While I agree the battery life on the PW2 sucks when compared to previous e-ink Kindles, it sounds to me like your wife's experience is pretty average. Amazon's wording is a bit deceptive on this point:
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A single charge can last up to eight weeks (based on a half hour of reading per day with wireless off and the light setting at ten), unlike tablets that need to be charged each night.
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Any serious reader will look at that and laugh. Half an hour a day is nothing. And setting the light at ten...well, some of that is dependent on the enviroment you choose to read in, while some is a matter of preference. I do read on level ten--in full dark, in bed at night. Daytime indoor reading? I'm usually most comfortable at level 14-15. And no, the cover doesn't really change anything power consumption-wise, just makes it a bit more convenient to turn on and off.
Translating Amazon's marketing doublespeak, eight weeks x 7 days x 30 minutes = 28 hours on level 10 with wifi off. So under their ideal conditions, your wife's reading habits mean she'll have to charge every 5-6 days...IF she reads at level 10 with wifi off. Realistically, she'll be charging every 3-4 days, and pidgeon92`s suggestion of charging every night or two is a practical way of handling the PW2's power needs.
My reading habits right now are similar to your wife's. I personally bought the Amazon PowerFast charger, and charge about twice a week. I turn on wifi only when I'm actively downloading or looking up phrases that require translation, and turn it off as soon as I'm done.
The battery life is my least favorite part of the PW2. But having the built-in light more than makes up for it in my opinion.