The Professors' Wives' Club (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: Joanne Rendell, New York, Dean Havemeyer (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This tepid debut novel follows four women as they band together to save a garden from being gobbled up by an expanding college campus. Mary, a Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist and professor; Hannah, an MFA student whose husband becomes increasingly distant; Sofia, a young mother who gave up her previous life as a powerful Hollywood agent; and Ashleigh, who is afraid to reveal her lesbian relationship to her conservative senator father, all share a love of the small garden nestled next to Manhattan University's faculty housing, and as they organize to stop the imminent excavation, they form friendships and make major changes in their lives. There isn't anything you haven't seen before in here, but Rendell does a fine job of following the formula. (Sept.)
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From Booklist

The urban campus of Manhattan University harbors a fenced garden that serves as an oasis for four women. The garden is accessible by key only to the residents of the faculty housing that surrounds it. Married to a professor, Sofia had a successful career of her own but gave it all up to be a stay-at-home mom. Ashleigh is a lawyer in her family’s firm and holds a secret that could curtail her politician father’s career. Hannah is an artist married to another faculty member; her secret could threaten her marriage. And Mary, a faculty member in her own right, lives a lie as she endures a toxic marriage to the dean, who wants to bulldoze the garden and put in a parking lot. These four women are not acquainted but soon will become sisters-in-arms as they fight for their garden and then for each other. Alternately amusing and serious, with a little literary mystery thrown in for good measure, Rendell’s smart and pleasing tale of friendship and self-actualization has broad appeal. --Maria Hatton

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade (September 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451224914
• ISBN-13: 978-0451224910
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #199,576 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written with College RA RA Fun!, September 3, 2008

By	Brutus "Campus Fiction Fan" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

Rendell has really put a humorous finger on the social and political dynamics systemic at any college or university. It's well written, witty, and the characters are delightfully developed. This is a fun page turner and I hope for a movie!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read, September 3, 2008

By	Anna (Southern USA) - See all my reviews

The Professors' Wives' Club is a great read. It will be an excellent book for book club discussions. There are several interesting characters who remind us of someone we know or have known. We can identify with the emotions the author presents and think about how we would react in similar situations.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing page turner, September 3, 2008

By	Olivia Carroll - See all my reviews

I fell in love with these four woman who, through their friendship, find the strength to stand up for what they believe while coming to grips with their own personal predicaments. Joanne Rendell has woven an intriguing tale that kept me turning the pages until the very end.