Recipe For a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown

The story follows two marriages - modern day Alice who leaves a great job in NYC to become a wife and hopefully soon, mother in the suburbs and 1950's Nellie the woman who used to live in Alice's house as a young housewife. Nellie's cookbook, notes, and unsent letters offer just a hint of the young wife's life and troubles that Alice uses to compare to her own situation. Both marriages have a downside as each woman feels increasing pressure to succumb to their husband's wishes and get pregnant. The interesting dichotomy of a woman's role, some good old fashioned recipes as well as some frightening and funny advice for 1950's housewives set the mood for the male-dominated world. I did tend to feel worse for Nellie who had much fewer options available to her than the disgruntled Alice.