"Wendy Doe is a woman with no past and no future. Without any memory of who she is, she’s diagnosed with dissociative fugue, a temporary amnesia that could lift at any moment—or never at all—and invited by Dr. Benjamin Strauss to submit herself for experimental observation at his Meadowlark Institute for Memory Research. With few better options, Wendy feels she has no choice.

To Dr. Strauss, Wendy is a female body, subject to his investigation and control. To Strauss’s ambitious student, Lizzie Epstein, she’s an object of fascination, a mirror of Lizzie’s own desires, and an invitation to wonder: once a woman is untethered from all past and present obligations of womanhood, who is she allowed to become?"
An interesting concept - looking forward to reading.

This book was tough to read. it was extremely wordy, though did hit on major and complex themes and topics. It was also long. So I felt I lost some of the meaning and deeper symbolism because I just struggled to get through the prose.

At times this book was fascinating and too many times, just boring or perhaps more detailed and above my brain's abilities to understand. Somehow I thought the novel would be more about the woman herself who had lost her memory...it only indirectly was. Mostly it explored memory and the brain, and women's lives derailed by following their hearts instead of their brains.

The premise for this novel is stronger than the story, about a woman who loses her memory and becomes the object of study at a famed memory institute. There are many intertwining narratives: that of the woman who has lost her memory, both during her fugue state and after, the daughter who wants to learn more, and the lead researcher who falls in love with her married professor. The intertwining tales get a bit confusing at times and I found myself wanting to shake Lizzie, the lead researcher and primary narrator.

This book felt much longer than it was and around the 2/3 mark, I nearly gave up. That said, I'm glad I read it to the end.

This was an intriguing story. I was drawn in by the mystery surrounding Wendy Doe, but what I found really compelling was the examination in the story of memory: how memories are made, how they shape us, what it might be like to suddenly have no memories of one's own life. What would that mean for one's identity?

The alternating timelines and narration was initially a bit confusing, but I liked the style as I read on. I didn't get pulled into this one emotionally, though, and was not particularly invested in Lizzie's story.

I liked this book, but didn't love it.

I'm not reviewing this book on my blog as I did not enjoy it. I found the writing style didn't flow for me and my mind drifting while reading it. Right from the start it didn't grab my attention.

To be honest, "Mother Daughter Widow Wife" is slow to get going - and the format of multiple perspectives/timelines initially makes the story difficult to understand.

However, because the characters are so well written - and because the story is so compelling - I still stayed with the book and was not disappointed!

Wasserman does a great job of telling a story about memory; grief; regret; love - and about what it means to truly move forward. Her characters are incredible - and the conclusions they reach will stay with me for a very long time.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!