Love in Mid Air

Love in Mid Air by Kim Wright

Summary: A chance encounter with a stranger on an airplane sends ElyseBearden into an emotional tailspin. Suddenly Elyse is willing to risk everything: her safe but stale marriage, her seemingly perfect life in an affluent Southern suburb, and her position in the community. She finds herself cutting through all the instincts that say “no” and instead lets “yes” happen. As Elyse embarks on a risky affair, her longtime friend Kelly and the other women in their book club begin to question their own decisions about love, sex, marriage, and freedom. — Grand Central Publishing

I had read mixed reviews on some of my favorite book blogs for LOVE IN MID AIR by Kim Wright, so went into it somewhat curious. I have to say that I loved this book! It pulled me in from the first page and didn’t let go. It was an emotional roller coaster with some ethical issues that kept me turning the pages. But what struck me was the gorgeousness of the prose and the author’s ability to express some heartfelt and authentic emotions so easily.

“The thing is,” Jeff says, obviously warmed up by his appreciative audience, “men and women cheat for different reasons. Men cheat because they want variety. But women only cheat if something is fundamentally wrong with the marriage.” (p. 188)

The issue of infidelity is at the heart of Wright’s debut novel. But it isn’t a black and white situation. Wright gives us every shade of grey imaginable and leaves it up to the reader to determine whether they believe the main character, Elyse, is a cruel woman destroying her marriage or someone just trying to find her place in the world.

“And do you know what else I wonder? Sometimes I wonder what would happen if a woman was completely herself within a marriage and said everything she wanted to say and did everything she wanted to do and just let the chips fall where they may. What kind of marriage do you think she would have? Maybe it would be bumpy in the short run but in the long run the man would say, ‘She makes me mad but at least she’s all here,’ and he’d eventually come to respect that, what do you think?”

That is one thing you can say about Elyse Bearden, she is all here. I enjoyed reading every minute of her complex and complicated life, her search for happiness and answers to life’s elusive questions. A great read!