BOOK CLUB: The Model Wife

Click to rate this book!
[Total: 1 Average: 4]

By Tricia Stringer
ISBN: 9781489270863
489 Pages / $32.99
Copy: Harper Collins Australia

The Model Wife by Tricia Stringer is a fantastic example of a great Australian family saga which I am sure many readers will relate to.

Natalie and Milt have been married for many years and have three adult daughters.  They live on a farm in country South Australia and ever since they have been married Natalie tends to everyone in the household as well as looking out for her mother in law Olive who lives in town nearby. She also teaches at the local primary school part-time as well as helping the community in fundraising activities. Add to that she also does all the books for the property business. Just lately she is feeling that she has no time to herself and she is starting to run on empty.

Meanwhile, Kate who is the eldest daughter comes home for a while as her husband Sean is a long-distance truck driver, she doesn’t feel well.   Laura, the middle daughter has decided to quit her job as a hairdresser and move back home to sort herself out.   Youngest daughter Bree helps her dad run the property and loves the country life but gets the impression that her dad will never trust her enough to take over in the future.

When a health issue arises for Natalie, it all becomes too much, and she decides she needs major time out from everyone.   As she is packing to head off, she comes across a book that her mother in law gave her when she was first married.  It was called The Model Wife and was a guide for new brides as to the correct way to behave when married.   She had completely forgotten about this book and with her book in tow, she heads off for a journey of self-discovery, leaving everyone at home to figure things out!

This is a big book (almost 500 pages) but it honestly didn’t feel that big.   The story was so engaging it kept me turning the pages, and you could imagine knowing someone like this family and the situations that cropped up.   It’s my first by Tricia but won’t be my last as I loved her style of writing.

Thank you so much to #beautyandlacebooks and #harpercollinsaustralia and #harlequinaustralia for the complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for an honest opinion.

A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading The Model Wife by Tricia Stringer. You can find out what they thought in the comments section below, or leave your own review.

15 thoughts on “BOOK CLUB: The Model Wife

  1. Tricia Stringer’s book titled “The Model Wife” , tells a story of a hard working Mother Natalie King.
    Natalie has a lot on her plate, more than she can chew and not much time for herself. Looking after the farm house,three daughters, working as a part time teacher, looking after the farm’s accounting , as well lots of other fund raising duties.

    This story may relate to many women out there who are in a similar situation where they feel , they have drained out all their energy and are stuck in a rut . Giving your all to everyone else and not having much left for yourself.

    Love the setting of this story. a beautiful farmhouse in South Australia. There are so many female characters in this story. Each character with their own personality. Although the story was easy to read , I did find at times I got confused with the story of the three daughters. I did have to re-jog my memory to recall which daughter, the story was mentioning at that time.

    The title of the story is based on an old book given by Olive (Natalie’s mother in law) when she first got married . This book has chapters of how a wife should behave . Although the book has very old fashioned values , somehow each chapter had a significance in Natalie’s current life.

    I looked forward to reading this book each morning and really enjoyed immersing myself into Natalie’s family. The story felt as if I was welcomed into Natalie’s Home as a guest and it gave me a warm feeling.

    I also really enjoyed how the author described each scene, so realistically it almost felt like a movie. Such a pretty Cover too .

    Looking forward to read more book by Tricia.

  2. Thankyou for letting me reading The Model Wife- Tricia Stringer.
    I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was light, deep, fun, heartwarming, throught provoking, sincere and joyous;, all in one beautifully written story.
    Natalie King is a lot of things, she juggles a lot of balls at once and is the heart and soul of her family. She keeps everyones cogs turning in the right direction, she pleases everyone and she does it with a smile on her face. Until she doesn’t.
    Nat is human and when an unfortunate event occurs that throws her world out of kilter she is forced to re-evaluate her lifr choices and decide what needs to come first in her life.
    With three grown daughters who need her, a husband, farm, mother-in-law, students, boss and trainee teacher-colleague Nat feels she is drowning in a sea of demands.
    She pushes forwards, is forced to put herself first and decides to escape her life and find herself in a world away from her old life, away from most people. One full of nature, calm and quiet. Nat meets new people and creates a holiday for herself that allows herself to heel and find peace.
    Things at home become hectic, crazed, weird and altogether abnormal. Events begin to occur, things begin to get out of control and Nat is brought crashing back to reality.
    Nats family pull together. Nat faces her husband Milt, daughters, mother in law and life.
    Creating for herself a life more in line with what she deserves for herself and one she is more at peace with.
    A wonderful novel.

  3. ‘The Model Wife’ by Tricia Stringer is a wonderful and relatable story about Natalie King ,a wife, mother of three grown up daughters and a woman juggling so many things including a not so likeable mother in law, until a serious health scare makes her stop and take stock of her life. She up and leaves her family and the farm in South Australia and heads to Western Australia on a ‘holiday’ to reassess her life.

    I thoroughly enjoyed this book and loved the way the story unfolds. Thank you Beauty and Lace and Harper Collins for giving me the opportunity to read and review this amazing book.

  4. Another great novel by Tricia Stringer, the Model Wife was very enjoyable and easy to read. I especially enjoyed the story line because I spent a large part of married life in country SA and lived in the era in which the role of wife and mother were often “ruled” by the “experts”. I can definitely relate to the struggles that women faced when influenced by the “Model Wife ” authority. This novel presents a sensitive exploration of the many challenges we might face when we set out on the journey of self discovery. Personally I really loved this novel and will be happy to pass it forward to my elderly neighbour as I know she will also relate to the beautifully written story.

Leave a Reply to Melissa Beeton Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *