Book Groups Comment on THE HUSBANDS by Chandler Baker

In July, a selection of book groups won copies of THE HUSBANDS by Chandler Baker, August's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick and a Bookreporter.com Bets On title. They were asked to read the book and answer some questions about it. We are happy to share their comments with you here. Many thanks to all who took the time to give us such wonderful feedback.

Susan R. of Upper Florissant Book & Wine Appreciation Society from St. Louis, MO

What did your group think of THE HUSBANDS?
We loved the book and had a great discussion about it. We thought it was a fun and quick read that was engaging, relatable and thought-provoking, and it led to some great discussion.

Please rate THE HUSBANDS on a scale of 1-5.
A solid 4

What three words would your group use to describe THE HUSBANDS?
Fun, readable, thought-provoking

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
Absolutely, for the reasons stated above.

In two or three sentences, how would you describe this book to a friend?
A reverse STEPFORD WIVES but deeper with some twists and turns. We loved the ending, especially after our discussion regarding what it really meant.

Lisa S. of Lake Highlands Women’s League Book Club from Dallas, TX

What did your group think of THE HUSBANDS?
We loved it!

Please rate THE HUSBANDS on a scale of 1-5.
4-5

What three words would your group use to describe THE HUSBANDS?
Relatable, funny, sophisticated

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
I already have! Our group of more than 100 women is diverse in background, career and family, but we have in common a sense that we've taken on more than we can handle gracefully. If only we had a "wife." If only our household responsibilities were shared equally. We don't want to accept "less" for ourselves and our families, but we can’t do any more.

In two or three sentences, how would you describe this book to a friend?
THE STEPFORD WIVES but with husbands. An accomplished attorney is finally close to become a partner in her firm, but doing "extra" at work and at home is sending her to the breaking point. She meets women in an exclusive suburban neighborhood and is entranced by their ability to coax husbands into true partnerships. What could she achieve if she had a supportive husband and didn't have to do it all?

Caron E. of Overbooked from Duncanville, TX

What did your group think of THE HUSBANDS?
We really liked it!

Please rate THE HUSBANDS on a scale of 1-5.
4

What three words would your group use to describe THE HUSBANDS?
Suspenseful, entertaining, funny

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
Yes, we liked all of the twists and turns, and many of us could relate to Nora.

In two or three sentences, how would you describe this book to a friend?
Nora is an overworked attorney, wife and mom. Her husband, Hayden, doesn’t pitch in as much as she would like. But when she finds the house of her dreams in a neighborhood of powerful women who have it all, she discovers that there might be a way that she could have it all too.

Elise G. of The Book Queens from Long Island, NY

What did your group think of THE HUSBANDS?
Our group had a lively, lengthy discussion of THE HUSBANDS. There was identification not only from married women with children, but also other women who relate from a work perspective or spousal relationship.

Please rate THE HUSBANDS on a scale of 1-5.
Our group was almost evenly divided between a 3 and a 4 rating for the book, so we rated it a solid 3.5.

What three words would your group use to describe THE HUSBANDS?
Three words jumped out for us: suspenseful, relatable and surreal.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
We would certainly recommend this book, though perhaps not to people we felt couldn’t relate to or appreciate the point of the book (mainly men!).

In two or three sentences, how would you describe this book to a friend?
In describing THE HUSBANDS to a friend, our group agreed it’s an entertaining, easy read that slowly and deliberately builds its suspense. The book is an accurate portrayal of two income families with small children and the inevitable jockeying and tension that it entails.  As the New York Times review highlights, it’s the STEPFORD WIVES formula upside down.

S.A. of Chicks with Books from New Milford, CT

What did your group think of THE HUSBANDS?
Overall we enjoyed the book. A couple of us felt it was a bit of a "bitchfest" and difficult to follow in the beginning, but it became easier as the book progressed. We didn't feel that the male characters were fully developed, but we believe that was purposefully done, given the theme of the book. We felt that the relationship between Nora and Hayden accurately reflected married life for most women.

Please rate THE HUSBANDS on a scale of 1-5.
We rated it 4 out of 5 stars on our LibraryThing account.

What three words would your group use to describe THE HUSBANDS?
Suspenseful, ultra-feminist solution

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
It would depend on the friend's situation and reading preferences. One former co-worker of ours recently lost her husband, so we won't share it with her, but some of us do plan to offer it to family members and/or other friends.

In two or three sentences, how would you describe this book to a friend?
Nora Spangler, an overwhelmed female attorney struggling to balance her career and home life, meets a group of ultra-feminists in Dynasty Ranch, the planned community where she and her husband hope to purchase a home. These high-powered women seem to have "perfect" husbands, who all willingly take on more household obligations than the average married man. However, the mysterious death of one resident's husband in a fire and the behavior of the others indicate that life there is not as perfect as it seems.

Amanda D. of Moms and More from Oswego, IL
 

What did your group think of THE HUSBANDS?
We thought it was very thought-provoking, and all agreed that it led to one of our best book discussions! Everyone had different views on the different topics the book is about, which led to some great conversations. We did have some questions left in the end. Did Penny know what was happening?

Please rate THE HUSBANDS on a scale of 1-5.
4

What three words would your group use to describe THE HUSBANDS?
Suspenseful, thought-provoking, relatable (minus the hypnotizing part)

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
Yes, it’s thought-provoking. It’s a good book club book that will lead to a great discussion.

In two or three sentences, how would you describe this book to a friend?
This book was very thought-provoking. The book left some people conflicted. Even though it’s relatable, it made many thankful for their husbands.

Joyce O. of 3 B’s from Rocky Hill, CT

What did your group think of THE HUSBANDS?
We all had positive reviews.

Please rate THE HUSBANDS on a scale of 1-5.
3.5

What three words would your group use to describe THE HUSBANDS?
Fantasy, female utopia, creepy

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
Yes. One of our members who is in another book club also chose it as her book for their discussion. Much of the discussion in the group was from women who had children and were "doing it all." Do we want to do it all so that we could be martyrs, because we do it better, because we want control? Good discussion.

In two or three sentences, how would you describe this book to a friend?
It’s a thought-provoking female utopia as a balm to an over-burdened woman with a career and children. The point of view is from our protagonist, who keeps a running, funny, manic and hurt commentary.

  Sheri M. of Booked to Death from Newark, OH

What did your group think of THE HUSBANDS?
The book kept us engaged to understand what's going on, and the ending is a little darker than we originally anticipated. The characters are written well with some mystery as to what their role is in the overall story.

Please rate THE HUSBANDS on a scale of 1-5.
3

What three words would your group use to describe THE HUSBANDS?
This was a little more challenging, but we came up with these words: modern feminism, sinister and stepford.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
Yes, most of us would because of the character development and the faster-paced writing style.

In two or three sentences, how would you describe this book to a friend?
Think of it as THE STEPFORD WIVES for men. It’s about the difficulty of juggling motherhood and a career, not to mention keeping your marriage intact.

Kathy G. of Books, Wine and Friends Club from Belle River, Ontario, Canada

What did your group think of THE HUSBANDS?
We had mixed reactions to the book, but the overall opinion was favourable.

Please rate THE HUSBANDS on a scale of 1-5.
Out of the eight of us in the group, the book was rated as follows: One person - 5; One person - 4; Five people - 3; One person - 2.

What three words would your group use to describe THE HUSBANDS?
Captivating, frustrating, disturbing

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
Four of us would recommend this book to a friend, three maybe would, and one would not recommend it.

In two or three sentences, how would you describe this book to a friend?
It's a novel about the workings of a marriage and how spouses interact with one another, and the division of responsibilities. It is interlaced with an unsolved death, which serves to add suspense to the otherwise run-of-the-mill life of the main character --- an overworked, overstressed career mom.

Beverly K. of Bev’s Books from Merrick, NY

What did your group think of THE HUSBANDS?
As a group of older women, while we initially liked certain characters, we felt that the development of the stories was slow in some parts and at the end was rushed.

Please rate THE HUSBANDS on a scale of 1-5.
4

What three words would your group use to describe THE HUSBANDS?
Contemporary, mystery, gender differences

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
We think this book would be best read and appreciated by those who are 20-40 years old, and are going through these societal and work issues.

In two or three sentences, how would you describe this book to a friend?
THE HUSBANDS is about Nora Spangler, who wants to move with her husband Hayden and daughter Liv to Dynasty Ranch. It’s an enclave community where the women living there are highly successful, and their husbands are Marie Kondo types. The story revolves around the couples who live there and the mysterious fire that killed the husbands of one of their friends.

Sue L. of Chapter 3 from Dover, DE

What did your group think of THE HUSBANDS?
The book generated an interesting discussion about the generational changes that have developed relating to the responsibilities of raising children. Our group is “mid-century” (ages 60-70). We discussed how our mothers were responsible for almost everything related to the household and children. During our child-raising years, our husbands began to help out a bit more. We now see our children splitting more of the responsibilities equitably.

Everyone enjoyed the beginning of the book. They felt it did a good job portraying the struggles mothers have with balancing job, household and children. It was very relatable and showed a female perspective about division of work (or lack thereof). It seemed to become a bit jumbled in the middle. It took too long to get to the point. It was unrealistic in many ways (i.e. going to a new neighbor for therapy). It was too much like THE STEPFORD WIVES.

Please rate THE HUSBANDS on a scale of 1-5.
3

What three words would your group use to describe THE HUSBANDS?
Creepy, unrealistic, controlling

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
Maybe.

In two or three sentences, how would you describe this book to a friend?
This is a book about how several professional women use mind control techniques to make men embrace roles usually performed by women --- child rearing, house cleaning, cooking. But sometimes even switching roles can’t undo our human tendencies for love and affection.

Anne Marie K. of Cohoes Senior Book Club from Cohoes, NY

What did your group think of THE HUSBANDS? Please rate the book on a scale of 1-5.
None of the readers had previously read Chandler Baker, though three had noticed the book at local stores. Three loved it and rated it 4-5, and they would read more of her books. One indicated, “I couldn’t put it down.” The others weren’t as kind, rating it 2-3. Multiple people described it as boring, and one couldn’t finish it. Three said they just didn’t like it. Most of the women found Nora whiny and unrelatable. One phrased it as “wordy with redundant concepts.”

One of the readers thought that the ending set up a sequel. I initially hadn’t thought of that but was disappointed in the ending. I like puzzles solved and thought she should expose the cabal.

I think the book will appeal to younger women who are in the process of “training” their significant others. Older women may not like to think that they had wasted their lives following traditional roles.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
Three would recommend it, two said no, and the rest maybe. On a personal note, since I agreed with Cornelia that relationship books are aimed at women and read by women, but men would benefit (I’m paraphrasing), I’ve asked my husband of 49 years to read it. He put it in his pile of books to read.

Debbie U. of VTR (Village of Twin Rivers) Bibliophiles from Waco, TX

What did your group think of THE HUSBANDS?
We liked it but didn't love it. We found it to be a bit shallow but was noted to be a good beach read book.

Please rate THE HUSBANDS on a scale of 1-5.
Most rated it a 3.

What three words would your group use to describe THE HUSBANDS?
Odd, intriguing, interesting

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
Maybe. It depends on what your friend likes to read. If someone wants a book with a bit more substance, this probably would not be the book for them.

In two or three sentences, how would you describe this book to a friend?
This is a book about professional women struggling with how to cope with the juggling of working, raising children, maintaining a household and sharing responsibilities with their spouse. It’s a STEPFORD WIVES look-alike.

Sally C. of Bad Girls Book Club from Salinas, CA

What did your group think of THE HUSBANDS?
We all read the book, and it sparked a lot of discussion, mainly because we didn’t find it relevant to our own lives. Some of the comments were that it was too predictable, tedious, wordy, a stretch of the imagination and hard to keep track. The characters weren’t likable.

Please rate THE HUSBANDS on a scale of 1-5.
We gave it a 3.

What three words would your group use to describe THE HUSBANDS?
Predictable, confusing, bizarre

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
Probably not.

In two or three sentences, how would you describe this book to a friend?
It was very much like THE STEPFORD WIVES but with the tables turned. It felt like an outdated concept.