I finished Mrs. Kimble tonight. Another very good read from Jennifer Haigh – I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Mrs. Kimble is about three women who all married the same man, Ken Kimble, and the emotional destruction he left in his wake when he abandoned or otherwise betrayed each of the three. The first is Birdie – a teenager when he married her and brought her to his parents’ home in Virginia so that he could serve as a minister at a conservative religious college. After they had two children together, he left her and took off for Florida with one of his students. In Florida, he met and married Joan, wife #2, a private and lonely woman with a painful past. Years later, he came across Dinah – who had once babysat for his children – and married her too.
Haigh explores what made each of these women fall for Ken Kimble, and describes their lives with (and sometimes without) the mysterious, withholding man responsible for their various predicaments. It’s actually quite a sad book. Kimble is a chameleon (as the back of the book states), capable of molding himself into whatever persona he needs in order to get what he wants. He also expertly learns to prey on vulnerability and sadness, which these women have in spades. His betrayals are breathtaking, his conscience non-existent.
I really enjoyed this book, despite its bleak outlook. I like Haigh’s writing – it is spare without being unsatisfying. Each of her words is carefully chosen, and she reveals little more than she needs to, which made me wanting more – not in a bad way, but one that compelled me to read on. I liked this almost as much as The Condition, which I loved.
I thought this excerpt from a PopMatters review of Mrs. Kimble was very accurate:
The three Mrs. Kimbles are among the most appealing and memorable characters in recent fiction, easily vying with the fascinating trio of women in The Hours. Haigh reaches inside her female characters, who together comprise a composite picture of Everywoman, and turns them inside out like a sock, exposing their thoughts and feelings with an honesty that is admirable. Do all their actions and decisions make sense? No — but then, neither do all of ours, in real life, if we’re being honest. The book raises as many questions as it answers, and in that lies its true significance, a certain authenticity of voice that compels one to read on in spite — or perhaps because of — the contradictions.
I highly recommend this book. It has stayed with me as I’ve read it, and I suspect it will for a long time.
Oh, that book looks/sounds so good. I’m adding it to my wish list.
It’s an interesting concept for a book but it does sound bleak. There are so many books that are made into movies these days. I can see this one taking a spot on the big screen.
I also read this, a few years ago when the book came out and I loved it.
It is depressing and bligue. But I did like the writing style of the author. I hope to get to her new book, The Condition soon. I just happen to love to read New England authors.
Read both Mrs. Kimble and The Condition and enjoyed both.
Rissa
I’ve put this book on hold at the library. Thanks for the tip!
I enjoyed meeting you Friday evening and hope to catch up with you again soon!
I loved Mrs. Kimble! Thank you for your review.
This book is on loan from my sister-in-law April so I will definitely have to move it up on the list of books to read.
I’m so happy to read this review, Gayle! I’m attending a function with Jennifer Haigh tomorrow, and I haven’t yet read *Mrs. Kimble* or *The Condition*. It looks like I’ll be picking them both up at the breakfast 🙂