‘Ex-wife’ by Ursula Parrott, a review by Eleanor Antoniou

“I wished that I had never married him, never kissed him, never met him, never heard of him. Also, that I had a revolver and could shoot him.”

Although Ursula Parrott’s Ex-Wife was first published almost 100 years ago in 1929, the novel’s themes, characters and narration feel captivating and strikingly modern, and are an utterly enjoyable and fun read: think Sex and the City meets Fleabag, but in the 1920s Jazz Age.

The story opens with a young woman, Patricia, being left by her husband, finding herself single for the first time in years and experiencing the rollercoaster of complex emotions that follow a breakup, whilst learning how to navigate New York during the Roaring Twenties as a newly independent woman.

Whilst reading, I found myself highlighting phrases and paragraphs, marvelling at the way that Patricia’s refreshingly honest first-person narration remains all too relatable even a century later, at times hilarious and at other times harrowing. Parrott has perfectly captured the feeling of being a young woman in her twenties, whether this be during the 20th or 21st century.

Whilst the novel’s title might suggest that romantic relationships are at its centre, it is the female friendships which sit at the heart of this book. Working as a fashion advertising executive, Pat moves in with Lucia, a young divorcée who reaches out to Pat when she too becomes an ‘ex-wife’.

Lucia helps Pat through her grief, consoles and advises her, but also takes her to parties, reminds her how to laugh again, and eats the 1920s version of a TikTok ‘girl dinner’ with her (complete with avocados, then referred to as “alligator pears”): “tomato en gelée, and lobster, and alligator pears – the preposterous sort of meal women order when they are dining together.”

A conversation between Lucia and Patricia on jealousy particularly stood out to me because it felt so modern and relevant to women today. Patricia admits to Lucia that she feels jealous of her ex-husband’s new fling, Judith, but then judges herself for her own jealousies, saying “I knew that I was being 1880 about her. She had style, she was amusing.”

Jealousy itself is a complex emotion, and one that we rarely talk about even today, as Lucia notes, “Everybody is [a jealous person], and everybody poses as not being.” Patricia’s self-awareness that picking on Judith is “1880” of her, and her subsequent recognition of Judith’s good qualities speak to the complexities of life as a woman in a patriarchal society which teaches us to feel constantly in competition with other women, particularly when she is an ex’s new partner.

Patricia recognises these complexities and can understand that her judgement of Judith rather than her ex, is misplaced, whilst still allowing herself to admit to her jealous feelings. Throughout the novel she grows to understand the importance of generosity between women, helping another romantic rival at the end even when this help must be at her own expense.

The novel’s overarching themes further emphasise these feminist ideas, exploring sexual liberation, women’s independence, abortion, child loss, sexual assault, and the double standards faced by women. Patricia’s ex-husband calls her a slut, whilst his reputation stays the same however many women he sleeps with; he leaves her when she cheats, even though he has already cheated on her; she endures the loss of their child whilst he seems not to care at all, and when she gets pregnant again, he beats her and lets her face an abortion completely alone.

Ex-Wife was originally published anonymously, and has been reissued this year by Faber, marking the first time it has been published in Britain. Ultimately, it is a powerful read, and a classic that is contemporary, self-aware and ahead of its time, celebrating female friendship, championing women’s independence and emphasising the power of women in the fight against the sexism they face, whether this be during the 1920s or today.

We’d like to say a big thank you to Eleanor for writing this review for us, and to Faber for the copy of the book!

If you would like to write a review for us, please email us, or if you would like to buy a copy of Ex-wife by Ursula Parrot, you can do so here.