The Convention of Wives: A Novel

by Debra Green

Overview

Dina and Julia first meet at a surgical convention and bond over frustrations with their husbands’ demanding schedules. But geography, time, and growing families make maintaining their friendship difficult and their relationship eventually falls apart. One of them is left to wonder why; the other has a secret. But neither of them knows that decisions made by family members decades earlier have set them on a collision course.

Years after their friendship ends, Julia gets word that her daughter has suddenly become seriously ill—and she and Dina must decide whether they can face the history that now unites them and muster the maturity to rescue their emotionally tattered families.

A sweeping saga that follows generations from a shtetl in Odessa to the comforts of Scarsdale, an uprising in Glasgow to servitude in the Caribbean, and a trek through the Alps to a displaced persons camp in Italy, The Convention of Wives is a story about the ever-evolving messiness of friendship and marriage, and the wonder of survival.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647422424
Publisher:	She Writes Press
Publication date:	09/20/2022
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	777,494
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Debra Green has always been drawn to good storytelling, especially historical novels and Broadway musicals. While motherhood, hospital administration, and community volunteering were all rewarding, none fulfilled her creative longings. A graduate of Rutgers University and Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, when not writing, reading, or traveling, Debra can be found working in her ever-expanding vegetable garden. The Convention of Wives is her first novel. Learn more at www.DebraGreenWriter.Com She lives with her husband, David, in Scotch Plains, New Jersey where they raised their three children.

Editorial Reviews

Green is a strong writer, especially when it comes to descriptions of marital tension . . . A novel with realistic portrayals of marriage and friendship. . .”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Complicated secret legacies are exposed as two families reel from a betrayal, creating a ripple effect no one could have imagined at the core of this multigenerational saga.”
—Eva Lesko Natiello, New York Times best-selling author of The Memory Box

“Riveting and fast-paced, this novel holds your attention from the first to the very last page. The Convention of Wives is unflinching in its revealing account of generations of women who survive dire political realities as well as threats to their friendships, marriages, and families.” 
—Robin Rosen Chang, author of The Curator's Notes

“A medical mystery reveals devastating secrets as debut novelist Debra Green unspools the history of two intertwined families back through the generations. Rich in historical detail and deeply perceptive insights into the nature of betrayal and love.” 
—Michelle Cameron, author of The Fruit of Her Hands and Beyond the Ghetto Gates

“The Convention of Wives is a captivating story about friendship, marriage and survival, but also opens our eyes to the impact of genetic disease and emerging treatments. A delightful and timely read!”
—Karen A. Grinzaid, MS, CGC, assistant professor and executive director of JScreen at Emory University

“In a story that spans centuries and crosses continents, Debra Green weaves a complex tale of family secrets, love, loss, and redemption.” 
—Susan Schoenberger, author of The Liability of Love 

“If you love historical fiction, family sagas, women’s friendships, and a juicy secret or two to tie them all together, then The Convention of Wives is the book for you!”
—Alina Adams, author of The Nesting Dolls

“Debra Green’s skillfully braided story of two families, several generations, love, marriage, friendship, and a medical mystery makes for a thoroughly entertaining and oh-so-satisfying read.” 
—Deborah K. Shepherd, author of So Happy Together 

“Debra Green is a wonderful storyteller, and her sweeping tale of family secrets had me turning pages from beginning to end. The Convention of Wives tells the story of Dina Aharoni Wasserman and Julia Cawley Kinsella, two young wives and mothers who meet in the 1970s, lose touch, then reunite decades later in a dramatic climax that reveals the mysterious end to their earlier friendship. Green masterfully moves the narrative back and forth in time and place, weaving together the lives of Dina’s Jewish ancestors and Julia’s Christian heritage to remind the reader that long-hidden family trauma still lives and breathes in each of us. A gripping family saga.”
—Mally Becker, author of The Turncoat’s Widow 

“. . . compelling and enjoyable. . .. Any reader interested in the science of genetic diseases and forensic paternalism will find this book intriguing.”
—Barry Rosenbloom, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

From the Publisher