The Angry Wives Club (Gabbie Stroud, A&U)

In The Angry Wives Club, Gabbie Stroud (Teacher, The Things That Matter Most) introduces 3 women who become friends at the gym in the small town of Shellwater Bay. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows everyone’s business, and where the townsfolk are quick to judge anyone who steps out of their prescribed role or challenges the status quo. The titular Angry Wives could not be more different. Joany is in her 70s and living with her husband; Heather is raising 2 teenage children while on the brink of divorce; and Steph is a young mum struggling with the mental load of managing the household and caring for her 3 small children. The women bond over their shared experiences of the many ways misogyny has shaped and constrained their lives. As their bond deepens, they also embark on a series of cheeky, underhanded acts of retribution against the town that has so often dismissed them. Although female rage sits at the heart of the novel, Stroud handles the theme with humour and a lightness of touch. The story takes a genuinely unexpected and highly enjoyable twist in its final chapters. While the novel engages with heavy subject matter – including coercive control and sexual assault – Stroud’s careful, considered treatment, interwoven with humorous misunderstandings, the antics of small children and mildly embarrassing public encounters, ensures the book remains an enjoyable read. The Angry Wives Club will particularly appeal to readers of Jessica Stanley and Jessica Dettmann.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Sophie Pusz has previously worked in independent bookshops in Melbourne and Sydney, and for several trade and academic publishers. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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