[A] sharply observed satire of the white-savior complex and the poisonous legacy of colonialism ... Crouch too remains an outsider, and [...] her novel is less about Namibia and more about how foreigners inscribe themselves upon it ... The antics are fun to watch [...] — like observing an accident in which you were not involved. If only it were not quite so easy to recoil from these characters, to pretend that their blinders are unlike our own.
With a lot of overlap, it’s hard to say what’s comical and what’s in earnest — but there’s enough of both to keep a reader happily engaged, and, because the author has lived in Namibia, there are plenty of probably true facts to savor about the landscape and quirks of language and expat behavior. That is to say, here’s the disclaimer the novel should have come with: Don’t take this book too seriously, and it will entertain you, seriously.
... a devilishly au courant satire that skewers white privilege and colonialism ... Mila, a Namibian, has the most crooked husband—and the hottest takes on American exceptionalism. As everyone's dirty laundry gets hung out to dry, it's hard to remember why we'd want it clean in the first place.
Although Crouch’s novel is, yes, a sharp-eyed comic treatment of what the government refers to as 'trailing spouses' — those who follow ambassadors to their sinecures — it’s also a sad-eyed testament to corruption and misogyny ... rather than write a story of pure suffering, she has taken the opportunity to contrast the country’s problems with the so-called struggles of its more pampered residents, government officials and diplomats ... It’s fun to watch these real housewives of international diplomacy attempt to cope with a country they don’t understand ... Reading the flashback sections, I found it harder and harder to come back to Persephone’s schemes and Amanda’s petty concerns ... One thinks it important, here, to note that Crouch — regardless of her time in Namibia, as the wife of a writer on a Fulbright — is a white woman writing about Africa in an #OwnVoices era ... Not only does Crouch pull off this subtle concoction of sugar and medicine, she deftly blends them by involving Mark in a gemstone racket that reeks of exploitative colonialism, ancient and modern ... Come for the romp but stay for the study of human nature and human survival ... For a writer setting her sights set on a summer readership, it might mean coating a very bitter pill with some sweet folly. In Embassy Wife Crouch makes tough lessons very easy to swallow.
Crouch does an excellent job of bringing her characters to life and conveying the beauty and challenges of life in Namibia through their eyes. Recommended for readers who enjoy armchair travel, well-drawn characters, twisty plots, and complex relationships.
Crouch...spent several years in Namibia, and her knowledge of expat life adds realism to this observant, funny satire. Unpredictable twists lead to an ending where everyone may not get what they want, but they get what they need. Suggest this one to fans of Meg Wolitzer and Maria Semple.
One of the novel’s greatest strengths is the omniscient third-person narration that oscillates focus between main and minor characters. The structure helps heighten the tension between characters, the past and the present, and Namibians and Americans. In addition to sketching complex characters with rich backstories, Crouch excels at moving the plot forward while not missing any opportunity to observe the human condition. With wit and tenderness, the novel explores the complicated nature of race, power, marriage, colonization, diplomacy, and community ... A sharp, funny, page-turning romp.
Crouch (Abroad) pulls off an entertaining and insightful exposé of diplomatic life in Namibia with the story of three women whose children attend an international school in the country’s capital ... Crouch presses her female characters to their limits, reaching notes of genuine triumph without sacrificing the wry comedy, while the red dust and heat of Namibia radiate off the page. This is a blast.
