The Other Woman

Author: Jane Green
Published: March 8, 2005 (Viking)
Category: General Fiction
Quote of choice: "He farts in bed." "Silent and violent?" I offered. "Not even. Loud and revolting. I swear to God, my husband's bottom is the deadliest weapon this country possesses."

This is my first Jane Green book, and wow, I was really impressed. Since I started working at a major publishing house, I've had access to a lot of free books. Since I don't pay for many books anymore, I feel as though I can be more picky since I'm not trying to get my money's worth. The Other Woman was very well done and I couldn't put it down (except for those pesky things such as work and sleep).

I think the story of Ellie, our main character, would be received better by those in a situation similar to hers. Those who don't understand the way Ellie feels would find her to be selfish and ungrateful to Linda, her mother-in-law, who smothers Ellie and her husband, Dan, with constant attention and manipulation. I know that I have felt smothered by my boyfriend's mother and resentful of many things she has said/done, interpreting those actions as controlling. Really, if my boyfriend's mom started calling me three times a day and coming over uninvited if I didn't answer those three calls, I'd wind up like Ellie too. I looked on Amazon to see some reader reviews, but there were a lot of people complaining that Ellie was a horrible person. I liked Ellie from start to finish and was on her side, especially during the aftermath of "the accident."

Unfortunately, Ellie doesn't stand up for herself and tries to have Dan defend her instead to his mother. Dan won't do this, refusing to get in the middle of his wife and his mother because he's a mama's boy. This issue becomes the breaking point of Ellie and Dan's marriage, causing them to separate. Don't worry, the book has a happy ending!

The true root of Ellie's problems is her disastrous childhood as the daughter of an alcoholic mother who died while Ellie was still very young. Since she lacked a mother, Ellie dreamed of marrying into a perfect family, where she'd find everything she was missing while she was growing up. Ellie learned that yes, you marry into a family, but there are differences between your mother and your mother-in-law. The two figures are't necessarily interchangeable.

I will definitely read Jane Green in the future!