyptian revolution in 1952, a few months before that. Hannah is married to this British aristocrat who gets relocated to Egypt. There, Hannah meets Lucien Beck, and the two begin an affair.
The next POVs are both told by Mallory, one in 2008 and one in 2022 (which is present day, in the book). In 2022, Mallory’s son, Sam, suffers a tragic accident that leaves him in kidney failure. Three years later and still on the transplant list, Mallory is forced to reckon with her past. This includes her childhood best friend, Monk Adams, who is now one of music’s biggest singer/songwriters—and engaged. She, along with her sister, Paige, come face to face with a lifelong family secret and have to unravel that secret, possibly to save Sam’s life. That part wasn’t really tied to Sam, Mallory’s son, as much, but it was a fantastic piece of the story that kept me hooked. Chapter by chapter, Hannah and Mallory’s stories wove together naturally. Hannah’s story paralleled well with Mallory’s story, specifically Mallory and Monk.
To be honest, I did not know what was going to happen with Mallory and Monk. I knew this wasn’t technically a romance book, so anything could happen (and not the typical happily ever after). But I was rooting for them forever and ever. I won’t spoil anything! It’s well worth the read.
There is so much more to be said on how much I love this book, but here’s what I liked: the pacing, the three POVs, and how each story paralleled with one another. The pacing was excellent. It didn’t lag or move too fast in any parts. The chapters and sections weren’t too short, but they didn’t drag on forever and ever. Each chapter left me on the suspense that I needed to know what was next (and unfortunately, would always jump to the next POV and I’d have to wait three chapters to see what came next in that POV). Each POV was excellent, too. I really loved Hannah’s POV, but like other rave reviews, I loved Mallory’s story the most. I think I like her “present day” (2022) POV the most, because she was very mature and real in those chapters, and had to grapple with a lot. And the way she stood up for the people she loved! (Loved the chapter where she stood up for Grace!) But I also really loved Hannah’s POVs. As we slowly started to read more of her story, the more we learned about her. I really enjoyed how the author slowly unveiled who Hannah truly was, including her first marriage and family.
Overall, I really loved this book. I was so immersed in this book that it felt like another world. I am excited to dive into her other books including A Hundred Summers, which happens to be very popular. Would I recommend Husbands and Lovers? Absolutely.
Rating: 4.5/5
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