Seabaugh weaves a narrative that is both intimate and epic, striking notes of humor and tragedy with equal aplomb. Gwendolyn’s journey through the decades, accompanied by the inimitable Eddie, provides an incisive exploration of America’s constantly shifting social contours. What can you learn about yourself from an alcoholic monkey? It turns out, a hell of a lot. This is a thoughtful and highly entertaining tale.

– Alex DeMille, New York Times bestselling author

Original, deftly crafted, laced with irony, humor, and the impact of social changes, Gwendolyn & Eddie is a fun, fascinating, and thought-provoking read from start to finish. Showcasing author Michael Seabaugh’s distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style as a novelist, Gwendolyn & Eddie is a welcome and unreservedly recommended pick

– Midwest Book Review

Michael Seabaugh has taken all of the familiar mid-century themes and turned them into this highly original tale that crackles with fresh insight, Southern humor and savage irreverence. He has managed to make Gwendolyn’s marital trials seem both heartbreaking and hilarious.

You can literally feel the gathering quiet rebellion inside Gwendolyn as she attempts to deal with her husband’s chronic disloyalty and infidelities.You will not want to put this book down— not only because it is so good, but also because you will want to be there, standing side by side with Gwendolyn, until the very last page.

– Linda Bloodworth Thomason, creator of Designing Women, 
2024 recipient of The Writer’s Guild Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement

At first glance, this may seem like a delightful tale about a mid-century woman and her mischievous monkey. But Seabaugh, a skilled psychologist, weaves subtle layers of psychological insight into the narrative without ever slowing its lively pace. By the final page, you’ll find yourself deeply connected to Gwendolyn—and, of course, the unforgettable Eddie.

– David Kirkpatrick, former President of Paramount Motion Pictures

One might imagine that your spouse drunkenly bringing home a monkey (also drunk) from a poker night might put a significant strain on your relationship. But for Gwendolyn Bollinger, a picture-perfect ’50s housewife who has spent her life trying to do right by everyone but herself, this ornery little creature will become more significant than she could have ever imagined. Michael Seabaugh’s

Gwendolyn & Eddie is the story of “a marriage and a monkey,” a tale that spans nearly 60 years of Gwendolyn’s life, as her kids grow up and become independent; her husband’s drinking, cheating, and abuse become harder and harder to deal with; and Eddie the monkey becomes an unexpected confidant and comfort to Gwendolyn as the years go on. Gwendolyn & Eddie may be fiction, but as Seabaugh will readily admit, much of the story was inspired by his own childhood and the life story of his mother. (No, her name was not Gwendolyn, but yes, they did have a monkey!)

As one might expect, the pressure on women of a certain generation to be the perfect wives, mothers, and homemakers could be paralyzing, and many women found themselves with no choice but to conform, and few if any options to leave if their husbands became abusive, as Gwendolyn’s is. Likewise, Eddie the monkey is meant to be free, but circumstances find him caged in a suburban home, and the parallels between him and Gwendolyn draw heartbreaking conclusions about the fates that countless women, and animals, have had to endure.

However, no book featuring a monkey is completely without humor, and I can confirm via Seabaugh that yes, the show-and-tell scene really did happen to his mother — pick up if you want to laugh as hard as I did!”

– Tessa Reeg, All Booked, The Independent 

Gwendolyn & Eddie will make you laugh and deeply feel. Michael Seabaugh is a master of balancing levity and seriousness. Through complex characters, readers get a glimpse into what it’s like to be caged—and what it’s like to find your wildness. A beautiful book that unpacks the ‘conventional’ marriage of the times, the defiance of those conventions, and the struggle to live a life you deserve. Seabaugh made this reader believe men really can understand women—and maybe even monkeys. A captivating, enthralling, and provocative work.

– Miranda Faye Dillon, award-winning author of The Unshatterables

Quirky, clever and ultimately very human, Gwendolyn and Eddie speaks to our universal need for connection and purpose.  Seabaugh brings to life a puckish monkey and lets him catalyze both relationships and realizations, compelling his humans to react to the changes that time imposes, including the profound social movements forwarding civil rights, women’s rights and ideas of inclusion. A brilliant novel that engages, provokes clear reflection and speaks to who we are.

– Greg Fields, author, The Bright Freight of Memory; American Writing Awards winner, Literary Fiction
PEN/Faulkner nominee

Gwendolyn and Eddie is a great romp of intrigue and hilarity.  The novel compels you into the past with riveting color and a fascinating storyline.  Seabaugh brings us deep into the psyches of the character and the period of history.  Give yourself a delicious weekend read.

– Dr Jennifer Freed, Best Selling Author, A Map to Your Soul

In this richly detailed novel, for most of her life a woman remains loyal to a monkey she didn’t want and a husband she shouldn’t have chosen. Among a reader’s many rewards will be learning to which of them she extends a final courtesy.

– Leonard H. Orr, author of Entitled

Gwendolyn and Eddie perfectly captures, with exquisite insight and vivid writing, the mid-century American Mid-South. The author, Michael Seabaugh, draws a compelling, fast-paced story of that world and the privileged men and women who lived in it. At times devastating, sometimes hilarious, always moving, the novel powerfully evokes the lives of  Gwendolyn, a woman struggling to be a proper wife to a husband sinking under the weight of his power, and the monkey, Eddie, who has landed in the middle of their marriage. Seabough masterfully describes the charm of Southern horse country culture while slowly unveiling the dangerous faults that lurk beneath it.

– Marianne Partridge-Poett, Editor-in-Chief of the Santa Barbara Independent, first female Editor-in-Chief of the Village Voice

As an author, Seabaugh’s skill with the pen radiates across every chapter, making Gwendolyn and Eddie a must read for 2025. With a beautiful cover to match, there is little to find fault with when it comes to this charming story of a woman and an excitable monkey. It is a novel packed full of bold and colourful personalities, and the unexpected antics that come with it.

– AEB Reviews

Gwendolyn & Eddie by Michael O.L. Seabaugh is a witty and poignant exploration of mid-century America’s societal upheavals. Set against the backdrop of 1950s Missouri, the novel follows Gwendolyn as she wrestles with a crumbling marriage, shifting cultural norms, and the peculiar presence of Eddie, an alcoholic monkey who becomes both her burden and an unlikely source of liberation. Seabaugh’s sharp, empathetic prose humorously deconstructs traditional gender roles and domesticity, blending moments of genuine hilarity with deeply moving insights into the human condition. The atmosphere perfectly captures the essence of a society on the brink of transformation, with details that bring the 1950s setting to vivid life with great atmosphere and style.

Author Michael O.L. Seabaugh offers readers a narrative that seamlessly weaves humor with profound social commentary, creating moments that made me both laugh out loud and reflect deeply on the nature of personal freedom. Seabaugh’s portrayal of Gwendolyn’s emotional journey is honest and real, capturing the subtle ways that societal expectations can shape a person’s choices. The attention to historical detail creates an immersive read that transports readers directly into the complexities of the era. I was also really impressed by the use of Eddie as both comic relief and a symbol of metaphorical messages, which fits the tone of the novel while never feeling heavy-handed. The exploration of marriage, independence, and self-discovery was also well done and deeply considered while remaining grounded in its specific time and place. Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend Gwendolyn & Eddie to anyone seeking a novel that combines historical insight with timeless human truth.

 – 5 star review by K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite