The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth is as twisty and high on family drama as I’d expected. I was glued to this story from beginning to end. To say the Aston family has some problems would be an understatement.
My Overview
The story begins at the wedding of Stephen and Heather. Stephen is a well- respected heart surgeon, and the father of two grown daughters (Tully and Rachel). His first wife, who suffers from dementia, is in attendance. Heather, who is even younger than Steven’s daughters, is being evasive and clearly hiding her past. Tully and Rachel don’t like the younger wife. It seems like the beginning of a good family drama? Yes, and there’s more!
As the wedding ceremony is wrapping up, a loud scream is heard from the sacristy, where the newlyweds were signing their marriage certificate. What ensues is chaos amongst the wedding attendees and a mysterious storyline begins to unfurl. At this point the timeline shifts to the past, which essentially means that the story starts at the end and takes us on a full circle journey of the Aston family drama.
As the story unravels, we learn about each of the family members and the problems and secrets they’re hiding (even from each other). When painful truths are unrecovered, their support for each other and trust are challenged. Then, just when it seems the Aston family has imploded, they all agree to gather for Stephen and Heather’s wedding. What could go wrong, right? As it turns out something does go very wrong.
My Recommendation
Sally Hepworth has once again delivered on the family drama and twisty storyline I’ve come to expect from her books. If you’re looking for an unputdownable book that will keep you guessing until the end, this is it. I highly recommend the audiobook. It’s fantastically narrated by a group of narrators who really bring this story to life.
Have you read this book yet? What did you think?
