The book's deliberately restrained title conceals a truly horrifying portrait of a socially appropriate, emotionally murderous marriage. Bartley Hubbard's wife, Marcia, is single mindedly possessive of him. Howells follows their move from a small town in Maine to Boston, the big city where they must establish themselves. Socially, they keep being shuttled between the middle class and the lower fringes of the upper class. There are plenty of well-done characters and, of course, there is a love triangle-all torment and self-denial. Howell's inspiration for the novel was Medea.
- ISBN10 1511866667
- ISBN13 9781511866668
- Publish Date 24 April 2015 (first published 1 January 2001)
- Publish Status Active
- Imprint Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 490
- Language English