With the title it seems that Joanna Trollope wants you to compare it to the Rector’s Wife, which I read about 20 years ago. The books are certainly comparable - they both concern women dealing with being married to men who are married to their careers. Without going back and actually reading the previous book I thought this seemed like a stronger story that came up with more answers than the Rector version, but the fact that I’m twenty years older with far more relationship experience myself might account for some of that.

I liked it that Trollope never seemed to take the easy path through the relationships here. I think she writes women and children very well, and some of the male characters here were great too; the weak point for me were the soldiers who never seemed quite right by themselves. But again that might be my stereotypical expectations talking.

All in all I enjoyed it and found it one of her stronger books of recent times.