The Mad Wife

A Novel

From bestselling author Meagan Church comes a haunting exploration of identity, motherhood, and the suffocating grip of societal expectations that will leave you questioning the lives we build—and the lies we live.

They called it hysteria. She called it survival.

Lulu Mayfield has spent the last five years molding herself into the perfect 1950s housewife. Despite the tragic memories that haunt her and the weight of exhausting expectations, she keeps her husband happy, her household running, and her gelatin salads the talk of the neighborhood. But after she gives birth to her second child, Lulu's carefully crafted life begins to unravel.

When a new neighbor, Bitsy, moves in, Lulu suspects that something darker lurks behind the woman's constant smile. As her fixation on Bitsy deepens, Lulu is drawn into a web of unsettling truths that threaten to expose the cracks in her own life. The more she uncovers about Bitsy, the more she questions everything she thought she knew—and soon, others begin questioning her sanity. But is Lulu truly losing her mind? Or is she on the verge of discovering a reality too terrifying to accept?

In the vein of The Bell Jar and The Hours, The Mad Wife weaves domestic drama with psychological suspense, so poignant and immersive, you won't want to stop listening.

©2025 Meagan Church (P)2025 Recorded Books

Such a beautiful and sad story

The audiobook is great. The story plot is fascinating. I really enjoyed the book. It leaves you thinking.

The humanness and narration

I loved the conversational cadence of the narration and the perfect tone and inflection of the narrator. The historical truth and sadness of the story was informative, but the eloquent articulation of such poignant emotions was the magnet that kept me drawn to listening.

A big thanks to the reviewer who reassured readers-to-be , without spoiling the plot, that the cat would be okay. This is very appreciated by me who can’t bear animal cruelty.

If your housewife is not functioning properly…

Electroshock therapy just might do the trick! Ughhh, men. You don’t won’t a life partner, you want a maid, caretaker, baby sitter and concubine. If a woman showed any type of emotional distress she was sent away to be “fixed”.

How women were so misunderstood

This book was an eye opener! Had me balling my eyes out. It’s sad how women were misdiagnosed and misunderstood let alone having procedures done to them that affected them for life.

Fantastic Story and Delivery!

Every woman needs to listen to our read this book. It's gripping, entertaining, and educational.