Columbia has picked up right to Robert Goolrick's novel The Reliable Wife, which hits shelves March 31.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sony-based Michael De Luca is attached to produce. De Luca Prods. exec Josh Bratman brought in the book.

Set in rural Wisconsin in 1908, the book centers on a middle-aged widower who places a newspaper ad seeking "a reliable wife." Instead of fielding a homely applicant, the man finds himself welcoming a gorgeous former courtesan with an agenda of her own.

The Reliable Wife was named as the top pick for the ALA's April Indie List.

No production date has been set.