Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons

From the first pages, when the nurse asks if the women are sisters, the novel revolves around the joys of friendship and the emotional support that such relationships provide. Though there are examples of enduring romantic relationships—Jerry and Slip and Faith and Wade both have strong marriages, and Merit and Frank fall deeply in love—the novel posits that friendships are one of, if not the most, powerful of relationships. Lorna Landvik suggests that friendships are unique: They are full of love, loyalty, honesty, and acceptance not always found among familial or romantic bonds.

The need for friendship, and the women’s reliance on one another, is part of what brings and holds them together. Though Faith has a pleasant home and is financially stable, with a caring husband and two children, she watches the women of Freesia Court with longing. At the first opportunity, she invites the women to her home and tries to get to know them, showing that female friendship can supply an emotional bond that other relationships don’t. Faith even feels a bit jealous of the bonds that the other women have, such as when Slip invites Kari to her child’s school performance, but not her. Faith recognizes and craves the acceptance, validation, and support of other women who are going through life experiences similar to her own.

Merit also craves female friendship and the acceptance that prevails among the women, who get along even when they don’t agree. Eric’s resentment of the group suggests that he understands that this is a community that provides something he doesn’t, and is jealous of sharing Merit’s affections. Merit benefits from the Housewives’ friendship in tangible ways, first when they help her deliver her daughter when she goes into labor, and then when they stop Eric from attacking her.

Friendship also benefits the Housewives in smaller ways. For example, Audrey’s flashing of the neighborhood do-gooder inspires Faith and Slip to strip with her in a moment of solidarity. This shared rebellion helps the women face the sadder circumstances of their lives. Their support for one another comes through in pivotal moments, such as when Audrey helps Faith to accept that Beau is in love with a man. Audrey’s support gives Faith the courage to confess the whole of her past, including what she believes is murder—something she’s been unable to tell her husband. The support of her friends helps her come to peace with her past.

When the women’s friendship circle is marred, all of the women are affected. For instance, due to the fight between Audrey and Slip, the group doesn’t feel the same. When the friendship is repaired, the group feels whole. Audrey and Slip’s ability to mend their friendship also shows the strength of their bond, one that prevails through good times and bad. All of the Housewives visit Slip in the hospital, illustrating that bonds of friendship endure even when other relationships—with spouses and lovers and children—change.

Resilience and healing are related themes that the novel examines. Characters prove their mettle—against both the backdrop of cultural changes spanning several decades and by how they handle the challenges and tragedies of their lives. The novel suggests that loss and grief are part and parcel of love, growth, and maturity: While refusing to accept circumstances will lead to ongoing pain, confronting things as they are generally leads to solace and new paths.

Kari sets a model in how to deal with grief and loss. At the opening of the novel, she is the character who has confronted both the loss of her adopted child and that of her husband. When Julia is upset with Kari for keeping the circumstances of her birth a secret, Kari takes solace in the support of her friends. In this way, the novel suggests that friendship provides an emotional oasis.

While the protagonists do not change all that much over the course of the novel, their circumstances do. All of the protagonists at some point find that the support of the Angry Housewives helps them through a difficult period. Audrey and Merit get divorced but find salve for loneliness in their friendships, Audrey in particular getting closer to Grant; Audrey, again, finds support in her friends when she is in pastoral training and their encouragement gets her through school, helping her adjust.

Faith takes a different approach in trying to come to terms with the losses in her life by writing letters to her mother. This becomes a stylistic device throughout the novel and provides a way to reflect on the dramatic action. Faith grapples with Beau’s coming out, as she feels a sense of loss over who she wanted him to be—a son who would lead a heterosexual life—and coming to accept Beau helps her, in a sense, to accept herself and her own background as she works through her guilt in letters to her mother. Slip has a harder time coming to terms with her own challenging circumstance. There is not much she can do to help Fred, though she shows up to offer support while he is on the disarmament march. At the conclusion of the novel, likely facing the end of her life, Slip persists in her optimism, the best way she has found to handle her diagnosis. The novel suggests that the validation, honesty, and acceptance offered by solid and nurturing relationships can equip people to deal successfully with changes and challenges.