Another great read by Jennifer Weiner. Moving story about the interrelationships between women, mothers and sisters, and the struggle for equality.

I've been a fan of Jennifer Weiner since Good in Bed, and I've yet to be disappointed. This novel is engaging and encompasses so much feeling. Even though there were ways I could not relate to Jo and Bethie, the struggle with how the world wants you to be and how you want to be to be true to yourself is very real and made me love them. Women are supposed to want and be certain things and that's not how it is for all of us, and boy is there a lot of shaming going on if you are different. I loved how flawed both Jo and Bethie were, and how they learned to follow their hearts and not apologize for it.

{My Thoughts}
I read a few of Jennifer Weiner’s early books way back in the early 2000’s, but hadn’t read her in many years. I felt like her books had moved more toward chick lit/romance type stories which just aren’t my thing. Then, last winter I started seeing blurbs for her upcoming book, Mrs. Everything, and there was something about it that piqued my interest. It seemed like her latest offering might have a little more of the heft and substance I look for in a book, especially one of nearly 500 pages. I’m happy to report that my instincts were correct

Mrs. Everything tells the story of sisters, Jo and Bethie, from their early childhood in the 50’s right up until 2016. For more than 60 years the reader has the pleasure of not only knowing these two very different women, but also seeing how they evolve and adapt to the rapidly changing world in which they live. Just think of all the ways the world has changed in the last 60 years…Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech, Vietnam and the protests against it, the free-love counter-culture movement, a man landing on the moon, the ongoing fights for civil rights, women’s rights and gay rights, huge leaps in technology, political ups and downs. Jo and Bethie lived through all that!

Of the two, Jo was the athlete and the student, but also the daughter who most frustrated her mother. Bethie was the sweet girl, the popular girl, clearly her mother’s favorite. But, as they grew older, these sisters’ paths diverged from what we’d come to expect. The pressures of independence, responsibility, love, heartache, marriage, abuse, careers, and children all molded Jo and Bethie into women I both liked and admired.

“Women had made progress – Jo only had to look as far as the television set to see it – but she wondered whether they would ever not try to have it all and to do it all and to do it all flawlessly. Would the day ever come when simply doing your best would be enough?”

I thought the first 50 pages of Mrs. Everything were a little slow, but from there it took off and was a book I found myself always eager to get back to. I enjoyed reliving much of the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and beyond with Bethie and Jo, while watching their ups and downs, insecurities and failures, accomplishments and loves. Mrs. Everything is ultimately a women’s history story through the lens of one small family, but really it’s EVERY WOMAN’s story. With Mrs. Everything I’m a renewed fan of Jennifer Weiner.

Note: I received a copy of this book from Atria Books (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I absolutely loved this book! It’s a story I won’t forget anytime soon. It tugged my heartstrings, made me cry, gasp, cringe.. it was one hell of a ride!

I loved how the story intertwined both sisters lives. The characters were strong and beautifully developed. Bethie and Jo felt like old friends of mine. Mrs Everything is a very fitting title for this book, who is the voice of so many women out there in the world.

A job very well done by the author! Highly recommend picking up this book!

Thank you to @atriabooks and @netgalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really don't know where to start with this book. I enjoyed it a lot. Call me sick in the head but everyone always says they were disturbed by All the Ugly and Wonderful Things. To me, this one hit more tough spots than that one did. MAybe because I related to the molestation, the tough relationship between Jo and Sarah, I don't know.

It was an awesome book though and I didn't open another book while reading this one like I usually do. I wanted them all to end up okay.

Jo wasn't the normal girl growing up. She had opinions, she didn't like dresses, she liked sports more than boys, etc. Bettie was the perfect daughter that Sarah always wanted and compared the two constantly.

They both grow up and become different individuals who feel they got the wrong end of the deal. One does what you're "supposed to do" when it comes to women back then and the other shows her oats and flies like a feather. The story follows both of their lives from mArriage, drugs, abortion, picketing, etc. Then one has kids of her own and even though her mom never wanted her kids to feel as though they weren't wanted, she does.

I loved this book although some parts were "too much"for me I enjoyed it. Thank you installed for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Two sisters face tragedies and challenges through the decades. Along the way, they will encounter the trials unique to women and learn to come to terms with how gender plays into their personal narratives. Author Jennifer Weiner gives her characters free rein, to the detriment of the plot, in her overly long novel Mrs. Everything.

It’s the 1950s, and Jo and Bethie Kaufman have just moved into a new house in a Detroit suburb. Jo hopes the change will distract her mother from all the rules. There seem to be so many of them, and Jo is sick of every single one. She can’t seem to sit quietly enough or wear the right clothes or do anything “ladylike,” the way Bethie can.

Bethie is the exact opposite of her big sister. Where Jo favors jeans and protest marches, Bethie devours fashion magazines and wants nothing more than a cute date for Saturday night. She possesses a clear picture of her future: a mother and wife, like her own mother.

When the girls’ father dies from a heart attack, however, their lives unspool in a different direction. Their mother gets a job in a department store, working long hours to pay the bills, and leaving Jo and Bethie to fend for themselves at home. The increased freedom means more chances for the girls to explore, but that exploration often leads to heartache.

Before either of them know it, Jo is the one married and settling down and Bethie has taken up the clarion call to save the earth and fight discrimination. Both sisters find that the compromises they made, sometimes on the most personal issues, lead them into unexplored territory. They lose and find one another several times over as they each explore the meaning of womanhood: how to define it, how to live by it, and, in some cases, how to fly in the very face of it.

Author Jennifer Weiner takes readers on a journey that spans decades. While the intention is admirable, the end result is a book that feels much longer than it needs to be. From their early childhood until a tragic end for one of the sisters, the novel digs into every major obstacle a woman could possibly face.

Therein lies its biggest flaw. A book that many will hail as fit for the current times, Mrs. Everything wants so much to deliver the message of empowerment. In order to do so, the story drags Jo and Bethie through rape, molestation, unwanted pregnancy, infidelity, broken hearts, discrimination based on gender, race, and sexual orientation, homelessness, sexual harassment in the workplace, and unfulfilled dreams. One of the sisters even experiences the betrayal of a best friend. If the title references all of the roles a woman tries to fill, it also implies all the bad its characters experience.

Weiner takes her time developing the girls’ individual stories—sometimes in excruciating detail—but the plot rushes through the challenges that the next generation faces. Jo shakes her head at her inability to help one of her own daughters, but that daughter’s angst in life is never fully explained. The jarring shift of approach will make readers feel like the end got shoehorned into the rest of the book.

Inconsistencies may also confuse readers. At one point, Bethie, looking back on her life, accuses Jo of not helping her through a difficult situation early in the book, when Jo was the one she turned to during that time. Jo was the one who stood up for Bethie and gave her the courage to face another day. Bethie’s accusations feel forced, as if she needed a reason to estrange herself from Jo to serve the story’s next section.

Graphic sexual scenes may turn off some readers, and others may find it a challenge to stick with the bulky book because of its length. I recommend readers Bypass Mrs. Everything.

This book is the story of the lives of sisters, Jo and Bethie. Jo was a tomboy who was always disappointing her mother because she wanted to wear pants and play sports and she liked girls. Bethie was the good one who liked dresses and played with dolls and fit the expectations her mother had for her daughters. Then, their father died and everything changed, and neither girl ended up leading the life she really expected to lead. Anyone who has every faced a major crossroad in their live where things didn't quite turn out like they planned can relate to this book.This book is more than just the story of one family, however. It is like a walk through women's history through the lives of this one family. It goes from the days that women were only expected to get married and take care of their families to the days when women were able to have a career of their own, but were still expected to take care of their families. It shows how roles for women and expectations for women have changed over the years and how they have not and it does so in interesting way in a compelling story with fascinating characters.

This was a tough read from the start. The way things would end for one of the lead characters was known from the start. That part, at least for me, made it tough to continue because I hate becoming invested into any one character when I have a keen understanding of how their story will end.

That said, the decision to continue reading was the right one.

The story follows the life and loves of Jo and Bethie; two sisters, raised in the Jewish culture, in the time before Civil Rights was granted.

Early on, it's clear Jo (the older of the two) views the world differently than her mother (a woman who can only be described as conventional) and younger sister (upon whom her mother dotes). Jo has an affinity for sports (both playing and watching), prefers pants over dresses, and would rather read than cook--all to her mother's chagrin.

After a childhood experience opens Jo's eyes to the inequality of the world, she becomes passionate about effecting change; it's a crusade which becomes more personal with the realization that she likes women, not men.

That realization becomes the catalyst for setting Jo upon a path she never imagined.

Meanwhile, younger sister Bethie is more than content with the ideas of conventionality; being the princess of the family, she adores the idea of turning into a carbon copy of her mother. To her, there could be nothing better.

However, after a family tragedy, Bethie has a traumatic experience and her view of the world and her place in it becomes less certain. She becomes disillusioned with the world and her place within it.

In a story which spans more than six decades, there's a lot to unpack , and we're able to see how both Jo and Bethie transform, contort, and find peace with who they are.

There were times when I wanted to shake Jo and outright scream at Bethie. Since the story was told using alternating perspectives (via the alternating of chapters), it was easy to gain perspective into the thoughts of each woman (about both shared experiences and conversations had with each other); this often highlighted how easily communication--or a lack thereof--can cause rifts that become hard to heal.

The paths Jo and Bethie take, to become the versions of themselves they most want to be, is lovely and messy to watch; as a bystander, you see how bumpy and painful their paths are (particularly in Jo's case. My heart ached for her on more than one occasion), and you develop an intimate knowledge of how difficult it is for them to get to that point.

While Bethie's maturation was especially gratifying to watch, I wanted more for Jo.

The road was bumpy for both women , and life threw its fair share of curveballs, but the bonds of sisterhood remained intact--even when it was easier to let them fall to the wayside.

The story is sprawling, and beautiful, and once it got going, it was difficult to step away from the lives of these two women.

In the end, this was a book about the bonds we make and how each can either make or break us.

In her prologue to the book, the author talks about her desire to write about a novel that would cover the span of an entire lifetime. Specifically about two sisters and a woman who comes of age in the 60s, marries a man, divorces, and falls in love with a woman. Understanding her reasons for writing this book really touched me and I feel like she accomplished what she set out to write.

This is a sweeping book that follows the lives of Jo and Bethie from childhood through the later stages of life. I love books that span a lifetime and have lots of family dynamics going on and this book covers both. Think about how much can happen to two women over 60-70 years, how current events, politics, societal expectations can form and shape their lives.

There are so many powerful messages and lessons here and my eyes were open to the struggles and expectations that women had to deal with at the time. The writing is easy to follow and the characters are well developed. But I eventually started to feel as if there were just too many issues covered in one book. I struggled between appreciating that so many topics were covered and brought to light and feeling like it was just too much for one book. I’m glad I read it and felt like I came away having learned something and gaining new insights into very relevant issues.

Thank you to @netgally and @atriabooks for a free digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

est-selling author Jennifer Weiner hits it out of the park with this epic tale of two sisters who manage to see it all, feel it all, experience it all and survive over the course of six decades. Smart, thoughtful and emotional, Mrs. Everything takes on a lot of life’s big questions that can arise in small moments with warmth and heart. The story is also personal for author Weiner who seems to have a lot invested in examining the opportunities for women, all kinds of women, then and now. Mrs. Everything asks the question: Do we change or does the world change us? And her unforgettable characters may surprise you with their answers. This is a big, juicy, delicious summer read.

This is a story about two sisters who lived from the 1950s to the present, how their lives were affected by the changing times, the different--and unexpected--paths their lives took, and how they always found their way back to each other. This timely novel is shaping up to be a must-read for this summer. For me, it was slow-moving, but enjoyable. It wasn't one I devoured, but when I did pick it up, I could get lost in this sweeping story. Satisfying and thought-provoking!

Jennifer Weiner could write a grocery list and I would be intrigued by it. This is such a unique and genuine take on how the world/society treats women and how women react (or don't) to it. I love the characters and the story line. As always the only thing bad about getting to the end of Weiner's novels is the wait for the next one!

I enjoyed this novel. I was fully engaged from the beginning! Well rounded, compelling character with believable storylines, some sympathetic, some not so much.

Jennifer Weiner writes about relatable women. In Her Shoes is a story of sisters - and so is Mrs. Everything. Jo and Bethie (hat tip to my all time fav sisters, The March sister.) are another set of sisters - and we, the reader, follow them their entire lives. From childhood - where Bethie is the star and Jo is a tomboy...to adulthood.

This is more than a story of sisters. This is the story of growing up, growing old, love, acceptance and overall, self worth. With today's society - this is a book that will touch many women's lives.

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

4 Stars!

"Maybe I am different. Being different isn’t the worst thing."

I feel like I went into this book with different expectations. I was expecting more of a light chick lit, per other books by Jennifer Weiner, however this book dives DEEP into women's issues whether you are a mom, sister, daughter, wife, etc. Although my expectations were different, I'm glad they were as it was a pleasant surprise!

Jo and Bethie are sisters. They grew up in a typical home in the 1950's. Bethie was a beauty queen and was the "perfect" child and Jo was more of a tomboy trying to find her way during childhood. Their Dad worked and their Mom stayed at home. Jo didn't get along with Mom and Mom loved Bethie. Both girls were definitely daddy's girls. One day, their Dad dies unexpectedly and they need to find their way as three girls. They all get to work and start to find their ways.

Due to the unexpected family member passing, Jo and Bethie start to explore outside sources of love and their personalities start to change. Jo becomes more confident in who she is and Bethie stops putting pressure on herself and becomes more of a hippie. These personality changes don't come without hardships. Both girls explore their sexuality, happiness, family life, etc. as they go through their adult lives. They always seem to take care of each other and they truly do try to be everything...

As I stated before, this book was so much more than what I was expecting. It explored what life was like for women in the 1950's all the way through present day and boy has it changed. It explored what it meant to try to be yourself in the 50's and how women were expected to be a certain way. It also showed how far women have come when standing up for themselves. Back when the main characters were little girls, they were expected to do whatever men wanted them to and be the perfect housewives. Nowadays things have changed and some women are head of households.

For me, the content of this book was so strong. I think it covered almost every topic that women struggle with on a daily basis. Sexuality, family life, being taken advantage of, eating issues, drug issues, depression/anxiety, etc. I felt that Weiner touched on each bit just enough that it was realistic but didn't dive so deep that it triggers anything, at least for me. The only thing I wish was different was the book length. This is a hefty read - 460+ pages and I think it could have been about 100 pages less. There are times it draws out a little bit and I think that could make some readers disinterested depending on what kind of reader they are. Nonetheless, it's definitely 5 star content!

This one published today and I highly recommend you pick it up if you love reading about women's issues over time. Thank you to Atria books for my ARC!

First, thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an e-galley of this book.

Jo and Bethie are sisters growing up with their parents in the suburbs of Detroit. Jo, the older, can do no right in the eyes of her Mom, and her Dad is always coming to her rescue. Beth, the younger, can do no wrong in her Mother's eyes.

When the girls are in high school, their world takes a left turn, and things are not as they seemed to be.

This story goes all through the sisters' lives through many decades.

I got so caught up in the story, i read it in one sitting.
#NetGalley #Mrs.Everything

I wasn’t too sure if I was going to like Mrs. Everything. I have had bad luck with novels that follow families over the years. I either lose interest halfway through the book or the book goes off the rails. I am happy to say that I did not lose interest in Mrs. Everything. The book also didn’t go off the rails.

The plotlines for Mrs. Everything were terrific. They were well written. I loved that the author chose to have certain events as the background to Jo and Bethie’s lives. That added enough realism to the book.

Out of the two storylines, Jo’s touched me the most. She grew up with a mother who didn’t understand her. Jo was a lesbian who was forced to marry to keep up appearances. She gave up her dreams to help Bethie. But she wasn’t perfect. That is what I liked the most about her character. She wasn’t perfect, and she owned it.

I wasn’t a huge fan of Bethie but I did feel bad for her. What happened to her as a young teenager was awful, and should have never happened. Her rebellion was a direct result of that. I didn’t like her holier than thou attitude when she was visiting Jo. It left a bad taste in my mouth. She did redeem herself in the latter half of the book. She more than redeemed herself in my eyes.

I liked how the author chose to address Jo’s sexuality. Instead of making everything sunshine and unicorns, she decided to portray everything Jo went through realistically. I loved it.

I did not like Lila, but I understood her. She was suffering from her parents’ divorce, moving, and her mother coming out. She acted out. She was unlikable. Again, I loved it.

The end of Mrs. Everything had me in tears. I was a blubbering mess. And the epilogue. Oh, my poor heart. But, I wouldn’t have had the book any other way.

I recieved an electronic version of this book for my honest review.

Oh how I loved this book! So much that I can't wait to read or again! Fans of Jennifer Weiner's books will fall head over heels for this one!

"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?

In her most ambitious novel yet, Jennifer Weiner tells a story of two sisters who, with their different dreams and different paths, offer answers to the question: How should a woman be in the world?"

Mrs. Everything is out now! Grab this up for some great summer reading!

This lengthy novel tells the story of two sisters, Jo and Bethie Kaufman, from the 1950s to 2016. Growing up in Detroit, Jo is the tomboy who dreams of being a writer while Bethie is pretty and popular and believes her destiny is to be a star. Of course, their lives take unexpected turns. The book is actually a journey through American social history, focusing on the role/status of women in society during this period, so the names of the protagonists are surely an allusion to Little Women.

The book references many historical events including the civil rights movement, Woodstock, the Vietnam War, the women’s rights movement, and even the #MeToo movement. The assassination of JFK, the moon landing, and the 2016 Democratic National Convention are mentioned. Cultural allusions to music and film abound.

The emphasis is on the experience of women in a male-dominated society, and the major characters or their female family members experience virtually everything: rape, sexual harassment in the workplace, sexual assault, abortion, romantic heartbreak, eating disorders, body image issues, traditional marriage, commune living, same-sex relationship, bi-racial relationship, motherhood, unwanted pregnancy, single parenthood, unfaithful spouse, promiscuity, divorce, widowhood, stay-at-home parenting, balancing of career and family obligations, conflicts with parents and siblings, economic hardship, career success and failure, drug use, cancer.

My problem with the book is that the writer tried too hard to touch on all possible experiences a woman might have. At one point, Jo wonders “whether [women] would ever not try to have it all and do it all” and this is the feeling I had about the author: while bemoaning women being Mrs. Everything, the author becomes Mrs. Everything Writer. It’s as if she had a list of female trials, traumas and tragedies which she had to check off one by one.

The theme is that things for women have changed but they haven’t changed enough. In the mid-20th-century, women were told that the most important role for a woman was to be married and to be a mother so a woman who did not marry or a married woman who did not have children was regarded with suspicion. On the other hand, a woman living in the 21st century is expected to have a career so any woman who wants only to be a mother is considered unambitious: “’You can say you want to be a mom and something else. Or you can be a mom after you’ve done something else. But that, just by itself, that’s not enough.’” Appropriately, the book ends with Hillary Clinton’s nomination as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate but we know how that election turned out. Perhaps, the author suggests, stories “about brave little girls and happy endings [can only begin with] ‘Once upon a time’.”

The message for women is that “women should forgive themselves . . . [and] take care of themselves with kindness. The world was hard enough, would beat them up enough without them adding to the pain.” In other words, they should not try to be everything to everyone and should focus on finding happiness by being true to themselves.

The pace is slow at times so that the book felt overly long. I also had issues with virtually all the men being portrayed as either weak or bad. At the beginning, the author addresses her readers and acknowledges that this book is her longest and “the most ambitious work I’ve ever attempted.” I applaud her efforts but think that perhaps a less-ambitious novel might have been more compelling.

Note: I received a digital galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

Light and fluffy chic lit, this is not. There are some heavy topics included is Ms. Weiner's book including sexual abuse, sexuality, racism, religion, war, and politics in this book with a timeline from the 1950s to current. The story centers on two sisters, Jo and Bethie, two young Jewish girls dealing with the ups and downs that interrupt what should be their ideal childhoods. I cheered for characters. I jeered at characters. Ultimately I embraced the characters for what they were and what made them that way. And despite the book being over 400 pages, I wanted more time with them!