Table of Contents
About The Book
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of None of This Is True comes a riveting family drama with a dark mystery at its core, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Jojo Moyes.
In the early hours of a summer morning, a young woman steps into the path of an oncoming bus. A tragic accident? Or suicide?
At the center of this puzzle is Adrian Wolfe, a successful architect and grief-stricken widower, who, a year after his third wife’s death, begins to investigate the cause. As Adrian looks back on their brief but seemingly happy marriage, disturbing secrets begin to surface. The divorces from his two previous wives had been amicable, or so it seemed; his children, all five of them, were resilient as ever, or so he thought. But something, or someone, must have pushed Maya over the edge.
“Jewell’s last few novels have been a revelation—emotionally sophisticated and complex,” says Kirkus Reviews. The Third Wife is “an emotionally intelligent, brilliantly plotted, and beautifully written examination of a very modern family that will keep you gripped to the end” (London Daily Mail).
Reading Group Guide
Introduction
From all appearances, Adrian Wolfe is a successful, happy man. But when the tragic death of his third wife shatters his world, he begins to unearth disturbing clues that things were not necessarily as they seemed. The mystery surrounding his wife’s death exposes some hidden unsettledness within the family system, and casts suspicion on the true cause of her demise. The Third Wife is a riveting story filled with psychological nuance of how the Wolfe family unravels the truth of their story.
Topics & Questions for Discussion
1. Describe your first impression of Adrian. How would you describe him?
2. One of the themes of this book is how the family system copes with the various changes and disruptions brought about by each of Adrian’s marriages and remarriages. In what ways do Adrian’s children adjust and react to each of his new wives?
3. Which of Adrian’s children do you relate to the most? Describe.
4. On page 90, the author describes Luke: “He’d always felt there was somewhere else he was supposed to be, other friends he should be hanging out with, some amazing life he was supposed to be living. And now that he was living a different life, the one he’d left behind glittered in his wake like dropped diamonds.” What do you think are some of the causes of Luke’s restlessness?
5. How would you describe Cat’s relationship with Adrian? What was she hungry for in her relationship with him?
6. Compare and contrast Susie and Caroline. What do you think drew Adrian to each of them?
7. In what ways is the “Board of Harmony” ironic?
8. What impact do you think the e-mails had on Maya and her relationship with Adrian?
9. In what ways are Maya and Luke similar? What do you think sparked their connection with each other?
10. What role does Jane/Abby play in the story?
11. On page 276, Pearl describes Adrian as “addicted to being in love.” What kept him in the cycle of addiction? What was the first step he took toward sobriety?
12. What do you think were some of Adrian’s greatest fears? How did they play out in each of his marriages?
13. Do you think Maya’s death was accidental or suicide?
14. What would you describe as the major themes of this story? Would you say it is a redemptive story? Why or why not?
15. Do you think Adrian and Caroline end up together? How would you write the post-epilogue narrative?
16. What do you think prompted the author to write this story?
Enhance Your Book Club
1. Read The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce. Which findings of this 25-year study are reflected in the lives of each of the characters in The Third Wife?
2. Watch The Family Stone and discuss the various roles each character plays in the family system.
3. Write a letter (that you may or may not actually send) to someone in your life (family or friend) who has hurt you but never acknowledged the impact of his or her actions. Discuss what it was like to do this during your next book club.
4. Create categories on a continuum to describe the degrees of “addicted to love.” At your next book club, discuss what keeps people in the cycle of addiction and what are some possible first steps toward sobriety.
About The Author
Lisa Jewell is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-three novels, including None of This Is True, The Family Upstairs, and Then She Was Gone, as well as Invisible Girl and Watching You. Her novels have sold over ten million copies internationally, and her work has also been translated into twenty-nine languages. Connect with her on X @LisaJewellUK, on Instagram @LisaJewellUK, and on Facebook @LisaJewellOfficial.
Product Details
- Publisher: Atria Books (June 9, 2015)
- Length: 336 pages
- ISBN13: 9781476792200
Raves and Reviews
Praise for The Third Wife:
“Lisa Jewell presents us with yet another emotionally intelligent, brilliantly plotted and beautifully written examination of a very modern family that will keep you gripped to the end.... Take this to the beach, or indeed anywhere — I promise you won’t regret it.”
– Daily Mail (London)
“Jewell's last few novels have been a revelation—emotionally sophisticated and complex—and this latest, which gradually rewrites the history of a 'perfect' family, is a fine follow-up.... Taut pacing and complicated characters shape this rich examination of the modern family.”
– Kirkus Reviews
“Jewell excels at juggling multiple perspectives to slowly peel back the layers of supposed domestic bliss. Like Liane Moriarty, she manages the perfect blend of women’s fiction and nail-biting suspense, throwing enough red herrings in the reader’s path to keep the pages turning.”
– Booklist
“A great choice for readers seeking a mystery with a blended family twist.”
– Library Journal
“...reminded us of Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies.”
– Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
“The Third Wife is a summer gem. The story is complex… the many characters well drawn.... Readers of Donna Tartt and Tana French will recognize Jewell’s pacing for what it is: essential.”
– NY Journal of Books
"The Third Wife explores complicated family dynamics in a genuine way that is witty yet realistically nuanced."
– Shelf Awareness
Praise for The House We Grew Up In
“Clever, intelligent, and believable on a subject few of us really understand. Lorrie is one of the most vivid—and complex—characters I've read in years. Wonderful.”
– Jojo Moyes, author of Me Before You
“You'll be desperate to find out what messed this family up so badly.”
– Sophie Kinsella, author of Shopaholic to the Stars
“...prose so beautiful that it glitters on the page. Lisa Jewell lays down piece after piece of mosaic, revealing the heart of the Bird family, filled in equal measure with love and loss. Unforgettable.”
– Jo-Ann Mapson, author of Solomon’s Oak, Finding Casey, and Owen’s Daughter
“A gorgeous, powerful, affecting tale of a family both ordinary and extraordinary. Lisa Jewell is a wonderful storyteller, and The House We Grew Up In grips you from the first page to the last. I'm afraid to say it made me neglect both my children and my husband. The Bird family might be dysfunctional, but I was strangely sorry to leave it.”
– Anna Maxted, author of Getting Over It and Running In Heels
“Jewell cleverly frames the destruction of the Bird family ….an absolute page-turner.”
– Booklist
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): The Third Wife eBook 9781476792200
- Author Photo (jpg): Lisa Jewell Photograph (c) Andrew Whitton(0.1 MB)
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