Written in short and even shorter stories, Ellis structures her chapters as how-tos, lists, emails and some straight narrative. The book captures — and warmly lampoons — the scattered nature of modern life. The tales are also catchy, smart and very, very funny.
Ellis is a master of the unhinged monologue, delivered by narrators whose conventional, seemingly benign, honeyed patter gradually reveals the disturbing demon within.
From her first story, 'What I Do All Day,' to the last, 'My Novel Is Brought to You By the Good People at Tampax,' Ellis’ dispatches from the dark side of domesticity live up to a description in the book’s early publicity campaign: They are delightfully unhinged.
Ellis has a superb ability to build narrative from a singular voice, and in American Housewife these voices belong to compelling women who continually surprise the reader.
