This is a modern-day retelling of Jane Eyre. The title kind alludes to the main deception in this book. But not the only deception

Jane is from the wrong side of town. She was taken into foster care at a young age and spent her entire childhood bouncing around various foster families. She doesn’t get a good education, a good job, or lots of friends. When she is about to leave foster care (just before her eighteenth birthday), something happens which leaves her scared and fleeing her home in Phoenix, Arizona, and settling in a downscale neighbourhood of Birmingham, Alabama. I was intrigued to know what exactly happened in Phoenix, and it is revealed just over halfway through the book. It turns out to be not as interesting as I’d hoped.

Not far from the rich side of town, Jane starts a business walking the dogs of those who have too much money in Thornfield Estates. While doing this, she meets the good-looking Eddie Rochester. They start dating, and within a few weeks, she moves in with him. At first, things are great. Jane loves her new-found wealth. But she doesn’t fit in with the other women of Thornfield Estates. Then, there is the mystery of Bea (Eddie’s dead wife) and Blanche and how they went missing in their boat. Blanche’s body is recovered about seven or eight months after the supposed accident. Bea’s is never recovered. Because she is locked in the panic room in Eddie’s house.

So, there are clearly similarities with Jane Eyre. The names are, pretty much, all taken from the original book. Eddie’s dog, for example, is called Adele. The wife who isn’t actually dead, but locked inside a room upstairs is the major similarity. But there are plot twists and little touches that make it quite different. In a good way. I wasn’t sure I would enjoy this too much, but I really did. It kept me on my toes, and everything I assumed I knew about the story was knocked on its head.

The “Stepford Wife” women are hideous — with the exception of Emily. But the rest of them … nope. Nasty, too-rich, kept women whose main purpose of living is to gossip. So, actually, very realistic. Jane is a fab character. She has a tendency to steal things, especially glittery things, and I really like that. She has many flaws, but that makes her endearing. She is vulnerable, even though she is kind of scrappy. I really like her characterisation.

Bea. Well, what is there to say? This book is narrated, mostly, in two voices: Jane’s and Bea’s. The latter comes across as someone who knows what they want. She doesn’t seem to be entirely innocent. Which sets your mind racing as to who she really is. The end of this book is super exciting, and it leaves us with even more questions. I love that!

A great book with fabulous characters, and I have to say, it’s not the comparisons to Jane Eyre that make it so. It’s just a good book.

Anyone looking for a good mystery. It is a puzzle you're constantly trying to figure out as you read. It's fun for fans of Jane Eyre to keep finding all the little comparisons to the original. And there are many.

The nods to Jane Eyre. The characters, mainly Jane. I love the twists and turns, particularly towards the end.

The anti-climax when we discovered what happened to Jane in Arizona.

Read Jane Eyre again.

Excited. Frustrated sometimes. Puzzled (in a good way).

It's a quick, exciting read. The Jane Eyre references are cleverly inserted.

At times, I felt there was too much Jane Eyre in the story. It was blatantly naming names or having things happen just to tick a box on the author's sheet. Mostly, though, I like the references.

Interested in buying this? Support Writing.Com by making your purchase of The Wife Upstairs: A Novel   from Amazon.Com!

Created Nov 19, 2021 at 6:49am • Submit your own review...