I do love a good book about books! More than being “about” books, though, “The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club” by Julia Bryan Thomas is about female friendships and young women navigating their independence - in a time when it was assumed and expected that many women went to college solely to get their “MRS degree.” Set in mid-1950s Cambridge, Massachusetts, primarily at Radcliffe and a local, independent, bookstore owned by a not-quite-as-young woman, with occasional peeks at the young womens' lives back at home. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy (in exchange for an honest review).

Evie, Tess, Caroline and Merritt are college freshmen in 1955, testing their independence while attending Radclilffe University for women. These young women come of age in this novel assisted by the owner of a local bookstore and the book club discussions they have about several classic books that challenge their way of thinking.

These girls come from very different walks of life which leads at times to much difficulty understanding each other especially when one of them goes through a traumatic event. I found the story slow going initially although it does pick up, and readers need to be aware that it does cover some difficult topics with triggers for violence against women.

Thank you to Net Galley and Source Books for this advance copy for an impartial review.

A group of first years at Radcliffe college join a bookclub at a new local bookclub. The owner of the bookstore is hoping to help encourage the opinions of the young women through her book selections, but the women have their own drama that interrupts the club.

I love books about books! The bookclub selections were fun. I liked hearing their opinions on the books and the quotes they would read. It was particularly fun since I've read some of the books, so I felt like an extension of their bookclub. That choice was fun!

Even though, I liked the concept of the plot, I found the characters frustrating. I could have used more characterization since I still needed to remind myself of who was who near the end of the book.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Cozy story about friends…loved the setting…talented author…enjoy this before a warm fire with a cup of herbal tea…be transported into the lives of these friends.. the good…the bad…friends have a book club with store owner…that is only a part of this story…growing up in the 1950’s…college…

They say that a book is a dream you hold in your hand and this couldn’t be truer for Caroline, Merritt, Evie and Tess. These four young women are embarking on a dream of studying at Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the mid-1950s - a pivotal time in American history. The Radcliffe Ladies experience the push and pull of societal expectations placed on them and seek to understand their feelings by joining a book club. It’s here they can examine their experiences through the lens of classic literature.

While much of the discussion at book club was over my head because I hadn’t read some of the classics, I could appreciate their need for a safe space to vent and discuss their dreams and hopes for their future. The fact that this place was a bookstore run by Alice, a wonderful character, was a bonus. As the Radcliffe Ladies struggled with loss and heartache, the bond between them and the bookstore grew. Just as the books were there for them when they needed them, their friends, too, were there for support through thick and thin. I found it interesting to see the grassroots of the movement and the frustration at being held back by expectations. It was good to be reminded of the things we take for granted and realize that they came at a price through women such as these four.

Those of us who understand the power of a book will love the message shared by this very capable author, Julia Bryan Thomas and those of us who see parallels between this book and recent news, will be shocked. I hope we haven’t taken strides forward in women’s equality, only to be losing foot now, decades later. Only time will tell.

I was gifted this thought-provoking book by Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I absolutely loved this book! The first half, in particular, was wonderful. It reminded me of living in the dorms and made me want to move in next door to these women. Alice, the bookshop owner, is an intriguing character with an element of mystery in her past, and she's leading an unconventional life for that era. I loved the juxtaposition of her with the four young women just dipping their toes into independence for the first time. At the beginning of the book, I thought I connected a bit with one character but by the end of the book, it was a totally different one. This is a thought-provoking read that looks at women's rights from the character's point of view, but also through the book club choices and discussions.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Truly delightful, immersive read which I read in one sitting. Characters and story which are beautifully written.

As a member of a book club myself, any book where the storyline centres around a book club will typically appeal to me, which is why I was very interested in this.

This lovely story was set in Massachusetts during the 1950s, and it warmed my heart. I warmed to the atmosphere and the characters very quickly. I appreciated all of the references to well-known literature, and all of the discussions about books that occurred amongst the characters.

I felt that this book was about more than just a book club. It was about friendship, and young women with hopes and dreams. At some point while I was reading, I became quite emotionally involved, and very concerned about the fate of one particular character.

The book club in this story was nothing like mine, but I appreciated it in the same way. I may recommend this book to some of my fellow book club members who enjoy historical fiction. I also plan to recommend it to a friend of mine that I think may enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

A gem of a novel,I loved the bookstore the owner Alice the young women who join the bookclub.The author writes each character their story it brings them alive.I was drawn into this novel and was sorry when it ended.#netgalley #sourcebooks.

I'm very conflicted in writing this review. First, I would like to thank Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

"The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Group" is a coming of age novel that follows four girls as they try to carve out their own identities in a world that often expects them to conform. As part of their book club, the girls discussion is around many books which I have not had the chance read yet. Their discussion, at times, lost my interest and I think my reading experience overall would have been better if supplemented by the reading of their book club books. It was interesting, though, to see how the different character's interpretations of the books provided insight into that character themselves--the reader could figure out, through their reactions to the books, more about each girl's personality, their goals, and how they view the world. I almost wish I joined the book club alongside the girls.

However, I think I may have been the wrong target audience, and it's hard for me to critique a book I feel wasn't written for me. This book felt like it was a young adult book and quite below my reading level. On other the hand, I only say "I think" because this book dealt with some heavy topics (TW: sexual assault, teenage pregnancy, depression). But, if viewed as a young adult book, I would happily recommend this book to young girls in high school.

My review is found on my Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5147552403

I really fell into this book. The bookstore became a haven for Alice as well as the girls to find their true selves, not what society expects of them. Julia Thomas writes with such beautiful descriptions, I watched the story unfold in my mind. I could see the bookstore and smell the books. I will definitely continue to follow this author.

Books about books are my favorites. The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas tells the story of Alice Campbell and her newly-founded bookstore in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her bookstore becomes a safe place for founding fierce, female friendships in a society that would much rather see women in the kitchen. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance e-galley.

This was a wonderful story not only about what book vlub and how books can relate to everyone but also about overcoming obstacles and the faith to move on. Thus book was approved by netgalley and the publisher.

The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas is a great post WWII historical fiction that I really enjoyed.

This gem takes place mainly during the academic year of 1954-55 in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Radcliffe College. Here four young women, unique in their personalities, life circumstances, pasts, walks of life, hopes, and dreams, are brought together as roommates, classmates, dorm mates, and potential friends. Their ideas of duty to family, society, each other, and themselves are tested for the first time in a world unknown and also after joining a small book club by a woman starting afresh from her own past.

It was interesting to read each young women’s thoughts as they navigated this uncharted territory and how they decided to what degree they would accept or reject the different facets of the expectations, societal roles, and constraints that were placed upon women during this time.

We also see a glimpse of the bookshop owner, Alice, as well, but the four young women: Caroline, Merritt (my personal favorite), Evie, and Tess were the stars of the show. I would have welcomed even more of Miss Campbell and her story as well, to be honest, but it was still great nevertheless.

There were a few surprises along the way, but mostly it was a coming of age story involving the pivotal time period of America in the 1950s before the true revolution of the 1960s really took off. The ending was promising and satisfying. I really enjoyed this.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Sourcebooks Landmark for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 6/6/23.

1954 Cambridge; Alice Campbell has turned a decrepit building into a bookstore. This is not the life she had planned for, but Alice knows all too well that books are balm to a troubled soul and a broken heart and she sets out to make her shop a place that will transport her customers to other worlds. In a time when women were expected to find fulfillment in front of the kitchen stove or beside a baby’s crib, four young college graduates, Evie, Caroline, Merritt and Tess find solace in Alice’s bookshop. This book is arresting, not only because of the close friendships of women in a world that has cast them as second class citizens, but because we find ourselves, nearly seventy years later, in a country that seems to be rapidly regressing in the area of women’s rights

My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas.

Ms Thomas so perfectly captures women and their boundaries in 1954.

I loved this book.

Alice Campbell, newly arrived in Boston, opens the bookstore of her dreams. She, and the bookstore, become a haven for four young Radcliffe women.

I would love seeing Alice and her bookstore become a premise for a series.

I really enjoyed reading this, it was what I was hoping for from a historical novel. I was invested in what was going on in the storyline and was invested in what the characters were going through. The characters were really well interesting and worked so well in this time-period. I enjoyed the way Julia Bryan Thomas wrote this and can't wait to read more from her.

"The flyer was an announcement of a fundraiser that evening at Joe’s Burgers to raise money for the spring dance. No one she knew had mentioned it, but with the state of things among her friends, none of them would likely go. She drew her legs up under her skirt and pulled out her mother’s letter, eager to read the news from home."