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Book Summary and Reviews of Mrs. March by Virginia Feito

Mrs. March by Virginia Feito

Mrs. March

A Novel

by Virginia Feito

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  • Published:
  • Aug 2021, 304 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

Soon to be a feature film from Blumhouse Productions starring Elizabeth Moss.

"I read Virginia's novel in one sitting and was so captured by it I knew I had to make it and play Mrs. March. As a character, she is fascinating, complex, and deeply human and I can't wait to sink my teeth into her."
—Elisabeth Moss

In this astonishing debut, the venerable but gossipy New York literary scene is twisted into a claustrophobic fun house of paranoia, horror, and wickedly dark humor. George March's latest novel is a smash. No one is prouder than Mrs. March, his doting wife. But one morning, the shopkeeper of her favorite patisserie suggests that his protagonist is based on Mrs. March herself: "But ... ―isn't she...' Mrs. March leaned in and in almost a whisper said, 'a whore?" Clutching her ostrich-leather pocketbook, she flees, that one casual remark destroying her belief that she knew everything about her husband―as well as herself.

Suddenly, Mrs. March is hurled into a harrowing journey that builds to near psychosis, one that begins merely within the pages of a book but may uncover both a killer and the long-buried secrets of her past.

A twenty-first-century Highsmith, Virginia Feito conjures the unforgettable Mrs. March, an Upper East Side housewife whose life is shattered by her husband's latest novel.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Feito is Spanish and lives in Madrid, but somehow she is the love child of Patricia Highsmith and Shirley Jackson. On her way to the screen played by Elisabeth Moss, Mrs. March is absolutely right—everyone is talking about her." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"[U]nflinchingly observed...the suspense remains high...if not for some contemporary references, Mrs. March's breakdown could be occurring in a Henry James drawing room." - Publishers Weekly

"Books and Authors to Know: Titles to Watch 2021" - Library Journal

"The narrator zooms in and out of Mrs. March's thoughts with sometimes scathing, sometimes sympathetic precision as her psyche unravels. I delighted in every moment of this stellar debut." - The Grand Island Independent (Nebraska)

"Like Mrs. March herself, I spent most of Virginia Feito's trippy novel wondering, What the devil is going on? When she figured it out, I was haunted for days." - Helen Ellis, author of American Housewife

"This crisp, delicious portrait of a woman coming apart is a brutal, darkly funny, sharp blade of a book. I loved it." - Amber Sparks, author of And I Do Not Forgive You

This information about Mrs. March was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Lori Richardson

Mrs. March
Intriguing! I read this book in less than 24 hours. Wonderful for a first book, I hope there will be more from Virginia Feito.

Elyse Roy

Poor Mrs. March
I finished reading Mrs. March weeks ago, yet every time I look at this cover, I shudder. This psychological rollercoaster of a ride kept me reading to discover what was really going on in the mind of poor Mrs. March. At times one feels disgust for her, at other times pity. One can't really say too much lest it gives away too much. I can only say that poor Mrs. March is very much worth the read if you like digging into someone's mind to decipher what is truly going on. I now must read it one more time just in case I missed anything. What a wonderful character and a fine suspenseful story for a debut writer. I can't wait for her future books.

Linda K. (Sunset, SC)

Loved it and so will you!
It's not often you pick up a new book and are pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns of the story...Mrs. March does not disappoint. First impression of the title character you are not too sure how to assess Mrs. March then the fun begins. Ms. Feito's writing style feels comfortable from the start. I laughed. I cried...at one point, I seriously thought the story a dark comedy. Thoroughly enjoyed it...my only criticism is the finale could have been a little more surprising or dramatic. Bravo!

Cindy R. (North Miami Beach, FL)

Mrs. March
While reading Virginia Feito's novel, MRS. MARCH (Liveright/WWNorton) I felt as if I was being sucked into the mind of a 42 year-old woman suffering from early dementia. And while it was uncomfortable and sad, I couldn't stop reading. Feito's novel is a study between madness and death. It's a dark psychological drama that will creep you out. At least, it creeped me out.

Mrs. March is the wife of a successful author. She starts to begin seeing herself in the main character of her husband's new bestselling novel and begins performing as that character in real life and losing herself at the same time. Mrs. March not only finds herself between the pages of the book, but discovering secrets of her past, as well as tracking down a killer.

Feito's writing is brilliant and her characters are so complex and well developed. The whole novel is set in the wealthy New York City "Book World" which is quite a treat to read about.

MRS. MARCH is soon to be a motion picture with Blumhouse, starring Elizabeth Moss, of "Mad Men" fame.

Sheila B. (Danvers, MA)

Just the Kind of Story I Needed Right Now
Mrs. March is my favorite kind of narrator -- an unreliable one -- and she doesn't disappoint. I thought Feito's use of language was descriptive, yet not claustrophobic, and I had a hard time not reading "just a little more" to see what was next for our complex and well developed Mrs. March. Full disclosure, I am drawn to very dark story lines, and I found this quite satisfying. I did hear this is slated to be made into a movie starring none other than Elizabeth Moss. I look forward to the movie as well as future books by Ms. Feito.

Becky H

Not for everyone, but great
The feeling of portending disaster looms from the very first page, The disturbing adjectives and descriptions add to the malevolence. I hated this book and loved it at the same time. The writing is wonderful. The character of Mrs. March spirals out of control splendidly.
I don’t want to say much more because this book needs to be read without knowing even the basic plot. It is not quite a thriller, not quite a book of psychological horror. It is definitely a book that grabs you and then doesn’t let go until the shocking end. (Yes, I saw it coming, but didn’t want it to happen.)
Did I “enjoy” reading this book. No, unequivocally. But it was a great book. Would I recommend it to my book group, No! Would I recommend it to a very select group of friends that I know well. Yes!
5 of 5 stars

...20 more reader reviews

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More Information

A native of Spain, Virginia Feito was raised in Madrid and Paris, and studied English and drama at Queen Mary University of London. She worked as a copywriter until she quit to write her debut novel. She lives in Madrid.

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