Spoiler alert: I am not exactly a feel-good author. I’ve had readers tell me that they have wanted to throw my books across the room, slap some of the characters, and seek revenge on a few. One reader said she put The Girls We Sent Away in the freezer and walked away because it upset her so much. Another cried underneath a beach umbrella, overwhelmed by emotion, thankful she had sunglasses to hide the tears. That last one was how an early reader reacted to The Mad Wife.

I used to apologize for the tears my stories caused, but readers have assured me that they appreciate stories that pull them in and make them feel all the feelings. Well, if you’re that kind of reader, then get ready for The Mad Wife.

We still have a few months until the book releases on November 4, but the story is beginning to land in the hands of early readers, so it’s time to start properly introducing Lulu’s story and giving you a sneak peek at what you can expect. Yes, tissues, sunglasses, and a beach umbrella may be needed, along with a book club to discuss this with because there will be a lot to talk about.

In 1950s suburbia—when the diagnosis of hysteria silenced women’s suffering—Lulu, a housewife haunted by past trauma, becomes obsessed with unraveling the mystery of her seemingly perfect neighbor, only to uncover devastating truths about herself, her family, and the fragile line between reality and delusion.

Like with my first two, this book takes a close examination of a fictitious woman who is up against an actual practice within our nation’s history. In The Last Carolina Girl, that was eugenics and forced sterilization. In The Girls We Sent Away, it was maternity homes. In this one, it is the blanket diagnosis of hysteria and the silencing of women’s suffering.

I’m going to be honest, Lulu took me on a wild ride with telling her story. Unlike my first two books, The Mad Wife has an edge of suspense. It takes different, darker turns, and goes deep into exploring unsettling realities.

If I had to choose five words to describe The Mad Wife, I would say:

Liminal. Intense. Immersive. Dark. Haunting.

To take it further, I would say this is going to be a good rainy-day, hot-cup-of-tea, nowhere-to-go, sit-down-and-read-in-an-afternoon-with-a-cat-curled-on-your-lap-while-also-processing-a-bit-of-feminine-rage type of book.

Or, put a bit more eloquently, check out this blurb:

“In a quietly devastating wink-and-nod to The Bell Jar, set firmly in thriller and suspense territory, Meagan Church delivers a piercing portrait of a young mother unraveling in the grip of 1950s suburbia, where Jell-O molds collapse, dishwashers invade, and card games with neighbors turn into emotional battlefields. With razor-sharp insight and aching lyricism, The Mad Wife traces a woman’s descent through sleepless nights, domestic disillusionment, and buried guilt, capturing a haunting tension between what is said, seen, and silently endured until she no longer can.”
—Lee Kravetz, author of The Last Confessions of Sylvia P.

I know it’s rude to tease you when the book doesn’t release until November 4. So, if this book sounds like something you want to read, then there are a few things you can do right now:

Preorder

Preorders really do make a difference. They indicate to bookstores, libraries, and publishers when a book has some buzz and interest generating around it. So, preorder from your favorite bookseller now. Here’s a link to Bookshop.org, if you’d like to support an independent bookstore.

Enter the GoodReads Giveaway

My publisher is giving away 15 advanced reader copies. Enter on GoodReads. The giveaway ends May 30, 2025.

Request from Your Library

It’s not too early to put in a request to your library for the print, digital, and/or audio version of the book, so they can have it available on launch day.

Add to Your Book Club Schedule

Trust me when I say this is a book you will want to process and discuss with others. So, get it on your book club schedule now. Don’t have a book club? Then start one! Grab a few friends and tell them you want to read this together. Stay tuned for book club materials, such as questions, Spotify playlist, and recipes (I’ll try not to share the grossest of Jell-O salads).

Read on NetGalley

Are you an early reader with NetGalley access? Put in a request today for an e-ARC.

My aim is always to tell honest, immersive stories with truth and nuance. Sometimes that means we need to look closely at some dark corners of our history. Sometimes it means that we feel a bit of discomfort and even rage. But ultimately my hope is that these uncomfortable stories will start conversations because when we know better, we can do better. And I think Lulu would hope that for all of us.