Evelyn Caldwell has dedicated her adult life to studying the utilization of clones in our everyday lives. Her ex-husband, Nathan, would say this is the thing that led to the dissolution of their marriage. Regardless, Nathan has moved on with Martine, a clone of Evelyn programmed with the patient, docile, and obedient domesticity that he finds lacking in Evelyn herself.
When Nathan winds up dead, Evelyn finds herself working with Martine to clean up the mess he created. But neither of them realize how far reaching that mess will be.
Sarah Gailey has quickly become an auto-read author for me. I've found all their stories to be extremely readable and engrossing. Taking subjects in which we have certain formed ideas about and kind of turning those ideas on their heads a little bit.
The Echo Wife is another such book in the same vein. It's so full of varying layers I almost don't know where to start. On the surface you have a book dealing with marriage and relationships. On one hand you have Evelyn and Nathan's marriage - and the dissolution thereof - but you also have the echo of the marriage between Evelyn's parents and her rather traumatic childhood. A childhood that has undoubtedly had far reaching effects upon her marriage.
But then you add in Martine who is a copy of Evelyn, but tailored to what Nathan actually wants in his wife and you get some really interesting commentary about the male/female dynamic in the household. The kind of old-time thought that women are for taking care of the house and having the children and men are for earning the money.
Breaking away from this you have the interactions between Evelyn and Martine. Martine who is, at first, almost spoken of, and to, as though she's this thing. Not real, not human. Not made for critical thinking beyond what she's programmed with upon conception. There's some wonderful rumination that occurs about what makes us human and how much actually living through our experiences inform who we are as a person.
It's so subtle and such a slow-burn of a book, but really packs a punch when all is said and done. I went back and forth with my feelings towards both Evelyn and Martine. I felt bad for Evelyn who clearly loved Nathan very much (at least in the beginning of their marriage). To literally come face to face with your replacement (and that replacement is a replica of yourself) is heartbreaking. Believing that you were only good enough on certain levels for your significant other. Evelyn is a seemingly difficult character to like. She had strict standards she adheres to - why she has trouble keeping a lab assistant - she's unforgiving if someone makes a mistake. She's so driven and focused (not necessarily bad things on their own) that she loses sight of everything else around her that doesn't pertain to her work including her husband. But then you begin to understand, through past reflection, why she carries herself the way that she does, and you begin to see the complexities that make up the individual.
On the other side of that you have Martine who was made to be subservient. She's not made to have her own thought processes or opinions. When she find herself without the person who has been guiding her throughout her short-lived existence, while we're often conditioned to not like the "other women", I couldn't help but feel sympathetic even though Martine, in Evelyn's scientific-thinking terms, is technically not real. Which brings up the ethicality of the things we do in the name of science.
Sarah Gailey deftly weaves all these elements together in such a seamless way. It's a truly impressive work, and this is only me maintaining a close-to-surface level review in order to avoid spoilers. If you're a fan of contemplative, not-so-speculative fiction you'll really enjoy the Echo Wife.
When Nathan winds up dead, Evelyn finds herself working with Martine to clean up the mess he created. But neither of them realize how far reaching that mess will be.
Sarah Gailey has quickly become an auto-read author for me. I've found all their stories to be extremely readable and engrossing. Taking subjects in which we have certain formed ideas about and kind of turning those ideas on their heads a little bit.
The Echo Wife is another such book in the same vein. It's so full of varying layers I almost don't know where to start. On the surface you have a book dealing with marriage and relationships. On one hand you have Evelyn and Nathan's marriage - and the dissolution thereof - but you also have the echo of the marriage between Evelyn's parents and her rather traumatic childhood. A childhood that has undoubtedly had far reaching effects upon her marriage.
But then you add in Martine who is a copy of Evelyn, but tailored to what Nathan actually wants in his wife and you get some really interesting commentary about the male/female dynamic in the household. The kind of old-time thought that women are for taking care of the house and having the children and men are for earning the money.
Breaking away from this you have the interactions between Evelyn and Martine. Martine who is, at first, almost spoken of, and to, as though she's this thing. Not real, not human. Not made for critical thinking beyond what she's programmed with upon conception. There's some wonderful rumination that occurs about what makes us human and how much actually living through our experiences inform who we are as a person.
It's so subtle and such a slow-burn of a book, but really packs a punch when all is said and done. I went back and forth with my feelings towards both Evelyn and Martine. I felt bad for Evelyn who clearly loved Nathan very much (at least in the beginning of their marriage). To literally come face to face with your replacement (and that replacement is a replica of yourself) is heartbreaking. Believing that you were only good enough on certain levels for your significant other. Evelyn is a seemingly difficult character to like. She had strict standards she adheres to - why she has trouble keeping a lab assistant - she's unforgiving if someone makes a mistake. She's so driven and focused (not necessarily bad things on their own) that she loses sight of everything else around her that doesn't pertain to her work including her husband. But then you begin to understand, through past reflection, why she carries herself the way that she does, and you begin to see the complexities that make up the individual.
On the other side of that you have Martine who was made to be subservient. She's not made to have her own thought processes or opinions. When she find herself without the person who has been guiding her throughout her short-lived existence, while we're often conditioned to not like the "other women", I couldn't help but feel sympathetic even though Martine, in Evelyn's scientific-thinking terms, is technically not real. Which brings up the ethicality of the things we do in the name of science.
Sarah Gailey deftly weaves all these elements together in such a seamless way. It's a truly impressive work, and this is only me maintaining a close-to-surface level review in order to avoid spoilers. If you're a fan of contemplative, not-so-speculative fiction you'll really enjoy the Echo Wife.