The Goddesses by Swan Huntley - Review

The Descendants meets Single White Female in this captivating novel about a woman who moves her family to Hawaii, only to find herself wrapped up in a dangerous friendship, from the celebrated author of We Could Be Beautiful.

When Nancy and her family arrive in Kona, Hawaii, they are desperate for a fresh start. Nancy's husband has cheated on her; they sleep in separate bedrooms and their twin sons have been acting out, setting off illegal fireworks. But Hawaii is paradise: they plant an orange tree in the yard; they share a bed once again and Nancy resolves to make a happy life for herself. She starts taking a yoga class and there she meets Ana, the charismatic teacher. Ana has short, black hair, a warm smile, and a hard-won wisdom that resonates deeply within Nancy. They are soon spending all their time together, sharing dinners, relaxing in Ana's hot tub, driving around Kona in the cute little car Ana helps Nancy buy. As Nancy grows closer and closer to Ana skipping family dinners and leaving the twins to their own devices she feels a happiness and understanding unlike anything she's ever experienced, and she knows that she will do anything Ana asks of her.

A mesmerizing story of friendship and manipulation set against the idyllic tropical world of the Big Island, The Goddesses is a stunning psychological novel by one of our most exciting young writers.


My Review:

I was first drawn to this book because of the Hawaii setting.  But, I was also intrigued by the new friendship between Nancy and Ana.  I also wanted to see how Nancy would deal with her cheating husband and troubled sons.  The story drew me in from the start.

Nancy is devastated when she finds out about her husband’s affair, but she forgives him.  When her husband has the chance to relocate from San Diego to Hawaii for his job, Nancy sees this as a way to transform herself.  She will no longer be the typical homemaker.  She will be a new woman.  Once settled in their new home, Nancy decides to take up yoga where she meets and becomes good friends with Ana, the yoga instructor, who has cancer.  Their friendship started out good with them doing charitable things, like helping homeless people, but when Ana moves in with Nancy, things start taking a different turn.  Ana is not the woman Nancy thought she was.  Ana completely turns Nancy’s life upside down and in the end of the story, she shows her true colors.  Ana is not at all what Nancy thought. 

As a housewife, I was able to relate to Nancy’s feelings about taking care of the home, doing things she was expected to do, and her desire for a friend to hang out with.  The story was fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next.  

Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book