Happy Wife

Throughout Happy Wife, Nora struggles to uncover the truth of her husband’s disappearance while managing her personal grief. The novel suggests that Nora’s grief causes her to act erratically, revealing the complex nature of grief.

When Nora discovers a connection between her husband and Dean Morrison, she decides not to share it with the detective investigating the disappearance, explaining, “I don’t trust Ardell to figure it out” (98). Nora’s decision not to confide in Ardell comes in the middle of a grief-fueled panic attack that leaves her “woozy, like [she’s] somewhere between floating and falling” (99). Later, she accuses Marcus of killing Will after confronting him over his treatment of Nora. Nora instantly feels that she has “fucked up,” and regrets the “wild-eyed, drowned-cat” appearance grief has given her (253, 252). These episodes suggest that Nora’s grief causes her to act erratically throughout the investigation of her husband’s murder.

Will’s death affects a number of people besides Nora, including his business partner Fritz and his first wife Constance. Nora’s reaction to Fritz and Constance’s grief also reflects the erratic nature of her grief. When she sees Fritz for the first time after Will’s death, she searches his face for “signs of the grief and horror of being the one to identify your best friend’s body” (161).