The Manual for Good Wives

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What to expect

'The Manual For Good Wives, a fast-paced tale of courage and resilience is beautifully written and remarkably moving. An absolute masterpiece' - Mike Gayle, author of All the Lonely People

'Simply brilliant' - Alexandra Potter, bestselling author of Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up

*****

Everything about Adeline Copplefield is a lie . . .

To the world Mrs Copplefield is the epitome of Victorian propriety: an exemplary society lady who writes a weekly column advising young ladies on how to be better wives.

Only Adeline has never been a good wife or mother; she has no claim to the Copplefield name, nor is she an English lady . . .

Now a black woman, born in Africa, who dared to pretend to be something she was not, is on trial in the English courts with all of London society baying for her blood. And she is ready to tell her story . . .

From the author of The Attic Child, Lola Jaye, comes a powerful dual narrative historical novel. The Manual for Good Wives is about love, generational trauma, second chances and hope.

*****

'An unforgettable voice within a breathtaking story about love, lineage, and the intergenerational effect of bravery in the face of misfortune' - Jessica George, author of Diverse Book Awards winning My Name is Maame

'Poignant, captivating and thoroughly enjoyable' - The Yorkshire Times

Critics Review

I couldn’t put this book down. Simply brilliant
Alexandra Potter, bestselling author of Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up
The Manual For Good Wives, a fast-paced tale of courage and resilience is beautifully written and remarkably moving. An absolute masterpiece.
Mike Gayle, author of All the Lonely People
Powerful historical fiction that brims with bravery, hope and heritage
Woman Magazine
Poignant, captivating and thoroughly enjoyable
The Yorkshire Times
Lola has effortlessly embedded an unforgettable voice within a breath-taking story about love, lineage, and the intergenerational effect of bravery in the face of misfortune. I loved it!
Jessica George, author of Diverse Book Awards winning My Name Is Maame
It's huge and sweeping in scope, yet succinctly written and pacy . . . I was breathless with Temi's adventures! It's a really wonderful, thought-provoking story with a fabulous, memorable heroine at its heart.
Tracy Rees, author of The Rose Garden
Poignant, captivating and thoroughly enjoyable
The Lancashire Times
A gripping story of love, loss and the determination to survive and indeed thrive. It made me shudder, it made me cheer, at times I was on the edge of my seat, but most of all I felt so proud of our heroine and what she achieved despite the odds.
Florence Olajide, author of The Stolen Daughter
A gripping story of friendship, family, betrayal, loss and survival
Peterborough Telegraph
I was definitely in tears by the end! There is so much to say about this story. Lola Jaye has given us such a creative way of examining privilege, identity, trauma and whiteness in both eras
Afua Hirsch, author of Brit(ish) on The Attic Child
Her writing is on another level, with characters and a story that grab you from the first page and don't let go until the very end. Just brilliant
Dorothy Koomson, author of My Other Husband on The Attic Child
An incredibly important book giving breath to voices we sadly seldom hear . . . beautifully crafted, [a] compelling story crossing continents and time, which will undoubtedly break your heart but also make it sing
Mike Gayle, author of Dinner for Two on The Attic Child
Bruising yet hopeful epic novel . . . Emotional and evocative. A powerful tale of trauma, identity and survival
Daily Mail on The Attic Child

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