The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
Having cemented herself as one of Australia’s most successful fiction writers, Sally Hepworth doesn’t disappoint in The Younger Wife (2022). The book drops the reader straight into a stressful event for most families: a wedding. Stephen is marrying Heather, his second wife, when a scream erupts from the back room where the couple are signing their marriage license, with the rest of Stephen’s family there as witnesses. A guest sees blood, but Hepworth is careful not to reveal what has taken place just yet.
With this ultimate promise of tragedy, the reader is taken through the year leading up to the wedding. The book is told through three perspectives: Heather, and Stephen’s daughters, Tully and Rachel. Given that their father’s new fiancé is younger than they are, Tully and Rachel are less than pleased with the pairing. Combine the age gap and the ethical dilemma of their mother’s own complicated involvement in the situation, and you are bound to encounter some tense family moments and complex emotions.
"Heather picked up her drink and took a large sip. She felt a whisper of irritation at Stephen. Why had he been so determined to announce it now? They should've taken it slower. Met the girls a few times, then announced the engagement down the track. She hadn't even worn her engagement ring. She was delighted about the engagement - ecstatic, even! - but sometimes even the most charming of men were hopeless when it came to reading a room."
No one does a family drama narrative quite like Hepworth. She has a way of writing the complicated relationships between family members that feels so real. She portrays a realistic picture of the messy human experience that we call love, in whatever form it takes. Despite the incredibly dark back stories of some of these characters, I enjoyed that when I picked up The Younger Wife, I could see my own thoughts on family throughout the pages: the unique frustration combined with the fiercest loyalty we know is written beautifully. And as someone who has watched their dad marry someone significantly younger than my mum – although not quite as young as me, thankfully – the disdain and confusion Tully and Rachel experienced was all too relatable.
One aspect of Hepworth’s books that I always enjoy is the Australian setting, specifically Melbourne. Reading a narrative based in your home city just adds something special. I also admire her ability to weave a character’s personal struggles with the larger problem at play, as she does so well through our three protagonists and the secrets they’re keeping from the rest of the family. There is a heavy analysis of different mental health issues and through our three female protagonists, Hepworth gives us an insight into the lengths people will go to not only keep a secret but to deny their struggles.
“Heather got into the car. But as Stephen got into the car beside her, she felt it, that little pinch of unease she used to get when her father was on the warpath. She used to think of it as her sixth sense. It told her something was in the air. Danger.”
I would consider this book darker and less humorous than some of her other published work, such as The Good Sister (2021), however I appreciate Hepworth’s commitment to building the suspense right up to the ill-fated wedding. She does it well. I couldn’t wait to get to the end so the question of who had screamed and why could finally be answered. As the narrative progresses and characters begin to second guess themselves, I found myself right there with them re-evaluating what I thought I knew.
After speaking with some friends, I realised that some people really didn’t like this ending. It was very hit or miss with my book-loving friends. Without giving much away, I personally really enjoyed it. I like to close a book and feel satiated. I enjoy a full circle. And this ending was certainly satisfying.
If you’re looking for an easy read with unexpected twists and powerhouse female characters, I think this is one to put at the top of your TBR!
In between exploring everything Melbourne has to offer and cooking new recipes at home, Heather loves to write about all the media she consumes. She reads a lot, but for some reason she can never seem to shorten her TBR list. Heather is currently working on a variety of fiction and hoping that a debut novel is in amongst them.