If she is looking at the Model 63 and it fits her hand, you have no problem at all! By all means, buy it. My niece is learning to shoot under my tutelage, and she is only about 5 foot nothing. She likes the J-frame guns and handles her Model 30-1 with aplomb. Your wife might even want some of the larger grips that are available for it like the smooth, finger groove combats or even the target style grips, or as others have said, there are many, many aftermarket grips available (for the J-frame as well.) And if she doesn't like it, you can always sell it to me for my niece to shoot!

Froggie

PS That Model 617 is basically a stainless steel Model 17 and should handle well for her with Magna type grips, but most of them have a full underlug 6" barrel which, as has been mentioned, feels nose heavy to many folks.