Kathryn LeBlanc is attempting to move her fledgling career forward. Easier said than done. As a psychologist, her greatest desire is to help women who may be on the fringe of society. Thus she decides to start a therapy group on Wednesday nights for the wives of sex addicts, so they have a place to find support and advice to navigate these unfamiliar waters in which they find themselves. And this particular issue seems to be the only thing that these women have in common.

Gail is a powerful Boston judge who is supportive of her husband, despite the numerous letters she has received from his alleged young girlfriend. Lizzy is a softhearted grade school teacher whose husband would rather watch online porn than be intimate with her. Naïve housewife Hannah catches her husband having an illicit encounter with a man in a public restroom. Flavia is a sweet Greek transplant whose husband is having a hard time keeping a job in the wake of his addiction. Bridget is a sharp-tongued, scorned wife who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant and not happy about it.

"Sylvia True’s novel is in a class by itself, taking on a tough issue that really hasn’t been dealt with in commercial fiction before."

These women find themselves dealing with issues far out of their comfort zone. And where can you turn when dealing with such a private and delicate situation? You can’t exactly bring up the fact that your husband is a sex addict with your girlfriends over lunch. Which is why Kathryn’s new group is salvation for many of these ladies. But despite the issue they all share, it’s not smooth sailing for the group. Gail’s stern demeanor and stalwart devotion to her husband chafes Bridget, who has a hard time channeling her understandable anger: “I am so f**king sick of this being all about them…. First it’s their addictions, now it’s their recovery. And then they get chips for good behavior. How about if we get some chips?” 

Each Wednesday night, the women come together to try to wrap their heads around their husbands’ issues and find comfort from each other’s shared experiences. But Kathryn’s group is threatened not only by the women’s differences but also by her arrogant supervisor. Hopefully, though, they can all come together to help each other and themselves find a little peace.

THE WEDNESDAY GROUP is an uncommon debut novel that deals with such a remarkable subject matter --- the wives of sex addicts, the problems they face, and how their husbands’ addictions affect their lives as well. Lizzy’s job is terminated because of her husband’s porn addiction; Gail’s unwavering faith in her husband might not be justified; Bridget finds herself angry and pregnant. Hannah’s husband’s illicit activities threaten to tear their whole family apart (although in her case, her husband might be unfairly categorized as a sex addict; he seems more like a closeted gay man). The women represent a cross-section of middle-to-upper-middle class wives dealing with an issue that still hides in the shadows.

Every other addiction has their own support group or rehab facility and counseling for the families of addicts. But with sex addiction, it still seems to bear the stigma of shame and silence. That’s why Sylvia True’s novel is in a class by itself, taking on a tough issue that really hasn’t been dealt with in commercial fiction before.