Joanna's Husband and David's Wife [Paperback]

Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1987

A  woman who decides to tell the truth about herself  and her marriage may be making the biggest mistake  of her life. Joanna Scott kept a daily journal.  It began when she first met David and fell crazily  in love with him. From the beginning, the passion  was there. . . and so were the problems. Nearly  twenty-five years later, David thought he knew his  wife very, very well. Until the day he decided to  read her journal and discovered a woman with  secrets. . .a woman he's losing. . .and only now does  he discover why.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hailey (A Woman of Independent Means provides an illuminating dual perspective of a resilient marriage by again casting a novel in the form of a diary. After her mother suddenly leaves home, teenager Julia Scott is given Joanna Scott's journal recording the abiding passion and the tribulations that she and her husband David experienced since their marriage in the 1950s. Interspersed throughout the entries are David's wry, incisive comments. Although his volatile outbursts contrast with Joanna's reserved entries, her chronicle shows that difficulties never diminished their love. David, a zealous but uncelebrated playwright, could not spare Joanna financial hardship or his professional frustrations. Despite her affinity for domestic life, she regrets her lack of creative accomplishments, so David encourages her attempts to write fiction. When Joanna finally completes a successful novel, both Scotts wonder uneasily whether she had usurped the fame David deserves. Hailey percpetively portrays this pair, their family and friends in the theater world, but the story contains few moments of riveting drama. Major ad/promo; first serial to Ladies Home Journal; Literary Guild dual main selection. Author tour. March 7
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Joanna Scott has kept journals of her 25-year marriage, recording events and her feelings about them. When her hus band, David, finds them, he decides to add comments giving his own point of view. This device reveals their person alities and lets the reader see the adap tations they have made as they mature in their marriage. They weather many crises, but real strain develops as Joan na becomes a person in her own right, beyond her role as David's wife. Though not very original, this title will appeal to readers who enjoy novels of personal growth and raised conscious ness. Hailey has also written A Woman of Independent Means and Life Sen tences . Literary Guild alternate. Barbara E. Kemp, Washington State Univ. Lib., Pullman
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Dell (February 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440142148
• ISBN-13: 978-0440142140
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #384,868 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Real people, real emotion, real insight. The real thing, December 31, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Joanna's Husband and David's Wife (Paperback)

I'm amazed no one else has written a review of this book. It is excellent. Reading it made me squirm as I saw myself again and again behaving in not quite so wonderful ways. No one escapes the honesty of Hailey's characterizations. Like us all, each character is both gifted and flawed. I got to know real people in this book...people I loved and respected, flaws and all. A very, very good book.

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting premise, August 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Joanna's Husband and David's Wife (Paperback)

I thought the idea of having a book told entirely through a woman's journal entries, along with her husband's response to those entries, was unique and interesting. However, I didn't care very much for the characters, particularly their views and handling of children. These characters seemed to think that children are objects and not human beings, with some of their actions and thoughts being abusive. The characters also seemed to be a bit flat. This novel is certainly a different read from the typical book, so in spite of the characters I would still recommend this book to others if they were interested in reading a novel written in an unconventional format.