Embassy Wife: A Novel
- Downloads：6629
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-09-19 11:21:18
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Katie Crouch
- ISBN：166650131X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Elizabeth
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If you have lived an expat life， you’ll connect and be entertained by much of it。 I got through this in three days… definitely a fun page turner。
Glenn
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This is an ok book。 Parts are funny。 Parts very interesting but it is too long and I never really cared about most of the characters。 I did like that there is a real sense of place。
D
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Very good light-hearted comedy， with some interesting tidbits about Namibia。 Excellent entertainment。
Michelle Epps
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Dnf 20%。 Ditto my last review of ‘Take it Back’
Emily Schofield
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The beginning premise of the book was super promising。 And I was intrigued by the idea of the embassy， and the “trailing spouses”。 But in the end I was disappointed。 I feel like there were too many moving parts， and the last couple chapters felt very rushed。
Lisa
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What a goofy book！ I really loved learning more about Namibia though （or as Trump would say， NAMBIA）。 Very entertaining。
Lisa Petzold
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This one was a little bit too much on the Embassy life， but was a great story and I enjoyed it。
Marcie
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Really fun book。 I loved the storyline， plus I actually learned a little bit of Namibian history！ I'd actually give it 4 1/2 stars！ Really fun book。 I loved the storyline， plus I actually learned a little bit of Namibian history！ I'd actually give it 4 1/2 stars！ 。。。more
Kate Mcglashan
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I really enjoyed this book！ I loved learning about Namibia through a book with humor and drama， and also the setting-within-a-setting of State Department families。 I enjoyed the multiple perspectives， and appreciated the exploration of race relations。 The character of Persephone， the titular Embassy Wife， didn’t fully hang together despite a lot of air time， and I think was fulfilling too many functions: educating us about Namibia， providing a window into State Dept protocol， and comic relief fr I really enjoyed this book！ I loved learning about Namibia through a book with humor and drama， and also the setting-within-a-setting of State Department families。 I enjoyed the multiple perspectives， and appreciated the exploration of race relations。 The character of Persephone， the titular Embassy Wife， didn’t fully hang together despite a lot of air time， and I think was fulfilling too many functions: educating us about Namibia， providing a window into State Dept protocol， and comic relief from the other， more clearly drawn characters’ more serious， and stronger， narrative arcs。 Still， it was enjoyable and worth reading。 。。。more
Laine
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This was cute and fun。 Very comedy-of-manners-esque at the end。 Was I supposed to like these people？ I’m still not entirely sure。
Mia
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Very entertaining but not completely believable story about a family moving from Silicon Valley to Namibia。 The wife gives up an important job while the husband is going through a midlife crisis。 He has become obsessed with a woman he met while on a Peace Corps assignment years before。 He is an “under achiever” at work and at home。 The cast of characters is large and interesting and the landscape， both geographical and political， is well-described by the author。 I found this to be an excellent s Very entertaining but not completely believable story about a family moving from Silicon Valley to Namibia。 The wife gives up an important job while the husband is going through a midlife crisis。 He has become obsessed with a woman he met while on a Peace Corps assignment years before。 He is an “under achiever” at work and at home。 The cast of characters is large and interesting and the landscape， both geographical and political， is well-described by the author。 I found this to be an excellent summer read about a place I will most likely never visit。 And in this summer of no travel， it was just what I wanted。 。。。more
Marcella Wigg
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Lightweight send-up of the lives of US diplomats and associated expats in Namibia （infamously called "Nambia"） in the early Trump era。 I knew it would be satirical but was intrigued by the Amanda， Mark， and Mila subplot。 However， I ultimately ended up a little disappointed at how lightweight the treatment of the heavy issues discussed here was。 There's a lot discussed glancingly （the Herero and Namaqua genocide， colonialism， the turbulent American politics of the late 2010s and their global impl Lightweight send-up of the lives of US diplomats and associated expats in Namibia （infamously called "Nambia"） in the early Trump era。 I knew it would be satirical but was intrigued by the Amanda， Mark， and Mila subplot。 However， I ultimately ended up a little disappointed at how lightweight the treatment of the heavy issues discussed here was。 There's a lot discussed glancingly （the Herero and Namaqua genocide， colonialism， the turbulent American politics of the late 2010s and their global implications， the disconnected lives some American expats live， youthful fantasies of love vs。 the reality of married life and infidelity， gender roles， even child imprisonment！）， yet the book remains pretty frothy and superficial。 Child imprisoned， husband having an affair， retirement savings lost？ Never fear， it will all work out in the end （if you're an American abroad or a very wealthy African）！ I guess I'm a little surprised that these kinds of books are still the view of Namibia （as scenery， essentially） publishers feel we want to read。 To its credit though， it was a very low-stress read。 。。。more
Tess
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What an enjoyable book！ Takes place in Namibia。 Learned so much about this country and got a taste of an embassy job。 Amanda gives up her high paying Silicon Valley job to go with her daughter and husband Mark to Namibia so he can do research for his Fulbright project。 She becomes close to Persephone， the queen bee embassy wife， and Mila， an elegant and powerful woman from the area。
Paula
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I really enjoyed this book。 It takes a while to get to the reason you're learning about all these people in Namibia who populate this story but it is worth it！ The way the author writes， you feel like you could be a bystander trying to figure out why and what is happening or will happen。 There are several mysteries within this tale。 And then all of a sudden， it happens。 My only criticism is I thought the denouement could have been longer and more developed as once the the "Ambo" announced she th I really enjoyed this book。 It takes a while to get to the reason you're learning about all these people in Namibia who populate this story but it is worth it！ The way the author writes， you feel like you could be a bystander trying to figure out why and what is happening or will happen。 There are several mysteries within this tale。 And then all of a sudden， it happens。 My only criticism is I thought the denouement could have been longer and more developed as once the the "Ambo" announced she thought she had the key you didn't learn how that part resolved。 However， that said， all the other characters were resolved， I just would have liked a little more of it。 It's a really good， fun read about a place none of us will likely ever get to visit。 I had to read the last 25% in one session - unusual for me。 。。。more
Damian
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Fun， insightful， and fast read！ Well developed characters and interesting perspective on husband and wife relationships in a unique expat setting。 Quite witty and often outright funny， but at the same time offers sharp observations on privilege and poverty。 Absolutely recommended！
Mary Miller
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Fun plot in a African setting with department of state characters。 Crisp writing and dialogue。 Hard to put down - very clever full of humor and satire。
NewPages
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First， a confession。 I had to look Namibia up on the map。 That’s where Katie Crouch’s fourth novel， Embassy Wife， is set。 This funny， insightful， thought-provoking romp will entertain you， inform you， and get you thinking about things you might not normally think about。Guest Post by Cindy Dale。 Read the full review at the NewPages blog。 First， a confession。 I had to look Namibia up on the map。 That’s where Katie Crouch’s fourth novel， Embassy Wife， is set。 This funny， insightful， thought-provoking romp will entertain you， inform you， and get you thinking about things you might not normally think about。Guest Post by Cindy Dale。 Read the full review at the NewPages blog。 。。。more
Julie Davenport
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I thought this was surprisingly funny。。 with a slightly dark slant。 The character development was engaging but the plot got a little ridiculous towards the end。 Overall， it was entertaining！
Ellen
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An enjoyable， satirical take on the life of embassy wives and families， Crouch takes us to Namibia。 Sensitivity is high after being debased as a crappy country， and it is obvious there is a big divide between the Namibians and diplomats。 Amanda follows her husband Mark to Namibia， there ostensibly on a Fulbright scholarship。 As she befriends Persephone， the perfect embassy wife， and Mila ， a native Namibian married to a corrupt government official， all kinds of secrets are revealed， as Amanda an An enjoyable， satirical take on the life of embassy wives and families， Crouch takes us to Namibia。 Sensitivity is high after being debased as a crappy country， and it is obvious there is a big divide between the Namibians and diplomats。 Amanda follows her husband Mark to Namibia， there ostensibly on a Fulbright scholarship。 As she befriends Persephone， the perfect embassy wife， and Mila ， a native Namibian married to a corrupt government official， all kinds of secrets are revealed， as Amanda and Persephone join forces to save the rhinos。 I enjoyed the satire， as well as the setting of Namibia。 Recommended， and thanks to NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Patricia
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I started off hating this book - I am not always quick to recognize satire， and at the beginning I found the book snarky and superficial。 I kept reading because I have both worked in US embassies abroad and travelled in Namibia; the combination is unusual enough to keep me reading。 It didn't take me long to be thoroughly hooked。This book is hilarious。 One of the greatest benefits of expat life is the great gift of seeing yourself and your life through the eyes of others， through cultural filters I started off hating this book - I am not always quick to recognize satire， and at the beginning I found the book snarky and superficial。 I kept reading because I have both worked in US embassies abroad and travelled in Namibia; the combination is unusual enough to keep me reading。 It didn't take me long to be thoroughly hooked。This book is hilarious。 One of the greatest benefits of expat life is the great gift of seeing yourself and your life through the eyes of others， through cultural filters。 It can be a total shock。 I remember asking my Arabic instructor once， at the end of class， why when we went shopping in the souks， we never heard the voices of the local women， and they didn't seem to be having fun shopping， laughing and chatting as we were。 My instructor liked me。 There was a very long silence。 It stretched endlessly as she considered how she could best tell me the truth， while sparing me undue embarrassment。"We would never judge you by our standards，" she began。 Nothing good could ever follow those words。 "A woman who laughs aloud or who speaks loudly might be looked upon as loose。 It might hurt her chances to make a good marriage。 Worse， it might hurt her sisters， and her cousins。 It might reflect badly on her entire family （very large intertwined families）。I thanked her， and spent weeks processing this information。Katie Crouch's book on Namibia， Trailing Spouses， embassy pecking orders and culture may exaggerate， but is also spot on。 Embassy life is greatly about appearances， and power， and perceived power， and hidden power:Prettiness was an advantage Amanda would never have。 She’d done well without it; indeed， at places like Dartmouth and Silicon Valley， it might have even gotten in her way。 She’d always appreciated being average， if not forgettable。 So it was fascinating to her how people seemed to physically melt as this woman came closer。 The security guards seemed impervious behind their dark glasses， but she could feel the headmaster beginning to quiver， could sense the receptionist’s irate aura grow even heavier。 As for Amanda， she continued to appreciate the works of natural art that were Mila’s perfectly symmetrical cheekbones， shoulders， and eyes。 Crouch， Katie。 Embassy Wife （Kindle Locations 1217-1222）。 Farrar， Straus and Giroux。 Kindle Edition。 Different cultures have very different ways of thinking， perceiving， and behaving。 “Please，” Mila said。 “Remember where you are。 There are many different levels of truth here in Namibia。” “Sometimes we tell people things that may not be completely true， because that version helps more people。 Or we arrange things in a fashion—I’m talking about management， you see—that might not look completely legitimate but will benefit more people。 We speak eleven different languages here。 Did you know that？ We have nine different tribes， all with their own cultures and ways of doing things。 How could we not have different versions of what’s true？”Crouch， Katie。 Embassy Wife （Kindle Locations 1325-1329）。 Farrar， Straus and Giroux。 Kindle Edition。 Occasionally， if you are very lucky and have a good friend who will tell you the truth， you learn something about your assumptions and your blind-spots:Mila peered through the window for a moment， then turned back again。 “Persephone， I am going to be frank with you because you need to hear it。 I am not trying to be cruel， but you must learn。 You， my dear， are a FIGJAM。” “What？” “Good Lord。 Do I have to teach you Americans slang as well？ I’m saying you’re a Fuck-I’m-Good-Just-Ask-Me 。” Persephone’s cute little mouth formed a perfect doll-like O 。 “Excuse me？” “Yes。 FIGJAM。 Write it down， dear。 You think you know everything， because you’re rich and American and your skin is the right hue。 Your event is a mess because you planned nothing。 You’re sloppy and entitled and you’re the whole reason Namibians dislike Americans。” Crouch， Katie。 Embassy Wife （Kindle Locations 4536-4542）。 Farrar， Straus and Giroux。 Kindle Edition。 Best of all， a country that is alien and strange can be very scary and intimidating at first， and then， if you are wired for the expat life， you bend， you learn to flow， and you learn to think differently:“This is Africa，” Mark repeated。 He wrote it down。 “What does that mean？” “Pick up a history book，” the ambassador said。 “Happy endings are not guaranteed。” Crouch， Katie。 Embassy Wife （Kindle Locations 5011-5013）。 Farrar， Straus and Giroux。 Kindle Edition。 Katie Crouch embeds a lot of wisdom in this wacky exotic adventure。 She has some howlingly funny lines， some truly absurd expat goofs （totally possible） and some come-to-Jesus bottom line emotional confrontations as spouses face one another， warts and all。 。。。more
Chris
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An enjoyable light read。 However the ending was somewhat co tricked and just too unbelievably neat。
Lacepaperlife
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I was excited to get into this book about the life of American women living abroad and experiencing other cultures。 Unfortunately this felt more like a new annoying version of “desperate housewives” Endless drama surrounding by failing marriages and the politics of planning school events。 Seeing these unlikeable white women bring their drama to Namibia was cringe worthy and the only saving grace was seeing them all finally get their dues。Just not my style but good for a dramatic， catty weekend r I was excited to get into this book about the life of American women living abroad and experiencing other cultures。 Unfortunately this felt more like a new annoying version of “desperate housewives” Endless drama surrounding by failing marriages and the politics of planning school events。 Seeing these unlikeable white women bring their drama to Namibia was cringe worthy and the only saving grace was seeing them all finally get their dues。Just not my style but good for a dramatic， catty weekend read if your looking for one。 。。。more
Ellen
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I loved this book and was really impressed with her originality and how deftly she handled multiple storylines and characters。 Read it to beat the covid blues。
Sam Mahon
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It’s a light quick read。 It follows the lives and marriages of expat families。 Some unrealistic circumstances and microaggressions and predictable endings。
Moirad
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Not really biting enough to be called satire， but humorous all the same。 Namibia is an unusual setting， and the female characters were well drawn， the men less so。 The state of expat and wealthy African marriages， the role of expat wives in Namibia， and the competitiveness amongst US embassy staff all feature。
Linda
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I enjoyed this novel， but I am also a spouse of a diplomat who lived in Namibia for five years and knew the world that was described。 The places and people were all familiar to me。 I am not sure if someone with no connection to the diplomatic or non-governmental organization world would like it as much。
Edie Leonard
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funny to say that this book’s summary is kind of what ruined the story because it gave way to a plot that didn’t occur until there was 50 pages left of the book？？？？ everything was just written a little too fast。not to mention， the character of persephone was supposed to be really smart but i never really got that from her？ she was definitely A LOT smarter than her husband but that’s not saying much。 she just seemed really judgmental & was always saying the dumbest shit。 i swear that i liked this funny to say that this book’s summary is kind of what ruined the story because it gave way to a plot that didn’t occur until there was 50 pages left of the book？？？？ everything was just written a little too fast。not to mention， the character of persephone was supposed to be really smart but i never really got that from her？ she was definitely A LOT smarter than her husband but that’s not saying much。 she just seemed really judgmental & was always saying the dumbest shit。 i swear that i liked this book， i just felt like it wasn’t tied together enough。 i just feel like there was too much going on & in the end， it didn’t come together in a great way。 i really liked the writing style & the majority of the characters， especially the ever changing perspectives。 i also feel like i’ve learned a lot about Namibia as after every reference to the countrys’ people， locations， & cultures i went straight to google to read more。 。。。more
Stephen
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3。5
Sarah
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This comedy about American diplomats and the people around them in Namibia felt a lot goofier than Katie Crouch's take on the Amanda Knox case， Abroad， which I devoured。 And while its satirical humor was aimed at worthy targets， the plot seemed even a bit more contrived than you'd expect。 Ultimately， a fun read that comes up short。 This comedy about American diplomats and the people around them in Namibia felt a lot goofier than Katie Crouch's take on the Amanda Knox case， Abroad， which I devoured。 And while its satirical humor was aimed at worthy targets， the plot seemed even a bit more contrived than you'd expect。 Ultimately， a fun read that comes up short。 。。。more
Amy
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