First published 2006
Ken Kimble has a pattern. He finds women, marries them, and moves on. First came Birdie, left behind with two children, a drinking problem, and empty pockets. Then Joan, an established journalist who had built herself a comfortable solitary life until Ken coaxed her out of it. Finally Dinah, barely out of her teens, who discovered her own beauty and power through his attention. Each woman differs from the others in age, background, education, and means. Yet Ken found the vulnerable spot in each one. Through their three perspectives emerges the portrait of a man who understands exactly how to exploit what women need most. The wives reveal not just who Ken really is, but what drew them to him despite the warning signs. This is a story about love's capacity for self-deception and the different ways women can be broken by the same man.
Genres: literary-fiction, domestic-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: deception, unreliable-narrator
448 pages · Mass Market Paperback · J'ai lu
Content warnings: abuse, domestic-violence, emotional-abuse