(Faber Fiction, $38.99)

I had this sitting in a pile by my bed but never got further than picking it up and putting it down again until I heard Kim Hill interview the author on Radio New Zealand National one recent Saturday. The interview thoroughly inspired me to read the book because of two things.

One, I loved the sound of Jane Smiley who Kim pointed out had been married three times at which the author said," Yes, well, I am six-foot-two.” And what exactly did that have to do with it? “The first time I married for height,” she explained.

A woman who will marry for height has my vote and then Kim went on to say she thought the book’s last line was the saddest she had ever read. As soon as I heard that, I just had to start reading it to get to that last line – and I’m so pleased I did.

At just 27, Margaret is considered an old maid in Missouri, so marries Captain Andrew Early, even though it’s as plain as day that the man’s a prize plonker. This is 1905 and options are limited, pickings are slim.

The couple moves to California where Andrew proceeds to bore at Olympic level on the subject of astronomy, physics and his own genius, while Margaret plays the dutiful wife – although, as the years go on, her true self starts to creep out from beneath the rock where the times have kept it. Margaret is a strong, clever, kind and compassionate woman trapped in a stifling marriage, typical of many.

Unlike author Jane who has perhaps found happiness in her divorces, for the women of Margaret’s era, this was not an option. There was no escape. Margaret’s world is brightened only by other characters who are having a lot more fun – the delightful Dora, who travels the world eccentrically dressed; charming Pete, who may or may not be a Russian spy; and the exotic Japanese family, the Kimuras. Therein lies the sadness at the core of this gracefully compelling read.