Book club questions for The Mad Wife by Meagan Church take an in-depth look at this compelling novel about societal pressures on women. There will be spoilers, so for more context about the story, check out my spoiler-free review first.
Whew, this novel was so unique and surprising! I really had no idea what would happen next. It’s been a while since a book has kept me guessing so much.
There’s so much to uncover with The Mad Wife: female hysteria, the dangers of medical misdiagnosis in 1950s America, and more. This is one I’ll think about for a long time to come.
Let me know your thoughts about the book in the comments section below!
The Synopsis
We read the story entirely from Lulu Mayfield’s perspective. She has spent the last five years molding herself into the perfect 1950s housewife. Lulu tries to forget her tragic past, and even though she is so exhausted by taking care of her son and the household duties, she goes above and beyond to keep her household happy, and her gelatin salads are the talk of the neighborhood.
But after she gives birth to her second child, Lulu’s carefully crafted life begins to unravel.
When new neighbors move in next door, Lulu believes there’s something more sinister at play. As she works to uncover the truth, she begins to question everything she knew, and soon others begin to question her sanity.
Book Club Questions for The Mad Wife
- What was your impression of Lulu at the start of the novel?
- Let’s discuss the setting in 1950s American suburbia. Which details about life in that era stuck out to you the most?
- How has society evolved since then? Do you see any parallels from that time period to our current one?
- Lulu is known as the “queen of molded food” in her neighborhood. Why did Lulu go to such work to make those, and what did it truly represent to her?
- We can instantly tell Lulu is struggling. She has unresolved trauma from what happened to her brother, and it appears she struggled with postpartum depression following the birth of her son. Discuss your thoughts about Lulu’s pressure to be a perfect wife and mother.
- Why was everyone so quick to label Lulu as “hysterical” instead of trying to help her?
- The 1950s were a scary time to be a woman, with the lack of freedom and the dangers of medical misdiagnosis. What were your thoughts as you read about the limitations of freedom that Lulu and the other women had?
- Why was the appearance of the new neighbor, Bitsy, so unsettling to Lulu? What did she represent to her?
- What were your thoughts when it turned out Bitsy did have a lobotomy?
- What was your impression of Lulu’s husband, Henry?
- We seem to follow Lulu’s descent into madness after the birth of her second daughter, Esther. What did you believe was happening during these frantic scenes before everything came crashing down?
- The truth comes out that Esther died, and that Lulu was so traumatized by the event that she couldn’t face the truth. What were your thoughts when you read this unfold?
- Eventually, Henry agrees to send Lulu to a facility where she’s forced to get electroshock therapy. How could he agree to this?
- Lulu eventually escapes and comes back to her mother, who instantly realizes she has lupus. Let’s discuss how she was misdiagnosed by so many.
- After getting the proper diagnosis, Lulu returns home to rebuild her life. What happens next for Lulu and her family?
Additional Recommendations
Hope you enjoyed the book club questions for The Mad Wife! Here are some more recommendations, along with links to book club questions.
First Lies Wins by Ashley Elston
Another engaging suspense story is First Lies Wins by Ashley Elston. The story follows Evie Porter, who seems to have it all: a perfect boyfriend, a huge house in the South, going to fancy parties, and more. But turns out, Evie Porter doesn’t actually exist.
She works for Mr. Smith, a mysterious man who gives her a new identity and assignment for every job. But this time around, she begins to get close to the mark—Ryan Summers—and it changes everything. And that’s just the beginning of her challenges.
I like the cat-and-mouse type stories. They’re entertaining and breezy to read. They never tend to get super disturbing or warrant trigger warnings, which I do very much appreciate.
First Lie Wins handles the cat-and-mouse analogy in a fun and entertaining way. There’s also a twist that totally caught me off guard. And I love when that happens. Check out more of my review here.
And my book club questions here.
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
I highly recommend Mad Honey. The novel, co-written with Jennifer Finney Boylan, covers so much: identity, gender, abuse, love, toxic relationships, and much more. It’s not an easy read, and many times, it’s quite sad, but it’s also important, and I think it will open many eyes to the struggles that people deal with daily.
The story is told from the perspectives of Olivia and Lily. Olivia is a beekeeper and a mother to a teenage son, Asher. She left behind an abusive marriage to start over in her hometown in New Hampshire.
Whereas Lily is a teenage girl who just moved to the area with her mother. She is also hoping for a fresh start from a painful past.
Asher and Lily eventually start to date and fall in love, and for once, everything seems at peace. Until one day, Lily is found dead, and Asher is the number one suspect.
While Olivia believes that her son is innocent, she starts to recognize similar traits that his father holds as well. She begins to question everything she knows. Check out my full review here.
And my book club questions here.
Happy reading!
