In this intriguing novel, told in different chronological time periods, a modern woman finds inspiration in notes left by the former owner of her new home, a quintessential 1950s housewife. Discovering striking similarities between that woman's life and her own, she begins to question her relationship with her husband—and what it means to be a wife fighting for her place in a patriarchal society.
When Alice Hale abandons her advertising career to become a writer and moves with her husband to the suburbs of New York, she's still not used to spending her days alone in a large, empty house. Finding an old cookbook in a box in the basement, Alice becomes fascinated by its former owner: Nellie Murdoch, the house's owner in the 1950s. As Alice experiments with the recipes, cooking the old-fashioned way, she realizes that within the pages of the book, Nellie left clues about her life—including a mysterious series of unsent letters written to her mother.
Alice soon discovers that while the meatloaf may seem harmless, Nellie's secrets were anything but innocent. And as Alice uncovers a more sinister—and even dangerous—side to Nellie's marriage and becomes increasingly dissatisfied with the mounting pressures on her relationship, she begins to take control of her life and protect herself by keeping some secrets of her own.
"Bold, intoxicating, impossible to put down... This is a vibrant, audacious story about women who dare to take control." — Taylor Jenkins Reid
"A brilliant, disturbing, and timely book, filled with tension that leaves an impression. Karma Brown knows how to keep readers captivated until the very last page." — Mary Kubica, author of The Other Woman
“Smart, dark, and powerful.” — Woman's World
"This book is unpredictable, engaging, and fun. A must-read for fans of women's fiction and great for book clubs." — That Happy Reader
“Brown skillfully switches between Alice’s modern world and Nellie’s in the 1950s. With plenty of historical detail (including recipes and depressing and hilarious marriage advice), the pages devoted to Nellie come to life… A gripping and suspenseful look at how patriarchy shaped women’s lives in the 1950s and continues to do so today.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Brown excels at bringing the complexity of women's lives to the page, and her book questions how much has really changed for them in the last sixty years. The pace is brisk, the characters are compelling, and both timelines are equally well-realized. Profound, intelligent, and surprisingly dark.” — Booklist
