Book Review: Trad Wife by Sarah Langan

Hello readers! I’m back today with a book review of Trad Wife by Sarah Langan.

If you’re anything like me, you’re seated for the “trad wife” discourse online. It seems to be everywhere. And I’m so grateful that it’s a topic being covered in books (like Yesteryear and Trad Wife) because there are a lot of different sides and positions to think about.

This book definitely has some creepy elements to it, and ultimately winds up being a bit of a horror story. So if you like darker reads where the plot is convoluted, I’d recommend this one for your TBR list. If you enjoy horror stories, you can read more reviews like this one here.

What is Trad Wife by Sarah Langan About?

A journalist descends into horror as she uncovers the sinister truth behind a trad wife influencer in this “flat-out brilliant” (Paul Tremblay, New York Times bestselling author) blend of chilling suspense and razor-sharp commentary on modern femininity, performative domesticity, and social media—perfect for readers of Yesteryear, Mexican Gothic, and The Yellow Wallpaper.

Every day, millions watch Mia Wright, the “trad wife” queen, on her idyllic three-hundred-acre farm. With her handsome husband, seven well-behaved children, and a life of from-scratch meals and pastoral bliss, she’s an icon of modern femininity. But behind every perfect image is a secret. And in this case, the secret is a horror.

Desperate to save her tarnished career, journalist Jenny Kaplan arrives at Black Swan Farm to profile Mia. Jenny is ready to write a scathing exposé, determined to expose the deception behind Mia’s curated life. But soon, Jenny has more to contend with than staged videos and camera-ready poses. There’s something wrong at the farmhouse. Something slithers through Jenny’s dreams, and at night, the children sing strange nursery rhymes.

She’s losing time. She’s losing her hair. She starts to worry that she’s losing her mind.

There is a horror at the heart of Black Swan, and it’s waiting just for Jenny. Trad Wife will make you question what’s real and what’s just a perfectly curated deception…

Will you see the lie? (from Amazon.com)

The Concept

Being a “trad wife” is a very divisive topic in today’s world. We’re constantly bombarded by them online. They make their families the perfect dinners and they raise their kids at home. They bake bread from scratch and homeschool the children. These women take on so much responsibility, and some of them have created content creation careers where they share how they do it online.

But maybe they aren’t really posting for you. Maybe they are posting for them. And that’s something that is brought up in Trad Wife by Sarah Langan.

I liked the main character in this story, Jenny. She is a reporter who takes a freelance writing job to go behind the scenes of an online “trad wife” and figure out what her life is really like. And as well can all imagine, things are much different behind the camera. And not necessarily in a good way.

The Plot

There are a couple of other books out there right now about Trad Wife’s, but this one is different. I liked that it isn’t told from the perspective of Mia, the trad wife in this story. It’s told from the perspective of a reporter who is trying to figure out what the lifestyle is really all about.

Jenny feels like a very real character to me. She’s honest. She works hard. She doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff. That’s obviously why her drano piece went so popular. But that’s also why there was so much downfall from it, and why she got “cancelled”. I felt really bad for her with all of the crap she had to go through afterward.

The idea of her living with Mia for a week to experience the “trad wife” lifestyle was so interesting. It was fun to see how she clocked some of the weird stuff immediately. And I like how she tried to stand up for the followers who were stuck in an MLM, even though there really wasn’t much that she could do.

The curse and the horror of this book were really spooky. I can’t go into too much detail without spoiling the story. But trust me… things get really weird.

My Critique

I did feel like there were parts that could have been shortened. Like, there was a lot going on before we even got to the crux of the story. And I would have liked some more explanation once the really weird things start happening. But maybe that’s the point? I think with psychological horror you aren’t really supposed to completely understand everything.

And with that being said, I do plan to go back and re-read the last 1/3 of the book to make sure that I really understood everything! lol. I’m kind of the same way with horror movies too.

Would I Recommend This Book?

Definitely! I thought it was fascinating to read about two such different women. I found it really funny whenever Mia was like “Even though I don’t agree with her politics, I just love Jenny and she’s the best writer ever! She’s the only person who could cover my story” It felt like a bit much, but that’s Mia. She was a bit much.

There are parts of this book that will startle you. Some sections you will want to read over again. And I think that’s what makes this such a unique story. The author really goes there with the horror and you’ll want to keep reading as fast as you can to find out what happens next.

In Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed today’s book review of Trad Wife by Sarah Langan. I really liked this book and thought the author had a really good take on the trad wife lifestyle. It’s funny to think that we might not understand something so different from us because there’s actually a curse. Lol.

But that’s all I’m going to say. I don’t want to spoil anything for you in case you decide to check this one out.

Thank you to Atria Books for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.