KATHLEEN IRENE PATERKA
The Other Wife
Till death do us part…
​
Eleanor Anderson has a beautiful home, a loving husband, a tranquil life. After thirty-eight years of marriage and her children now grown, she finally has time for herself. She’s not expecting any surprises; certainly not to wake up one morning and find her husband dead in bed beside her from a massive heart attack. It’s a devastating discovery… but not as much as the shock awaiting Eleanor when she learns the truth about her husband’s secret life. And then there’s the damaging document he signed before his death, which threatens to destroy her life.
Claire Anderson isn’t your average thirtysomething. A professor of psychology at a prestigious university, Claire has a successful career, a handsome husband, and two young children at home. But nothing in her background, including her academic accomplishments, prepares Claire for the horrendous reality of discovering that the life she’d led was all a lie… fostered by a husband who’d promised to love and cherish her forever.
Two women from two generations, bound together by denial, anger, and grief. How far will their misery and fear push them? Does compassion rule the day, or will a husband’s betrayal lead to a woman’s revenge?
What happens when each of these women comes face-to-face with the other wife?
“A stunning novel of love, loss, betrayal and starting over…”
Tender Tome Blog
Critical Acclaim
“This book was AMAZING! It had me hooked from the very beginning and I couldn’t put it down. It was utterly fascinating to see how the plot unfolded, and my emotions were all over the place while reading. I was insanely curious to know how this novel would end. How could Eleanor and Claire move on from such a betrayal? The ending was nothing that I could have thought of myself. It was even better than the scenarios that I was envisioning. I read this book super-fast because it was so hard to put down.”
Chick Lit Plus
“Kathleen Irene Paterka is a brilliant writer… I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, not only because of the storyline, but because Paterka told it so beautifully. I don’t know which is worse: finding your husband has died of a massive heart attack next to you in bed, finding out that your husband left all of his life insurance money to another woman, OR that the women is also his wife. This is the story of them finding out about one another, and how they deal with the fall-out of this information about the man they both loved. Brilliant! You will not be able to choose a side.”
The Write Review
“ … a story about survival and learning to go on with your life, even when devastating circumstances make you believe that you can't . I would highly recommend this book to anyone, and believe me, if you are married, you will hug your own husband and appreciate him a lot more after you read this book!”
Amazon Reviewer
“… a good twist at the end. I recommend it to everyone who likes an exciting story.”
Amazon Reviewer
“Here is another author whose book I'm glad I picked up. Even with just one book, I will be quick to judge her as very well versed at women's fiction. With my growing list of favorite writers, I'm afraid I'll have to stretch my book spending budget yet again.”
Amazon Reviewer
“I could not put this book down. The characters are well thought out and complex, going through all the emotions you would expect for the situation they find themselves in. It was an enjoyable read with some twists and turns. Definitely would recommend this one!”
Amazon Reviewer
“This is a great book to suggest for your book club. I read it on my own, but wished I had some others to discuss it with. I definitely had a favorite of the two wives early on. And the other one was aggravating me early on! But... I can see how others might side with her, so I think there'd be some lively #TeamClaire v. #TeamEleanor discussion amongst book club members! I especially loved how Paterka deftly handled the character arc for each of the wives as the novel progressed. Lots of good stuff to dig into here!”