Rating: 
Summary: Good Story, but Some Questions
Review: This first novel by Jennifer Haigh was a compelling story with mostly well-developed characters (some of whom I thoroughly lost patience with, another whom I despised). My only criticism is that it gave little insight into the man at the center of all of these women's lives since he is seen only through their eyes. Maybe that was the intent of the author, but if so, it left me with several questions about his past and what could have caused him to turn out the way he did.I thought that the novel was presented in an interesting and unique way, with each Mrs. Kimble's story being told in sequence over a period of 30 years. The way the author tied up the story at the end was neither contrived nor forced (as it easily could have been) ---it was very well done. These three vulnerable women were all taken in by the elusive Ken Kimble, who changed his persona to fit the circumstances, like a chameleon. His basic cold and conniving personality, however, remained the same through his lifetime. He was a con man and a grifter who managed to insinuate himself into these women's lives through lies and manipulation.As soon as he "got" them, his normal selfish ways re-emerged. I think that Haigh's particular gift is that she was able to render these three very different women so realistically, to get into their hearts and souls, despite their very unique circumstances. I have one little nit-picky question and that is about the cover...were those three dresses supposed to represent the three Mrs. Kimbles? If so......where is the one for Joan? None of these were the kind she would wear. I would recommend this book for its unique presentation and for its insight into the wives. I think it would provide great book club discussion too.
Rating:
Summary: Original, subtle, and interesting debut novel
Review: The story of three women who marry an elusive con man. Ken Kimble is a human amoeba capable of morphing into whatever shape pleases the woman he wants. The novelist's focus is on the three very different women who are his victims, and each portrayal is subtle and all too real. The skill with which the women are drawn is amazing in so young a writer, as is her perceptive and never sentimental picture of Kimble's three children. The dialogue is as real as life. One could only wish for a bit more depth in the description of the women's background and character. As for Kimble, such a person could never be made understandable--revinvention of himself to suit the moment is his very nature.
A highly original work from a writer who promises much.
Rating: 
Summary: Better than most debuts, but still lacking in parts...
Review: I'm still in the middle of this novel, but I wanted to write a quick review before I forgot. Basically, Haigh has chosen an interesting twist on American domestic suburbia. She fattens up each short passage with plenty of realistic imagery- none of this "sparse prose" that alienates readers. I like that Haigh took chances with her descriptions and I think her style is elegant. If you enjoyed The Hours by Michael Cunningham, you might enjoy Mrs. Kimble. (Might.) My problems so far are with the dialogue, which I agree is stilted in places, and the opening of the novel. Birdie's story wasn't at all what I expected for an opening- the repetition of her lush non-existence, the neglect of her pitiful and intelligent children left me wondering if I would find anyone in the story to connect with. Sometimes the details of their daily existence are downright tedious. Overall, I'm glad I stuck with the book and I hope to finish it in the coming week. I've been so disenchanted with what's coming out of the MFA programs these past few years that I'm glad to have finally found such a book I can recommend to my friends.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful young writer of this first novel!
Review: Conceptually, Haigh has plotted a compelling tale of the three women who marry Ken Kimble. We see the story through the passage of time. First we meet Birdie Kimble, abandoned with two small children by Ken the minister. Ken married Birdie when he taught at a Christian college. 13 years her senior, he was fired after her pregnancy and their hurried marriage became public. Things get truly horrific for Charlie and Jody, Birdie's children, when the reality of how poor they are, how little there is to eat, and how much wine Birdie drinks hit home. The only thing that saves the children is the need for Birdie to return home for a family funeral, where the kindness of relatives helps keep the small trio afloat. Ken moves on with another student, young Moira Snell. Through her parents in Florida, he meets a rich woman, Joan, who is older than he is, and who finally provides him with the kind of money and setting he needs to strike it rich in real estate. In order to fit in, Ken, the product of a conservative Christian background, pretends to be Jewish. Joan is a survivor of breast cancer - and when she can't conceive, Ken briefly absconds with his and Birdie's children to try to fill up the house and pacify her. Charlie takes matters in his own hands and manages to run away with Jody on a bus back home. Joan is subsequently overtaken by another bout with cancer, leaving Ken a relatively young, rich widower. Ken's final marriage is to Dinah - a young woman who used to babysit for his kids, whom he meets again quite by accident in Washington DC. Dinah's independent and smart, but she, too, is taken in by Ken. She becomes his wife and bears him a son, but soon learns that Ken in marriage is not the same as Ken in courtship. Dinah is his trophy -- he encourages her to have treatment for a large facial birthmark, and utilize makeup and a style of dress that make him the envy of his peers for his "trophy wife". He cares little for Brendan, his son with Dinah, and is openly critical of the boy. Kimble is one of those charismatic rolling-stones who invariably attract women that he wants and wants to use for his own purposes. It is not until after months and years of marriage that the women he chooses realize how shallow and self-serving he is. Marrying for youth, beauty or wealth and success, Kimble quickly loses interest in each wife and treats them like the possessions he feels they are. Willing to desert and then to kidnap his own children, lie about his heritage, carry on extramarital affairs and cheat in business, Ken Kimble, as portrayed by Haigh, is a chilling anti-hero. His legacy is the unhappy solitude he brings to his own children, each of whom distrust marriage and commitment. Only four stars for a book rich in imagination, description, dialogue and character? Why? Haigh moves and affects the reader with her portrayal of only two of the three wives. In Birdie and Joan, complete opposites come alive on the pages. Their vulnerabilities are exposed and exploited by Ken, and we can only watch in shock. The third wife, Dinah, perhaps the most admirable of the three, is perplexing in her motivation and her actions. Haigh may have relaxed her standards in writing the final chapters of the story, and Dinah remains a kind of mystery to the reader. Still, the book is definitely a cut above most "women's" fiction, and you can't stop turning the pages.
Rating: 
Summary: An Amazing Book!
Review: Jennifer Haight has written one spellbinding, debut novel, MRS. KIMBLE. Ken Kimble, handsome and charming, appears to be a dream-come-true for the three women he marries. However, each Mrs. Kimble discovers in time he's a con man. Throughout the span of the story each becomes disillusioned at his distant nature and solitary pursuits. As we become more acquainted with Birdie, Joan, and Dinah, we feel sympathy for them. They are real; Ken is hazy. Also the book is an intriguing study about men, women, and marriage.
Rating:
Summary: Highly Readable, But Little Depth or Complexity
Review: Given the premise of this novel, I expected much more from it than just an enjoyable, quick read. And it IS highly readable--Haigh is a good storyteller and her pacing is fast (short episodes, crisp sentences). And yes, you do keep turning the pages, even though the novel begins a bit slowly with Birdie, the least engaging of the three Kimble wives (maybe partly because you never get to see Kimble with her or relating to her, except a snippet long after they're divorced). However, I wished for more than just a story--I like novels that make you think, and in which you really identify with or come to love the characters, novels which have detail and some complexity to them. This one has little of any of the above, in my opinion. I know some readers felt the three Mrs. Kimbles were really well-developed, but I felt just the opposite. All of them seemed a bit like stick caricatures to me--there just wasn't enough there. Dinah, the last wife, is perhaps better drawn, simply because more pages and time are spent on her, and therefore I felt I knew her a little better than the other two--but not as well as I'd have liked to. Ken Kimble--the selfish, opportunistic and supposedly chameleon husband who we see solely through his three wives' eyes--was a real disappointment (and not only to his wives, but to me as well!). I was married for a number of years to a man who, while not a criminal 'con' man like Kimble, is definitely someone who changes a great deal in relation to whoever he's with. However, my ex is highly complex and very interesting, and Kimble is neither. Haigh loses a chance to help us understand this kind of personality, I felt, as Kimble is presented so one-dimensionally, so simplistically, really. And I don't buy it that the wives couldn't have given us at least some of this information, that they didn't know him themselves, so thus we readers don't know him either. In the years I was married to him, I spent a great deal of time trying to understand my narcissistic, chameleon husband--and I do feel I came to understand him maybe better than he understood himself (I made it a point to learn about his family, asked many questions about his background, for heaven's sake, read his old childhood diaries, made it a point to meet his old friends and girlfriends). Maybe Kimble's young wife, Birdie, wouldn't have done these sorts of things, but certainly smart, savvy Joan could have (why she was ever attracted to him for very long didn't wash for me--and we never do see how Ken copes with her dying, which must have been pretty interesting...). And Dinah, who did know deep down that her husband had some pretty big flaws, also was capable, I think, of presenting us with a more complex picture of this man, especially since she was married to him for many years. The ending of the novel jives with the rest of it--it will make those of you who like a basically entertaining read happy. Well, I didn't mind the ending, as I'd long before realized I wasn't reading a novel that I found in the least bit thought-provoking, and so just took it for the satisfying ending that it was. I can see why this novel appeals to many readers--it's a good, light 'mainstream' novel; it's just that I'd longed for a little more meat, a little more substance. If you're just looking for a quick summer read, though, you no doubt will love this book as much as many others have.
Rating:
Summary: Which Mrs. Kimble will you like the best?
Review: I loved the book! It is a fascinating character study and story that I just didn't want to put down. Each of the women is unique, and yet by the end of the book I could find the common link that allows them all to be duped by charming and decietful Mr. Kimble. I found the so-called holes in the book quite intentional and quite functional. The "holes" are part of Ken Kimble's personna; they stopped me from dwelling on Ken Kimble, and they kept my focus on the wives and the families. The book is aptly titled Mrs. Kimble, not Mr. Kimble. A fine story, with a well joined beginning and end! Jennifer Haigh did a great job with this novel!
Rating:
Summary: Some holes, but a captivating debut novel
Review: I loved the premise of this book - to follow this one man through the lives of his three wives. It is true, as other readers here say, there are some holes, but the story is just too captivating to put down. I read it in less than a week. The story and Jennifer Haigh's writing style will keep you intrigued from start to finish. Each character in the story is so interesting that they could have a novel just devoted to their own tale. There are still many unanswered questions, right down to the last sentence of the novel. However, don't let this keep you from reading and enjoying this book. This is definitley a must-read for some years to come.
Rating:
Summary: Author needed some fact checking
Review: OK, yes the book was entertaining, but it always irritates me when I find factual errors. Case in point: Joan and the children travel to Disney World after breakfast and return on the SAME DAY before dinner. It is approx. 4 hours from the Miami area to Disney, 4 hours back. They wouldn't have had time to stand in one line.
Rating:
Summary: A surprising premise and a gripping first novel
Review: This is a fascinating novel by a very gifted young woman. Even with the "holes" in the story that others point out in their reviews, it is a terrific one- or two-day page-turner. Birdie's story was a little too off-putting in the beginning, but I stuck with it and am glad I did. I have trouble concentrating and start reading many books I never finish; this one I gulped down whole! Highly recommend it.
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