Embassy Wife: A Novel by Katie Crouch

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book: (summary from Goodreads)

A smart, sparkling novel that is one part social satire, one part travelogue . . . Comical and cool." --Oprah Daily

In Katie Crouch's thrilling novel Embassy Wife, two women abroad search for the truth about their husbands--and their country.

Meet Persephone Wilder, a displaced genius posing as the wife of an American diplomat in Namibia. Persephone takes her job as a representative of her country seriously, coming up with an intricate set of rules to survive the problems she encounters: how to dress in hundred-degree weather without showing too much skin, how not to look drunk at embassy functions, and how to eat roasted oryx with grace. She also suspects her husband is not actually the ambassador's legal counsel but a secret agent in the CIA. The consummate embassy wife, she takes the newest trailing spouse, Amanda Evans, under her wing.

Amanda arrives in Namibia mere weeks after giving up her Silicon Valley job so her husband, Mark, can have his family close by as he works on his Fulbright project. But once they're settled in the sub-Saharan desert, Amanda sees clearly that Mark, who lived in Namibia two decades earlier, has other reasons for returning. Back in the safety of home, the marriage had seemed solid; in the glaring heat of the Kalahari, it feels tenuous. And the situation grows even more fraught when their daughter becomes involved in an international conflict and their own government won't stand up for her.

How far will Amanda go to keep her family intact? How much corruption can Persephone ignore? And what, exactly, does it mean to be an American abroad when you're not sure you understand your country anymore?

Propulsive and provocative, Embassy Wife asks what it means to be a human in this world, even as it helps us laugh in the face of our own absurd, seemingly impossible states of affairs.

my thoughts:

Love, love, love! What a fantastic book! I just LOVED Embassy Wife by Katie Crouch. Talk about a fascinating and entertaining story! Plus, that book cover - AMAZING!

Persephone is the wife of an American diplomat in Namibia.  She knows the ins and outs of how to survive as an 'embassy wife', so she decides to take new arrival, Amanda, under her wing. Amanda has just landed from a Silicon Valley job. She's in Namibia supporting her husband as he pursues his work on his Fulbright project. Except, turns out her husband has other reasons for wanting to return to Africa - apparently, he lived there decades ago and his past won't let go of him.  As for Mila, she's from Namibia and is another embassy wife who knows the region well.  She oozes wealth and fabulosity, but can also tell you about the poverty stricken life she has witnessed and once lived. Talk about three very different women who are living in a country rife with political, economic, and social issues that affect them in vastly different ways.  It is eye-opening, disturbing, and jaw-dropping - all of which makes this book so damn interesting. 

Crouch has written a terrific story that will draw you in and keep you hooked. You won't be able to stop reading! This book will have you falling in deep with these women and their families. I loved getting to know Persephone, Amanda, Mila, and Namibia. This is one book that I enjoyed spending my afternoons with. Such a great read!

I would happily recommend Embassy Wife to fans of Crouch's work and to anyone looking for their next great read - you will LOVE this book to bits!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!