The Ninth Wife: A Novel

“A vibrant, nuanced novel about marriage . . . and the moment when we realize that the shimmer of fantasy pales next to the tumultuous reality of . . . happiness.” —Carolyn Parkhurst, national bestselling author of The Dogs of Babel

What sane woman would consider becoming any man's ninth wife? Bess Gray is a thirty-five-year-old folklorist and amateur martial artist living in Washington, DC. Just as she's about to give up all hope of marriage, she meets Rory, a charming Irish musician, and they fall in love. But Rory is a man with a secret, which he confesses to Bess when he asks for her hand: He's been married eight times before. Shocked, Bess embarks on a quest she feels she must undertake before she can give him an answer. With her long-married, bickering grandparents, her neighbor (himself a mystery), a shar-pei named Stella, and a mannequin named Peace, Bess sets out on a cross-country journey—unbeknownst to Rory—to seek out and question the wives who came before. What she discovers about herself and her own past is far more than she bargained for.

“A witty, satisfying novel with a clever structure. . . . There’s something so sweetly endearing about both Bess and Rory that readers will pull for them, knowing the odds may be against them—even against marriage itself — but hoping that this time, true love will triumph.” —Sarah Pekkanen, The Washington Post

“A nuanced take on relationships.” —Publishers Weekly

“As Amy Stolls takes us into the minds, hearts, and histories of Bess and Rory, we grapple with the thorny, thrilling truth that love is always complicated, always—every time, every day—a risk.” —Marisa de los Santos, New York Times–bestselling author of Love Walked In

© 2024 Harper Paperbacks (Ebook): 9780062079336

Release date

Ebook: 11 June 2024