The short story Astronomer’s Wife by Kay Boyle, begins with Mrs. Ames or Katherine Ames, the astronomer’s wife daily routine. She lays down her mat and does yoga before drinking coffee and setting out for the day’s activities. Her husband Mr. Ames, the astronomer, is still in bed tossing and turning or just pretending to sleep. Mr. Ames is distant from his wife and rarely speaks to her about anything. He just lives in his own astronomy world and dreams of only the things above “…at times he lay still for hours, at others he sat upon the roof behind his telescope, or wandered down the pathway to the road and out across the mountains (Boyle 28).” On this fateful morning, a plumber arrives at Mrs. Ames home to fix a spill. As usual, Mr. Ames is disinterested and continues sleeping. Mrs. Ames who is starved for attention gets acquitted with the plumber. The plumber quickly notices her beauty and youth and also realizes that she is starved for attention and care “the plumber himself looked up and saw Mrs. Ames with her voice hushed, speaking to him. She was a youngish woman, but she had forgotten. The mystery and silence of her husband’s mind lay like a chiding finger on her lips” (Boyle 28). Continue reading