He Fell in Love with His Wife

I loved this book. James Holcroft's wife has died, and he can't imagine ever loving any other woman. But soon he is faced with the fact that he can not run his farm by himself - and he desperately wants to keep his farm.At first he tries hired women, but the first one brings her whole family to freeload... and the second one is a triumph of comedic hopeful imagination wedded with self-interest bordering on insanity. This second one, Mrs. Mumsford, could truly be the once-in-a-lifetime part for the right comedy actress - I could almost envision her on screen, and dearly wished this had been produced by BBC!!!James is ready to give up and sell his beloved farm when his friend recommends a middle-aged woman who has arrived at his poorhouse with few choices. Alida thought she was married but her "husband" already had a wife... so she is ashamed of her past and no longer trusting of men, feeling herself doomed to poverty and a very lonely, shunned future.The two suit each other's needs and suggest an escape from their worst fears, so they make a "business arrangement" to marry, though both are very up front about their intentions and inability to love again. So they are married by a judge and arrive back at James' neglected farm the same day they meet.What follows is a very endearing love story, as James begins to notice Alida's sweet personality and the sunny changes she makes on his farm and in his day... and Alida notices what a good, kind, gentle and generous, hardworking man James is. Unfortunately, both remember the promise made to heed the other's warning that love is not to be part of their marriage...This is no trashy romance, for anyone expecting a "romance" of modern style. But I found it a very, very endearing, realistic portrayal of two unique, lovable characters who slowly find their hearts waking up to each other. The thoughts of each are like my thoughts - the author must have been a very insightful man, because he shows thoughts that people really think, and reactions they would really have. You feel like these are real people, gently and kindly drawn. There is also a Christian aspect to the story (I liked this) - James' faith did not survive his first wife's death, though Alida's is not lessened by her own disaster. She is as sensitive to the loss of his faith as she is to the loss of his wife, but when the villagers James has never bothered to be friendly to gossip about her, her forgiveness of those who have tried to humiliate her has a strong impact.With another reviewer, I too was very glad little Jane, the hilariously repulsive Mrs. Mumsford's daughter, helped the story to a happy ending and found a real home.I loved this story and read right through to the end.

A widower who cherished his first wife and the simplicity of their marriage life--a quiet farm, just the two of them. A woman in need of a place of refuge in a difficult world. He brought her home as a housekeeper so he might save his farm, but he didn't imagine he'd ever love someone again. She didn't know if her broken life could ever be put back together.Edward P. Roe was inspired to write HE FELL IN LOVE WITH HIS WIFE by a newspaper article about a farmer who said he'd marry a woman from the poor house if she was worthy. And this sweet classic book set on a rural north American farm with twists and turns, funny side characters, difficult familial relationships, and brokenness turning to hope is the wonderful story he came up with.This is just a great book. I'd definitely recommend it to people who enjoy a good classic with sweet romance, a good dose of heart, an interestingly moody main character, and a host of great side characters.

This was a delightful read! An older fiction work of a man whose wife died and now he needs someone to help with the housework so he can do the fieldwork. The ones he hires either can't work or have other designs on his life. Much humor here! Then he finds a woman who probably can work in the house, but is too young to live alone with him. So they have a marriage for the sake of having a business. In the process of living in the same house and working together, he falls in love with his wife. Easy read! Some awkwardness with some of the formatting.

I have always enjoyed early 20th Century homely novels and this is in the nature of the best of them. A little classist and certainly old fashioned, but the story remains true.

This book was a very pleasant surprise. It's well written, the characters are interesting, and the story is laced with lovely verbal imagery. As well, it's often quite funny as the main character deals with the vicissitudes of finding housekeeping help. It's a step back into another era, and a really enjoyable read.

Well written with good mix of humour and romance HEA. I have read it a couple of times and find it enjoyable each time.

It's got to be one of the best books I've ever invested in! Love it and would recommend it to anyone.

I did enjoy it,but the editing was a bit amateurish.