Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The lobotomist's wife is about Ruth Emeraldine and her husband Robert. Robert is a research scientist who helped to pioneer the lobotomy in the US. He figured out how to make the lobotomy into the "ice pick" procedure we all know about now. In the beginning, Ruth thought Robert was a genius and was completely on his side-- but after so many well-respected individuals bring up concerns, Ruth has no choice but to do whatever it takes to stop her husband.

My biggest problem with this book is that it was just way too long. Even though it was a shorter story, it still was too long. This story would have been really successful as a novella that alternated chapters between Ruth and Margaret. It would have kept up the pace of the story and also got us to the big climax at a much more reasonable time. As written, the climax didn't happen until the last 10% of the book and it should have happened much sooner.

There are parts of this book that I definitely enjoyed, but I think it was just average for me. I'm interested in seeing what else Woodruff writes in the future-- she has a lot of potential. This one just didn't quite do it for me.