Mrs. Kimble: Book summary and reviews of Mrs. Kimble by Jennifer Haigh

Mrs. Kimble Summary

A chameleon, an enigma, all things to all women -- a lifeline to which powerful needs and nameless longings may be attached -- Ken Kimble is revealed through the eyes of the women he seduces: Birdie, his first wife, struggling to hold herself together after his desertion; second wife, Joan, a lonely, tragic heiress who sees her unknowable husband as her last chance for happiness; and Dinah, a beautiful but damaged woman half his age.

Mrs. Kimble Reviews

"The novel has sharply incisive passages, but Haigh's thin characterizations don't quite live up to the promise of the clever, intricate premise." - Publishers Weekly.

"Starred Review. The women are both weak and strong in their own ways, and the ending proves that Kimble may have done some good in spite of himself. A beautiful novel with memorable, vibrant characters that will have wide appeal." - Booklist.

"Jennifer Haigh's Mrs. Kimble focuses a laser on that most irrational of decisions - whom to marry... Though the premise seems overly schematic, the result is an affecting tale of the power of a charismatic predator and the acquiescence of his victims.... Haigh is spare and low-key, masterful at delineating the quiet but revealing moment... Mrs. Kimble can be enjoyed as a sharply observed study of three women and the same stubborn, misplaced hopes that shape their lives.

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Mrs. Kimble Reader Reviews

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Rated of 5 by Elizabeth
Quite compelling
Three wives, all three are different. Ken Kimble marries these ladies for different reasons and also leaves them. One he leaves with children and the other one he doesn't.

Despite his leaving they manage to carry on their lives.

You want to hate him, but you can't....the story is well told. I love the cover with the three dresses that are depicting the three women.

Not sure which woman I like the best, but you will love the book....it kept your interest. Gifted author.

Jennifer Haigh Author Biography

Jennifer Haigh is a novelist and short story writer. Her first book, Mrs. Kimble, won the 2004 PEN/Hemingway Award for debut fiction. Her second, Baker Towers, was a New York Times bestseller and won the 2006 PEN/L.L. Winship Award for outstanding book by a New England author. Both have been published in nine languages. Other fiction has been published in Granta, Ploughshares, Five Points, Good Housekeeping and other places. Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Jennifer Haigh is a graduate of Dickinson College and the Iowa Writers' Workshop. She now lives in the Boston area but doesn't get out much. She maintains a large, lively circle of imaginary friends.

From the author's website

Author Interview

Other books by Jennifer Haigh at BookBrowse