‘If a therapist promised they could fix your selfish husband, but only if you followed their dangerously unorthodox methods, would you do it?’
– The Marriage Vendetta
[ About The Marriage Vendetta ]
Eliza’s playwright husband Richard Sheridan has accepted the career opportunity of a lifetime: running a prestigious theatre in Dublin. Eliza plays the role of the supportive wife – uprooting their daughter Mara, relocating from England to Dublin, running the household and managing Richard’s paperwork – but inside, she’s burning with resentment.
Eliza was once a globe-trotting classical pianist; now, her time is consumed by the dramas of the judgmental ‘momfluencers’ at the café across from Mara’s school, where she spends hours anxiously watching her lonely daughter during playtimes.
When she’s sent a suggestive photo of Richard with another woman, it’s the last straw. She turns to mysterious marriage therapist Ellen Early for help.
But Eliza has no idea just how far Ms. Early is willing to go to get results…
The Marriage Vendetta offers the quirky relatable tone of How to Kill Your Family crossed with the wry wit of Sorrow and Bliss. There’s a touch of BBC’s Motherland in the portrayal of parental schoolyard politics – and the dark comedy of Bad Sisters.
[ My Review ]
The Marriage Vendetta by Caroline Madden published April 24th with Eriu and is described as ‘a hilariously dark tale on what a woman who’s had her buttons pushed one too many times might end up doing…’
Inspired by the 18th century English soprano, Eliza Linley, and her tragic life with Irishman Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Caroline Madden knew that she had a spark of an idea for a novel. She originally wrote it in the historical fiction genre but, something just didn’t connect, so she went back to the drawing board. With a major shift she began writing a more contemporary novel but keeping the names of Eliza and Richard Sheridan and introducing Eliza as a pianist and her husband Richard as a playwright. Finally, adding a rather quirky marriage therapist into the mix, The Marriage Vendetta was born.
Eliza Sheridan had a career as a successful classical pianist, trained from a young age. But her childhood was lost somewhere along the way and when she faced a challenging period in her life, she crossed paths with Richard Sheridan. His career pivoted toward showbusiness and his reputation started to take off. But for Richard to succeed, Eliza took a step back. When her daughter Mara was born, Eliza committed herself to being a stay-at-home-mum. She dedicated her time to looking after Richard and Mara, allowing Richard the freedom to pursue his dreams, but at a cost. When an opportunity in Dublin arose, managing a very renowned Dublin theatre, Eliza allowed herself to be persuaded to move from her life in England to a brand new home in a city where she knew nobody. Richard was very convincing, had it all worked out, including the new family home. He was super efficient and, at the time, Eliza appreciated it.
Eliza helped Richard settle in, worked hours voluntarily at the theatre to save money and made sure Mara attending various classes. Mara was a very individual child with a raw and unfiltered imagination that didn’t always sit too well with other folk, both adults and kids.
Eliza had lost her confidence and was slow to make friends in this new city so she was surprised when she spotted an unexpected business card left on her table in a local café. Eliza had received an anonymous picture of Richard with another woman and was feeling low. This card had the details of a marriage therapist and, in a fit of spontaneity, Eliza set up an appointment. Ellen Early was a therapist with a rather eccentric approach and initially Eliza was sceptical of her methods but after a few meetings Eliza began to consider her modus operandi. The ideas seem quite bizarre, possibly even dangerous, but, Eliza soon realised that she had nothing to lose and decided to embrace Ellen Early’s mysterious ways.
Eliza Sheridan wanted her life back, She wanted to find herself again and remove the obstacles, the noise that kept blocking her path. Would Ellen Early be the answer? And how far was Eliza prepared to go?
Eliza Sheridan is a woman on a mission and in this unconventional tale, we go on a delicious adventure with her as she strives to regain her true self. With a great cast of characters, the satirical nature of some of the characters and their behaviour is extremely witty and very vivid, with descriptions and dialogue that bring the reader right into the scene. A truly unconventional debut, The Marriage Vendetta is a darkly comic snapshot of a society caught up with appearance and consumerism. It is a wry reflection on our hunger for success and our perceived notion of the happiness associated with the accolades and praise received from our peers. Quirky and full of heart The Marriage Vendetta is a very clever and unorthodox tale. An unexpectedly thought-provoking novel yet also highly entertaining, Caroline Madden injects a little bit of magic into this modern Irish fairy tale.
[ Thank you to Eriu for a copy of The Marriage Vendetta in exchange for my honest review ]
[ Bio ]
Caroline Madden is an Irish journalist and writer. Having grown up in the countryside of Longford, Caroline got notions and moved to Dublin where she swanned around Trinity College for a few years. She got a degree in something called management science and still isn’t sure what exactly that is.
After trying to make it as a corporate stooge, Caroline found herself in the world of journalism where she was able to secretly work on her novels while she was supposed to be writing stock market reports.
She now lives by the sea with her two children and one very small, very loud dog called Benji.
You can find Caroline online at www.carolinemaddenbooks.com.
