The Divorcees
Rowan Beaird
The Divorcees
Rowan Beaird
Lois Saunders thought that marrying the right man would finally cure her loneliness. But as picture-perfect as her husband is, she is suffocating in their loveless marriage. In 1951, though, unhappiness is hardly grounds for divorce - except in Reno, Nevada.
At the Golden Yarrow, the most respectable of Reno's 'divorce ranches' Lois finds herself living with half a dozen other would-be divorcees, all in Reno for the six weeks' residency that is the state's only divorce requirement. They spend their days riding horses and their nights flirting with cowboys, and it's as wild and fun as Lake Forest, Illinois, was prim and stifling. But it isn't until Greer Lange arrives that Lois's world truly cracks open . . .
Gorgeous, beguiling, and completely indifferent to societal convention, Greer is unlike anyone Lois has ever met - and she sees something in Lois that no one else ever has. Under her influence, Lois begins to push against the limits that have always restrained her. But how much can she really trust her mysterious new friend? And how far will she go to forge her independence, on her own terms?
Set in the glamourous, dizzying world of 1950s Reno, The Divorcees is a dark, riveting page-turner and a dazzling exploration of female friendship, desire, and freedom.
Review
Pilgrim Hodgson
Upon fleeing her loveless marriage, Lois Gorski finds herself back under the control of her strict father and is dispatched to The Golden Yarrow – a divorce ranch in Nevada. There she will spend six weeks under yet another person’s control until she can claim residency in the state and meet the legal requirements for a quick, discreet divorce.
But at The Golden Yarrow, she feels at odds with the other women. Lonely, incapable of fitting in and once again constrained by someone else’s agenda, she moves through the days disinterestedly.
With an ensemble of vulnerable other women staying at The Golden Yarrow, debut-novelist Rowan Beaird creates a compelling atmosphere that is as brittle as the desert grass. Long, hot days pass into drunken nights spent in the seedy casinos of Reno. But the monotony is broken when an enigmatic guest arrives during the night. Lois is fascinated, and the dynamic is fundamentally changed.
Paced as languidly as a six-week stay in the desert, The Divorcées is a slow burn. It’s the dynamics of the women and their strong characterisation that compels the reader. Lois’s sense of frustration and longing amid the societal pressures of 1950s America is clear and the setting of the ranch offers a fascinating insight into a unique relic of a different time.
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