ONE WOMAN’S EPIPHANY: A JOURNEY — BOOK REVIEW

After thirty years of marriage to Wesley, Leslie Carter has reached an epiphany. Is she the only original wife in their social set? When she looks around, she sees the changing landscape of marriage for those she knows…and must take another look at her life. The Last Original Wife: A Novel is the story of her journey.

Does she want to keep waiting on a husband who doesn’t appreciate or love her in the way she needs? What does her life mean when it’s all about Wes and his needs? What about hers? And is she obsolete in the world where she has lived for so long? And then she discovers a closely guarded secret of Wes’s about how much money they really have…a lot! And everything changes.

Les takes a trip to Charleston to stay with her brother Harlan—whom Wes has banned from their home during the marriage because he is gay—and as she settles into the comfortable world of the lowcountry, which is truly her home, she begins to see things more clearly.

I was immediately drawn into the story of Les and Wes, narrated alternately between the two of them in their first person voices. I could see how their marriage had started as a traditional union and stayed that way, with no adjustments to the changing world around them. I have known men like Wes, puzzled that their wives want something different. And I’ve been like Leslie, striving to find her own way.

A favorite part of the story for me was how I could visualize Charleston through Leslie’s eyes and fell in love with everything about it. I’ve never been there…but have read other books set there. And nothing feels more like home than a city described by someone who loves it.

Leslie’s friends were like people I’ve known and enjoyed through the years, and watching their lives unfold felt like walking alongside them. My first experience with this author will not be my last. This delightful book earned five stars.