A high 4 stars!

Wow! I really didn’t expect to like Mrs. Everything as much as I did. I’ve read some of Jennifer Weiner’s novels in the past, and I think of them as entertaining but generally quite light. This felt different. The story spanned four generations, covering what felt like complex situations while delivering real emotions. I found myself fully engaged and was oh so grateful to have a leisurely Saturday to plough through most of the book — and grateful for a few tissues too. The story focuses on sisters Jo and Bethie — I hadn’t made the Little Women connection until now — starting in the 1950s when they are children. At first, it feels like Weiner is portraying Jo and Bethie as overly recognizable types — Jo is boyish and at odds with her mother and the world, while Bethie is pretty, feminine and popular. But things turn out to be way more complicated. And the complications reverberate through the generations. I don’t want to say too much to avoid spoilers, but I will say that I loved how Weiner wove in political issues about women’s roles, sexual politics and race relations without letting politics make her characters unidimensional. The only thing that kept me from giving this novel 5 whole stars were a couple of coincidences that irked me, but these were minor flaws. Overall, this was a powerful contemporary tableau of women in the 20th and 21st centuries. I’ll definitely be on board to read Weiner’s next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the publisher and net galley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. It’s been a while since I read anything by Jennifer Weiner but this was so much different from her previous works. I appreciated her intro where she explained her reasoning for writing this novel now, it gave some great context.

I think this is an important book right now with everything going on especially in the United States. It was timely and relevant. The characters were complex and it was great to see them change and evolve over their lifetimes.

I really recommend this read to women of all ages.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Jennifer Wiener’s newest novel, “Mrs. Everything” is more socially relevant today than any other novel I’ve read this year.
Jo and her sister, Beth, grow up in a world of bell bottoms and mind-altering drugs, a society where women are the primary caregivers and homemakers, and the men are the breadwinners. As they grow together throughout changing decades, Beth and Jo begin to see the changes in society, but also the parts of life that have not changed that much, at least for women.
Wiener has touched on a very politically charged topic in “Mrs. Everything”, while still tugging on heart strings with her depiction of the relationship between two very different sisters, over the course of many decades.
Both Jo and Beth face entirely separate struggles, but they are both strong and powerful characters, full of likable characteristics. Their relationship with each other is honest and real, turning to each other no matter what has happened between them, when the world around them caves in.
“Mrs. Everything” is entertaining, heart-warming, emotional and powerful, with memorable characters and a bittersweet ending.
I enjoyed the ups and downs of the sibling relationship, and the struggles and challenges faced by Jo and Beth (and their mother, Sarah, as well as Jo’s daughters) and this kept me engaged in the novel. Although I do not claim to be ignorant of the issues in today’s society, I tend to shy away from novels with any form of political message, not because I wish to bury my head in the sand but because novels are my form of escape from the outside world of chaos and insanity.
A well written novel with well-developed characters and a powerful message, “Mrs. Everything” has something that every female will connect with. It is surely a novel that will resonate with the feminine side of any reader, and will definitely leave you cheering and determined to make everyone stand up and listen.

This is my first Jennifer Weiner read, and it was a great one! I look forward to catching up on what I've been missing out on.

This book is an epic of two women growing up from the 1950s to the present day. Without giving much away, as I went into the book not knowing much other than it was a story of two sisters, it is a book that tells the story of all women and how they are and become Mrs. Everything.

I've read quite a few books lately that span over the lifetime of a character and this is one that I genuinely can't stop thinking about. This book could have been 500 more pages and I would still want to read more about Jo and Bethie!

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an ARC of Mrs. Everything in exchange for an honest review.

Complex, real girls growing into women, and how they work to deal with life, family, obligations, and circumstances beyond their control.
There is something in here that will resonate with every woman who reads it.

Good story. Fun, not to heavy, and yet still creates investment in the characters.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book. We have waited a long time for a new story from Jennifer Weiner. This book is worth the wait. The story follows two sisters from childhood to old age through the 50s to present day. I kept forgetting that it wasn’t a biography! I slowly read the book, drinking in all the details. Mrs. Everything is my favorite Jennifer book. This is a have-to Summer read!

**Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this book**

Jennifer Weiner is one of those authors who I have read every single book of, and whose books I will likely continue to keep reading.

Mrs. Everything was everything you could want in a book - full of strong female characters and of the situations that made them become even stronger. It made me feel a whole gambit of emotions - which is what a good book always does to a reader.

I do have to say that if someone had put this book in my hand and not told me who the author was, I might have had a hard time picking out Weiner's voice that was in her previous books. That isn't to say that this book wasn't wonderful, it was just a different novel from this author, and it was a nice change of pace!

I recommend this book to everyone, especially men, so maybe they can gain some perspective on what the world was and is like for a woman.

The story of an old lady looking back on her life – especially her relationship with her sister. A pleasant read. Examines the value of a life lived as best as possible, despite childhood trauma and suppressed sexuality.
I received a free copy of this ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve heard about Jennifer Weiner’s books since Good In Bed in 2001, but at the time I was too young to read her, and I strangely haven’t gotten around to reading anything of hers since. I was drawn to Mrs. Everything (in stores June 11) because of the beautiful cover—and because I saw who the author was. I’ve since come to realize through some research that Weiner’s latest is not in her typical style and that this story was going to be a little heavier than her usual novel, but I think anyone familiar with her work (or new to it, like me) should give this one a read.

Synopsis
Do we change or does the world change us?

Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise.

Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life.

But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies. As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie becomes an adventure-loving wild child who dives headlong into the counterculture and is up for anything (except settling down). Meanwhile, Jo becomes a proper young mother in Connecticut, a witness to the changing world instead of a participant. Neither woman inhabits the world she dreams of, nor has a life that feels authentic or brings her joy. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after?

My musings
It took me a while to understand what the connection of the title was to the rest of the book, but once I got it, it hit me like a ton of bricks: Who is Mrs. Everything? Why are women still trying to have it all and do it all to please everyone else? And what are the stakes to be who you truly want to be?

I absolutely love that this story starts in the ’50s and make its way to the present day. We not only get a glimpse into these women’s lives, but in some cases, we get their whole story, from childhood to old age… and how much the world changes from decade to decade, even now.

These characters are rich, deeply developed women who feel real and relatable. From Jo, who could never quite fit in; her sister Bethie, who wants nothing more than to fit in, to her detriment; their mother, Sarah, who does whatever it takes to survive, while also trying to be the perfect housewife; and every other woman they encounter along the way. Their stories demonstrate the power (and the struggle) of women and how much we endure every day while trying to fit into the standards set upon us by society.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll feel like you’re part of the sisterhood… for better or for worse.

5 STARS

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the advanced copy, and to Art of Roch on Unsplash for the featured photo of women on the beach.

The review will be posted on my blog, The Modest Reader, on June 3 at 7:00 am (https://themodestreader.com/2019/05/16/mrs-everything)

Book Review - Mrs. Everything

Who is Mrs. Everything? The answer is every woman. In this heartbreaking novel following the lives of two sisters who struggle with to find their identities through the existing limitations and pressures of conformity of women through the 1950s to present day.

Jo, the elder of the two, headstrong, stubborn and an expert at driving her mother crazy knows she’s a lesbian but doesn’t know if she’s brave enough to live her dreams.

Bethie, the youngest, her mother’s dream girl who always knows exactly the right thing to say-cares too much about her appearance and what others think. When the death of her father forces her mother into the working world she learns quickly what dangers lurk for beautiful women too often left alone.

We read as both women at times succeed and fail, thrive and scrape, try and give up, through unhappy marriages, eating disorders, betrayals and the mundane routines of life.

Mrs Everything is the story of every woman who has tried to be everything to everyone. Women in the spotlight, women behind the scenes, women picking up the pieces, and women lifting each other up.

I loved the contrast between the two sisters and how, throughout the novel the dynamics of their personality mirrored each other.

A classic Jennifer Weiner. A tale through time of two very different sisters. One is everything a mother could ask for and the other testing her at every turn. In her eyes only. Jennifer gives you a birds eye view of the changing times and how the women deal with it. Who were you during these times?

A look at the lives of Jo & Bethie, women born in the 1940's whose lifestyle choices did not fit the expectations of the society they grew up in. Four generations of Kaufmans begins with Ken & Sarah in 1951.

The struggles they conquered through each decade made this a compelling read. when the final chapter is dated 2022 it is at the site of the first house the Kaufman family ever owned, as viewed by their great grandchild.

There were a few slow spots but overall a very moving, emotionally intense story.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy by one of my favorite and consistent authors. I can always count on Jennifer Weiner to make me smile and laugh and feel, in a relatable and easy way. With her latest, Mrs Everything, Weiner delivers just that little but more. Definitely her most ambitious and longest novel.
We meet sisters Jo and Bethie Kaufman as they grow up in 1950s Detroit, Jewish daughters of 1950s parents. We cringe as they attempt to navigate and explore their rebellious teens in the 60s, and adapt to the ‘norm’ of the expectations of being a good daughter, sister and ultimately a woman in the decades that follow.

Jennifer Weiner is one of my favorite author - I have read every one of her books and she's the author I recommend above anyone else. Her detailed writing create a clear picture in the reader's mind.

Mrs.Everything is no exception to her style. I loved the two main characters, Jo and Bethie, and how Weiner's explores their lives from the 1950's to the present.

This is a book I recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My only problem was not starting it at the beginning of a weekend or vacation when I had a stretch of days to ignore the world and just read :)

Jennifer Weiner is a wonderful writer whose characters are richly detailed and draw you in immediately. You care about all the characters and identify with their lives. Their lives are at times messy, just like real life, which serves to make the characters more relatable. It was an honest depiction of life and the fact that life can be hard and not always work out the way you want, but you can still have a good life. I highly recommend this book, one of the best I've read in a while! Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada for an advanced copy of this book!

Jennifer Weiner has done it again!

I know that I will enjoy a book when it captures my attention from the first page. I couldn’t put this book down.

The characters Bethie and Jo come of age during troubled times in our society. We are gifted with a glimpse of their lives throughout the 60’s and 70’s. Well developed characters make me feel as if I could go for coffee with them. I would love to have met both girls.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner.
3.5* I love a good family drama. How relationships unfold throughout the chapters, each one delivering a slice of the story. Slowly letting us into the dynamics that create the bonds of family. This story follows sisters Jo and Bethie. Themes of love, loss, racism, sexuality and of course, Mother/Daughter/Sister frictions, permeate the chapters.
This novel’s message is to be brave enough to be true to who you really are and live the life you want. It will never be easy but it will be authentic.

I absolutely loved this book. The author says right in the beginning that this was her longest book and not her usual format. She was right. It was perfect. The story of Jo, Bethie, Sarah and the kids was beautifully written. I was intrigued from the start of the book, until the end. I laughed, I giggled, I got angry, I cried. Mrs.Everything definitely had everything to make this book a must read.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. I liked the variety of characters in it. I look forward to reading more books by this author.