Now available as a deluxe modern classic—this emotionally compelling debut novel of award-winning author Jennifer Haigh is the story of three unique women who marry the same manipulative and charismatic man
Birdie. 1961. He was the choir director at a Southern Bible college. Watching him, she thought of the Pietà: Mary weeping over her son’s crucified body, his naked arms smooth as milk, his chest delicately ribbed like the underside of a flower.
Joan. 1969. She met him at a pool party in Florida. His lank dark hair hung to his shoulders; he wore faded jeans and a colorful cotton blouse. He was engaged to someone else.
Dinah. 1979. They met by accident in Washington, D.C. “You’re a beautiful girl,” he’d told her, oblivious to the scar marring her face. He was old enough to be her father.
Enigmatic Ken Kimble is revealed through the eyes of three women he seduces: Birdie Bell, who struggles to hold herself together in the months following his desertion; Joan Cohen, a lonely heiress shaken by personal tragedy, who sees in Kimble her last chance at happiness; and Dinah Whitacre, a beautiful but damaged woman half his age. Woven throughout is the story of Kimble’s son Charlie, whose life is forever affected by a father he barely remembers. Ken Kimble is a chameleon, a man able to become, at least for a while, all things to all women. To each of the three Mrs. Kimbles, Ken appears as a hero capable of mastering her powerful needs and nameless longings...only later will the truth come out.
A captivating exploration of love, marriage and the illusions upon which they are founded, Mrs. Kimble presents a fascinating psychological portrait of a mesmerizing opportunist and the women who believe in him. Beautifully wrought and stunningly original, Jennifer Haigh’s sparkling first book showcases the mastery of a powerful novelist at the beginning of her career.
- Paperback: 416 pages
- Publisher: Harper Perennial (May 3, 2011)
- ISBN-13: 978-0062062611