You are a young, pregnant woman who receives the phone call telling you your husband has been arrested for murder. What next? Stewart O'Nan writes of the dwindling choices Patty Dickerson must confront. Does she stick with her husband? How does she deal with being a single parent? How does she handle his being transferred from one prison to another farther away? The character of the wife is never sappy. Instead O'Nan lets the reader see how life can be managed and even appreciated when times are rough over the course of 28 years. While definitely not an easy read, The Good Wife is a well-written political and social novel that forces the reader to think. This would be an interesting choice for a book discussion group.