Husbands & Lovers: A Novel

Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams was a well written story that kept me to not put it down! I have read several of the books by Beatriz and enjoyed all of them. This book has 2 stories (as many authors do) with many characters. 1 is a post WW2 story in 1950s Egypt with Hannah, who was married but not in love to a British aristocrat and the revolt against the British happens in Egypt. The other story is about Mallory who is Hannah's grand daughter in Mystic and Winthop Island US and never met or even knew about her Grandmother. This is Historical fiction and has lots to learn and lots to have fun with. The story takes many turns and has a love story in each of the lives. I whole heartedly recommend this book as it is a page turner!!!

I thought this was a great book. The two timelines were each interesting. The characters were well done. I have loved all the books by Beatriz Williams that I have read.

Sydney M. WilliamssHusbands & Lovers, Beatriz WilliamsJuly 19, 2024“It’s important to know where you come from.It’s a part of you. But it doesn’t have to define you.”Husbands & Lovers, 2024Beatriz WilliamsFull disclosure: Beatriz is my daughter-in-law, which, in part, explains my interest in this, her latest novel. Nevertheless, in my opinion (biased though it may be), this is her best. There were times when I laughed and, at other times, teared-up. While there are a few scenes that would have made Grace Metalious blush, her descriptions of War-torn Hungary, of Cairo in late 1951 and early ‘52, and of current-day Winthrop Island (aka Fishers Island) would have impressed James Michener. And her surprise ending would have surprised O. Henry.The book is a page-turner, but I would rather not relate the story – one of tragedy and redemption – other than to say it, principally, involves the lives of two women and the men they loved: The first, Hannah, Hungarian-born in the mid 1920s, experienced unspeakable tragedy during World War 2. When we meet her, she lives in Cairo with her much older British husband, Alistair, who is with the British Foreign Office. There are flashbacks to war-time Hungary. The second, the real heroine of the story, is an early 30s-something single woman, Mallory Dunne, who lives with her thirteen-year-old son Sam in Mystic, Connecticut. A medical emergency necessitates that she trace her son’s DNA.As in all Beatriz’s books, this novel transports the reader back and forth, in time and in place. In Husbands & Lovers, the reader starts and ends in Mystic. But most of the time is spent on Winthrop Island, the location of two of her earlier books. It is where Mallory had spent a summer fourteen years earlier as a nanny, and a place she still loves: “To go running on Winthrop Island at dawn is about as close to heaven as I can imagine…” But time is also spent in early 1950s Egypt, when Hannah, Mallory’s grandmother, is in her mid-30s, and where the revolution against British imperialism was heating up.This novel, as is true for all her books, incorporates Beatriz’s knowledge of anthropology and her interest in history. It speaks to many aspects of our lives: the timelessness of love and passion, that we are victims of chance, and that we must live with the consequences of choices we make. Historians provide facts and statistics of people, places and events, but it is the novelist who provides the texture that allows readers to get a better sense of the people who lived in the past. This story takes the reader through a forgotten part of World War II, revolutionary Egypt and current-day Winthrop Island.I have read all her previous books. There is a lot in this one. It is special.

Always a awesome read love everything she writes one of my favorites authors know I in her work I feel like I am in the story she is awesome

4.5/5 for the last 100 pages of this book! The middle was a little back and forth and confusing for me at times and felt like the historical fiction aspect here could have used a bit more context. The way the story all came together though was consuming and I could not put this down for last third of the book. Loved the ending ❤️

Spoilers ahead…. I don’t know what to say about this book. I am so annoyed, so this will be more venting than a proper review. I am a huge fan of Beatriz Williams and have read all of her books. But lately I can’t say I’ve been enjoying them. I was so excited to read this new one and I just didn’t enjoy it. I will agree with other reviewers the cover has nothing to do with what’s going on in the book (but yes, never judge a book by its cover).Furthermore, it was just a mess of back and forth timelines and viewpoints. Too many random things happened to the characters that I thought were unnecessary, and honestly, quite unrealistic. Like seriously, I know it’s fiction, but the bad luck these characters had was kinda unbelievable and didn’t add to the story. It just made me frustrated. The whole poison mushroom thing didn’t serve a purpose.Monk and Mallory were downright cringey. I much preferred Lucien and Hannah, and think their story should have been the book ( but maybe with a happy ending). Not that I know how to write a book (who am I to really criticize), but it seemed that the author had all these thoughts and crammed them ALL into one book. It seemed that the book could have been two, and maybe more enjoyable, so many things are thrown at the reader and nothing fully resolves. Closure is offered to the reader in a few sentences for whatever conflict. I don’t want to ruin the story for others too much so I won’t fully elaborate. But I had so many unanswered questions at the end, which is so frustrating.The ending was rushed and unrealistic. How can Monk just be okay with what happened between Mallory and his dad (this issue between the dad and Mallory was also just unnecessary. Why, why, why? Was it to check the box for the me too movement?). Why just throw a rape scene at the reader so random and unexpected? Readers need a trigger warning. I don’t think it added to the story, just made things more confusing and weird.I gave it three stars because I genuinely wanted to know how it ended and I really enjoyed Hannah and Lucien’s love story. Otherwise, 1 star for Monk and Mallory.

Loved the past and present intertwining of the story. Some great surprises too! The ending came too fast, great read!

Just do yourself a favor and get this book