A Clever Wife : Kessinger Publishing : 9781120111838 : 1120111838 : 24 Sep 2009 : A Clever Wife is a novel written by William Pett Ridge and published in 1896. The story follows the life of a young woman named Lucy Wray who, despite being born into poverty, is determined to make a better life for herself. She marries a man named Tom, who is kind but lacks ambition, and together they start a small business selling household goods. Lucy is a shrewd businesswoman and their business thrives, but she soon realizes that Tom is not the partner she needs to take their business to the next level.As Lucy's business grows, she becomes increasingly frustrated with Tom's lack of ambition and begins to question whether she made the right choice in marrying him. She meets a successful businessman named Charles, who offers to invest in her business and help her expand. Lucy is torn between her loyalty to Tom and her desire for success, and must make a difficult decision about the future of her busines