The Sunday Wife - Reviews

"In her second novel, “The Sunday Wife”, Cassandra King evokes with remarkable clarity the double standard of a church in which reverence for the Word is undercut by whispers in side vestibules and conniving backroom tet-a- tets.... ...decorating her narrative with graceful and subtle nuances of the Florida Panhandle towns of Seaside, Grayton Beach and Apalachicola, Cassandra King has crafted an enchanting portrait of the South... ...This blockbuster book clearly establishes King as a powerful fiction writer."

-- Mobile Register, review

"The Sunday Wife" was written over the course of five years. "This writing reflects a painful time in my own life," she says. "I would have been writing this book whether I had a pen in my hand or not." King was a Methodist minister's wife for over 20 years in the Southeast. While serving in this role, she was in a position to observe other ministers and their wives... ..."

-- Mobile Register, feature

"...sharp, observant, thoughtful, self-aware... ...The Sunday Wife" by Cassandra King (Hyperion, $23.95) is an intelligent, witty novel, skillfully written. Dean Lynch's voice is self-effacing, with an inner strength that captures the reader's sympathy straightaway... ..."The Sunday Wife" has some very funny scenes..."

-- Boston Globe

"As slice-of-life stories go, this is an extraordinary generous one: rich, dense and satisfying."

-- People Magazine

"Throughout the story, King does a masterful job of highlighting the conflicts between Old South and New South."

-- Birmingham News

"Cassandra King new novel, THE SUNDAY WIFE, a tale of a woman who doesn’t belong in a place where she finds herself and the like-minded misfits she befriends, is one of those books that keep you up till three in the morning and make you wake up three hours later to pick up where you left off... ...King... is a graceful writer, and her description of people, places and things range from delicate to deadly; the seafood meals depicted in this book made this reviewer go out and buy oysters for bisque, and the scenes of beaches in moonlight and sunlight are achingly beautiful. King also excels at keeping the plot cooking, page after page. THE SUNDAY WIFE is a tasty and irresistible treat."

-- Bookpage

"Cassandra King's The Sunday Wife is a pleasure. In the tradition of Fannie Flagg and Lois Battles, the author has written a memorable novel about the intrigues of small town life in the deep south... ...Author Cassandra King acknowledges drawing upon personal experiences while writing the novel. She was reared in a small southern town where the church was "a vital part of her family life." Ironically, King too, was a "Sunday wife," and she came to realize ".... Dean Lynch is not just a preacher's wife; she's the corporate wife, the politician's wife .... she's any woman struggling as I did to live up to an unattainable idea."

-- Southern Scribe

"All aspects of institutional religious hypocrisy, intolerance, ultraconservatism, and general self-righteousness ARE FAIR GAME AS Dean discovers who she really is... ... Fans of Patricia Gaffney and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings will enjoy this extremely well written book. Essential for libraries of all sizes."

-- Library Journal

"Finely drawn characters and complicated social intrigue make King’s second novel (after Making Waves in Zion) a charming read... ...King has written a truly heartwarming story, a tale of turbulent emotions and the vagaries of public opinion in a small Southern town; she has a sure winner here."

-- Publishers Weekly

"...an impressive debut."

-- Booklist