Evelyn is a research scientist in the field of cloning, and so is her husband Nathan. He divorces Evelyn for another woman, Martine who is a clone of Evelyn, but one that is “conditioned” to be obedient, and kind, and to want to have children. Nathan dies, and the two women come together to sort out the problem that is Martine’s pregnancy.
“I’m not a monster.”
Glanceabook: Although the descriptions of the cloning process (particularly “failed” processes) are quite gruesome, and some of the explanations about the “conditioning” of clones challenge credibility, this is a very thought-provoking and entertaining read with a strong narrative.
- NPR: “Gailey is an ace at constructing clean, clear plots, and The Echo Wife is no exception.”
- Chicago Review of Books: “Sarah Gailey has given us a compelling blockbuster with cerebral complexity. The questions Gailey grapples with are the very essence of what it means to be human, whether we possess self-determination or whether we are fated toward outcomes beyond our control. An intense, engaging novel, The Echo Wife succeeds at both good storytelling and launching into a broader discourse. “
Quotes:
“The floor was well-polished. Dragging him across it wasn’t hard at all.”
“If I had been replaced with a reasonable facsimile of the person I’d been, would anyone notice?”
“I’ve always known that my need to control things to a minute level of detail is unhelpful, bordering on unhealthy. I try to keep it in check as much as I can. But then if I don’t stay vigilant, my husband uses our money to grow a new wife, and my lab assistant uses my grant to support his side hustle, and I wonder why I bother trying. There’s no winning. Either I’m a bitch who needs to control everything, or I’m an easy mark.
“Things get ruined sometimes. That’s just how it is.”
BOOK SNAPS - for readers 
[…] The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey Published: 2021 Macmillan […]
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