The Watchful Wife is the fifth novel by Australian lawyer and author, Suzanne Leal. When her husband Gordon, the Deputy Head of English at the exclusive Grandborough High School, is arrested for the sexual assault of one of his students, Ellen O’Hanlon refuses to believe he could have done what they say. Can a thirty-two-year-old English teacher in the twenty-first Century be this naïve? Or is hers simply an unshakeable faith in an innocent man, the man she loves?

Ellen is the product of a strict, severe and very sheltered childhood: her father is an elder of the Scottish Free Church of Kirkton; her mother clothes her in long dresses covering to the wrist, neck and ankle; the school’s sports uniform, way too immodest, is forbidden; Ellen has no friends of her own age, but the Sabbath School teacher, the school librarian and the sewing teacher are kind and have her best interests at heart.

Eventually, with encouragement from these women, she manages to avoid the inevitable marriage to a church member, becomes a teacher, and even summons the mettle to leave home. Despite the Free Church’s rigid mindset, Ellen does miss the sense of belonging she had there, especially when she meets and marries Gordon O’Hanlon, a Catholic(!) and is ostracised by her parents and the church.

Leal’s depiction of Ellen’s upbringing is quite credible, as is the ordeal that Gordon and Ellen endure as reputations are shattered; it is several later plot points that may require some suspension of disbelief and may feel a little contrived. While initially Ellen’s back story may seem to lack relevance, that harsh upbringing is perhaps what gives her the resilience and strength to withstand the challenges she has to face. An interesting and thought-provoking read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Allen & Unwin.

The Watchful Wife was very different to what I expected. The first half of the novel is entirely backstory, laying down the foundation of Ellen’s character, the rigid and zealous religious upbringing shaping her into the woman, teacher, and wife she is when we first meet her in the prologue. While this section of the novel was interesting, it was also ‘quiet’ – in that, not a lot was happening, we were really just being told Ellen’s life story, in all its minute details. I will confess, it wasn’t what I expected, and I kept wondering where it was going.

When we arrive at the present day, back at the point of the prologue, where Ellen’s husband, also a teacher, is being questioned about a student protection claim made against him by a female student, the novel takes an interesting, and again, unexpected turn. Ellen is cast into a role that she never envisaged herself having to play out. Shame, doubt, both at herself and at her husband, shape her days. She is forced to find an inner strength and question much about what she thought about her husband, her life, and even the very nature of people. Questions that torment her: Why would someone young lie about something so heinous? But how could something so heinous possibly be true of the husband she knows and loves?

Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, is featured heavily within this novel and upon reflection after finishing, I can see the parallels between The Crucible and this story and what Suzanne Leal was aiming for. It was only once I’d finished and considered the story as a whole that I came to realise its true power as a cautionary tale, not just about the modern risks associated with being a teacher, but also the dangers that lurk for teenagers in this age where digital content can be used as a weapon and ignite behaviours that are not just unseemly, but actually ruinous to others. The consequences of one’s actions can go beyond just a simple pointing of the finger to get yourself out of a sticky situation.

The Watchful Wife would make an ideal read for a bookclubs. While the ending relied on some convenient coincidences, I still rate it highly and recommend it widely.

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.