First off, I believe The Husbands is about to be turned into a film and I can see why.
It's kind of like Stepford Wives but reversed and in this era of post Barbie, feminist rage, there's a hunger for stories like this. The Husbands is a film that I'd watch.
So, with that in mind, I'd better tell you what it's about.
Nora is pregnant with her second child.
She's also up for partner in the law firm she works at.
Nora spends her days meeting herself coming backwards. She's juggling a high-pressured career, a demanding boss, her daughter Liv and running the house.
What Nora needs is a bit more help from her husband Hayden who's the 'lazy traveller' in their relationship.
Amid the chaos, Nora is desperate to move into a bigger home before the baby arrives. When she views a house in Dynasty Ranch, she becomes convinced that she's found the perfect family home.
Each house has a perfectly manicured lawn, each lot is set 63 feet apart, it's got it's own community gym and pool, it's even got it's own golf course. It is your quintessential image of suburban America….complete with white picket fences.
Nora's in love with the place but there's something else at play….
When Nora's asked to look into a wrongful death case in the neighbourhood, she becomes friendly with a group of very powerful women.
It seems every woman in Dynasty Ranch has a high-powered job. There's the neurosurgeon, the CEO of a tech company, the author and the renowned psychologist. Not only do they all have successful careers, they also have families and aren't breaking their backs trying to do it all.
These are women who really are the embodiment of having it all!
And it's down to their husbands, because they are very different too.
They do the ironing, they ferry the kids about, remember schedules, do ALL the housework and constantly trot out the line "[insert female name here] works so hard".
Honestly, as far as Nora's concerned, it's like some kind of wizardry.
The more Nora becomes embroiled in the lives of the residents of Dynasty Ranch…..the more it becomes clear that something much darker is being hidden behind the white picket fences.
Now, hands up, I'm quite lucky, my husband isn't useless.
I'd say there's a 50/50 split when it comes to running our house. Yes, I wish he could retain information about plans but that's small fry and I know there's plenty that I do that does his head in too.
Despite not being where Nora is, I could understand where she was coming from when it came to Hayden. Put simply, I'd have lost my shit and gone on strike years ago.
He doesn't appear to listen or does extra to help out for a day or two; she's beyond the point of screaming and seems to have given up on communicating.
She feels as though she's been sold a bit of a dud feminist dream…..
"And all across the land, the magical kingdom will be populated not by princesses but by queens straightening one another crowns. So be decreed on Instagram. But as exhaustion seeps into her bones, Nora wants to scream. "Look around! Not only will you be getting to save yourself, but you'll also be getting to do literally everything else yourself, too". Brava! What a win for womankind!" Chandler Baker
I imagine there'll be a few wry smiles at the quote.
As women we're told we can do and have any job we want. Yeah, we can, but there's a lot of expectations still placed on women when it comes to gender roles. You have to give your all at work and be a good mum, you can never drop the ball and must put in extra hours to prove how dedicated you are to your employer (there's a particular scene in this book that had me swearing). It's just not realistic.
That's what Nora's up against so you can see why she's so enchanted with Dynasty Ranch, the women and their incredibly helpful husbands.
What I loved though, was how Baker challenged what many would see as a 'perfect solution'. I'm sure I know people who'd dream of having a Stepford Husband, Baker shows it's not all it's cracked up to be, who wants a terrified robot for a husband?
The Husbands is as much of a thriller/domestic noir tale as it is social commentary. Baker has weaved these different genres together seamlessly. It is a slow burn thriller, but it works, it'll leave you eager to find out what really is going on at Dynasty Ranch.
It'll probably make you angry, it may just make you think. One thing's for certain, Chandler Baker will definitely leave you questioning what it would take for women to have it all. It's sobering too and you'll definitely recognise that it is impossible to do everything,….
"To the millions of women who are struggling to be caregivers, mothers, co-workers, and spouses all at once—and who left the workforce this past year in record numbers (at four times the rate of men)—because women can do anything, but they can't do everything" Chandler Baker
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