By 1960s standards, Margaret Ryan is living the American woman's dream. She has a husband, three children, a station wagon, and a home in Concordia--one of Northern Virginia's most exclusive and picturesque suburbs. She has a standing invitation to the neighborhood coffee klatch, and now, thanks to her husband, a new subscription to A Woman's Place--a magazine that tells housewives like Margaret exactly who to be and what to buy. On paper, she has it all. So why doesn't that feel like enough?
Margaret is thrown for a loop when she first meets Charlotte Gustafson, Concordia's newest and most intriguing resident. As an excuse to be in the mysterious Charlotte's orbit, Margaret concocts a book club get-together and invites two other neighborhood women--Bitsy and Viv--to the inaugural meeting. As the women share secrets, cocktails, and their honest reactions to the controversial bestseller The Feminine Mystique, they begin to discover that the American dream they'd been sold isn't all roses and sunshine--and that their secret longing for more is something they share. Nicknaming themselves the Bettys, after Betty Friedan, these four friends have no idea their impromptu club and the books they read together will become the glue that helps them hold fast through tears, triumphs, angst, and arguments--and what will prove to be the most consequential and freeing year of their lives.
The Book Club for Troublesome Women is a humorous, thought provoking, and nostalgic romp through one pivotal and tumultuous American year--as well as an ode to self-discovery, persistence, and the power of sisterhood. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)
I was watching an episode of Superstore recently where one of the male characters was judging a female character for being a working mom instead of staying home with her kids. He was implying that she wasn't a real mother because she also spent a lot of time at work. I was so infuriated by what he was saying that I wanted to reach through the screen and slap him. And this took place around 2020. I felt a similar level of anger while reading The Book Club for Troublesome Women, as the sexism was so aggravating. I know it took place in 1963, but some of the stuff people said just made my jaw drop.
Margaret wants to be a writer and when she gets a job doing just that, she's told what she has to write and how it has to cater to housewives. She's not allowed to share deeper thoughts about being a woman, lest she lose this coveted job. And her husband makes her feel like her job is a joke.
Charlotte's husband is stepping out on her, but her own parents take his side and threaten to take away everything from her if she tries to divorce him.
Viv's kids are old enough that she can go back into the workforce and follow her passion to be a nurse again. However, a wrench is thrown into her plans to have a full-time job.
Bitsy is torn between wanting to be a veterinarian and wanting to have kids with her much older husband, until he makes that decision for her.
This was such a great novel in so many ways. It really spoke volumes about how women were seen and treated over sixty years ago. While I like the simplicity of the 1960s, I'd be so frustrated if I were an adult during that time period. Men had to sign for women to get checking accounts or birth control. Women had difficulty getting jobs because men felt they would just leave them anyway to get married and have babies. All of this just makes steam come out of my ears!
I loved the friendship between the four women and getting to see each of their perspectives, although I wish there was more focus on the other women vs. most of it being on Margaret. Each woman was so great and it would have been nice to see their situation through their own eyes more often. We just got a chapter for them here and there, and sometimes it was split up with Margaret's perspective anyway.
The story speaks volumes about marriage, motherhood, friendship, and pursuing dreams. It's perfect for fans of Sara Goodman Confino's novels, as well as The Briar Club and Lessons in Chemistry. I also love that it takes place near DC, as it's more in my neck of the woods.
I recommend this novel, whether or not you're in a book club of your own. It's a thoughtful and well-written story! With people trying to push women back into the kitchen these days, so to speak, this novel is very much needed.
Viv: Kaley Cuoco
Bitsy: Olivia Rouyre
Charlotte: Rose Leslie
Walt: Kasey Esser
Tony: Milo Ventimiglia
Kingsley: Christopher Russell
Thanks to HarperCollins for the book in exchange for an honest review.
Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly
The Restoration of Celia Fairchild
Hope on the Inside
Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.
Listen to these books on Speechify!
🍸
🍸
🍸
🍸
🍸
🍸
🍸
🍸
TW: Infidelity, divorce, emotionally abusive behavior, one of the characters gets really drunk, suicide (talked about but not shown)
No comments:
Post a Comment