3.25. I read a lot of reviews that raved about this book. I found this book very shallow, simplistic, and hard to connect with. A lot of nostalgia for the 50s, 60s, 70s, etc. but that was the high point. The plot of the novel was well intentioned and if it had more depth and reality to it, it might have made it more likeable for me.

Thank you to Atria and Net Galley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Mrs. Everything and I found myself really wanting to delve deeper into the time period. This book takes a long hard look at family dynamics and the life of women. Jennifer Weiner did a wonderful job of engaging the reader even during the parts of the story that are heavier in context. The amount of detail that she included made you feel like you were right there with these characters as they traveled through life. If you are expecting a quick summer beach read this isn't it, this was a heartfelt portrayal of life and family. I highly recommend for someone who is eager to read about the lives of these women and the trials and joys that they encountered along the way.

3 Stars-- Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner
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Thank you Atria books and Netgalley for a advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Jo and Bethie Kaufman are sisters growing up in 1950s Detroit. Completely different than one another, both sisters endure their own challenges and pleasures. Told over their lifetime, Weiner takes us through how each sister deals with the decade of time they are in, as well as, the choices they made.
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What I Loved: I loved how we watched two sisters change and grow-- positively or negatively-- during their lifetime. Each sister has their own chances and we watch how they struggle. we watch as they make decisions based on the time period and how society pressures for women have always been a burden we shoulder.
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What I Didn't: Though this was a well written book, I can honestly say almost nothing good happens to these sisters. If you want to read about a family of 3 generations that deal with every possible issue this is it. I found that to be a bit much. I felt that Weiner was trying to put too many obstacles in the sister's paths. I was frustrated with their choices-- especially Jo. I felt it took so long to see anything beneficial happen to them. Though the writing was well done, there were times when the descriptions and inner dialogue just dragged on for whole pages.
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While I enjoyed this book, I did not love it. But I think this would make a great book club book due to the discussion that could be had amongst the readers.

I haven't read many of Jennifer Weiner's books, but I plan to read more in the future! Really enjoyed this one; I expected a light and easy chick-lit book, and I got so much more. It's the story of two sisters, following them from their childhood in the 60's and 70's through adulthood. The issues they face, both together and separately, and how their experiences form their relationships with themselves, each other and others in their lives. There are a lot of "hot topic" era-related issues that are woven into their stories, and that makes for a super interesting read. As they grew up and matured, the characters went in directions I wasn't expecting so the book kept me interested throughout. I think you can read this book in a number of different ways - it can be a lighter, easy read where you simply lose yourself in the characters' lives, or it can be a deeper, more meaningful depiction of feminism, sexual orientation, civil rights, social justice, etc. Your call in how you want the book to affect you. Highly recommend!!

Mrs Everything follows the lives of sisters Josette and Elizabeth Kaufman from the 1950s to the 2010s.
It explores such themes as women's rights, abortion, sexual abuse, motherhood, interracial and gay marriage - ambitious, but interesting.


It highlights the highs and lows of motherhood, the joys of it and the consequences too. For example, once you have children, nothing about you ever really stays the same - your body, priorities, your outlook, your dreams and the will (and time) required to achieve them.


From the reviews I read, this book resonates well with Baby Boomers, especially the women. They lived in communes, witnessed those marches for integration and equality, and maybe even participated in them. Some of them were Jo and Bethie Kaufman. They lived through a time when women's choices were dictated by societal expectations, when it was unnatural to be different, "What will people say?" "People will talk." Very few women could afford to be brave. It was interesting to see how things changed from then to 2016, when Hillary Rodham Clinton made history as the first female presidential candidate.


I don't know that one story can satisfactorily address these hot-button issues, but I also don't know that this was the author's intention. Mrs Everything is a sprawling story, and what it does more than anything, is tell our (women's) story in our voice, from our point of view. It is not always exciting or interesting, but it is important and it is true.

Books with long sweeping timelines can always pull me in. The length alone tells me I’m going to get to really know these characters, not just a small snippet of their lives. Jennifer Weiner tells the story of Jo and Bethie, young girls when we meet them in the 1950’s, and how two sisters raised in the same Jewish home, in a nice Jewish suburb of Detroit can be very different. Bethie is the younger of the sisters, and she is everything her mother could wish for, pretty, talented, obedient. Jo is challenging, questioning, and her own person. Her mother struggles understanding her, and her father is the one who comes in to smooth things over, to take her away from that pain. Jo knows she is different, Jo knows that she is what her own mother calls “unnatural”, Jo likes girls. Being gay in the 50’s, 60’s and on wasn’t easy. Jo battles this desire most of her life.

Weiner lets history take Jo and Bethie along for the ride in a turbulent 60’s and 70’s, Coming of age in a time of political and social turmoil, the choices each of them make is paramount to where they end up later in life. The book follows along as the sisters leave college, take other paths and age. Nothing is lost on the fact that it ends taking note of the 2016 election and the beginning of the #metoo movement, pivotal times for women’s rights. Just as sisters do in real life, they are best friends and worst enemies, they are brutally honest and hurt each other, yet they are also there to save one another.

I cannot begin to tell you how much I loved this book. The characters are the same age as my own sisters, two very different women just as Weiner’s sisters are. I thought of them so much while I read this. I also thought of my daughter, a gay woman who has been able to be herself, out and honest since her teen years. I know how lucky she is but also how judgmental and ignorant so many people still are of her, and all people or aren’t like them.

Reading Mrs. Everything is an emotional journey, one of wanting to reach out and comfort the characters, wanting to slap others who didn’t step in to help, and also cheering Jo and Bethie on.

I have read most of Jennifer Weiner’s books and I believe this to be her best work yet. She has created a story that will grab you, turning pages, longing to know more, invested in the characters and crying when the last page is read. Thank you again to Net Galley and Atria books for an early copy, and thank you always to Jennifer Weiner for sharing your words.

Here is a link to an article Jennifer Weiner wrote for the NY Times about writing this book for her mother.

Yes, this book was long. Yes, this book did drag at times. However, this book was totally worth reading. is about two sisters, Jo and Bethie. It starts when they are children, growing up in Detroit in the 1950's and spans all the way to 2016. It covers the ups and downs during each sister's life as well as tacking the subjects of segregation, interracial marriage, homosexuality and sexual assault/abuse. I honestly wasn't planning on the book being this deep and thought it would be more of a chick-lit kind of book, but this book was so much better that what I expected.

Nothing that I write will do this wonderful, beautiful book justice. I just can't find the words to describe it. Mrs. Everything is unlike anything I've ever read in the best way possible.

Spanning two sisters' entire lives, from ages 5(1940s) through their death/2022, we grow up with Bethie and Jo. We live through the struggles of the Civil Rights Movement through #MeToo, and we see through their eyes how challenging it was being a woman in history. It's sad to see how many things just really haven't changed. What was amazing about this book is that not only did we see our two main characters grow up, but we also watched them raise their children, who then grew up to be adults. Because of this, we really got to see the maternal influence on the children.

At times I related to Jo, then at others I felt like I shared a life with Bethie, then Kim, then MIssy. I never found myself unable to relate, which is something that rarely happens.

Mrs. Everything has everything you love in a book--relatable characters, interesting topics/themes, and a plot that, while spanning 70 years, moves so quick it's like you just started reading when you realize you're about to finish. You will not be disappointed in this book.

This book was a little slow going for me but it kept me interested just enough to continue to the end. It was an interesting premise and I wanted to see where each of the characters ended up when all was said and done.

I’m a big Jennifer Weiner fan, so I’m always excited for a new release. Mrs. Everything did not disappoint. The characters are wonderfully complex and their struggles with love and feminism and family are timeless. There are moments of profound sadness and moments of lighthearted joy and through it all you root for Jo and Bethune to get their happy ending. This book will make you laugh, it will make you (ugly) cry, and you will be left with a serious book hangover when you finish. Bravo Jennifer Weiner, bravo! Definitely my pick for book of the summer, maybe even of 2019!

Finally, after four years of waiting Jennifer Weiner’s new book, MRS. EVERYTHING is here! Let me tell you, it is definitely worth the wait! It is the story of two sisters, Jo and Bethie and is told over decades, from the 1950’s until today. Jennifer Weiner has a way of intertwining lives and making you feel like you have a front row seat into the story.

MRS. EVERYTHING is filled with so many different things such as family drama, love, forgiveness, second chances, and hope. The sisters grow up in Detroit in the 1950’s. Bethie is the talented sister, who loves being the center of attention, is very pretty, while Jo is the tomboy, who would rather be playing sports in her old clothes and not dressing up in girly girl dresses like Bethie. Jo is forever at odds with her mother as well as the world. Bethie is constantly dieting just so she can get the lead in all the school plays.

MRS. EVERYTHING is a well written novel that contains a powerful message that every female will connect with. Both of these women face separate struggles, but they are strong and know they always have each other’s backs no matter what. I do not want to tell too much because I don’t want to give anything away, but while reading, I felt every possible emotion I could think of and loved every minute of it! I learned some things about myself while connecting with these strong women. Women are very tough on themselves and need to just support each other through our daily struggles. There is so much going on in this story, but Jennifer Weiner does a wonderful job of weaving all the pieces together.



Overall, MRS. EVERYTHING is a book I can say nothing but fantastic things about. There is so much heart in Jennifer’s writing that I was left with a huge smile on my face and my heart, very happy. All of the characters are very interesting and believable, so much so that I felt as if I’ve known them for a long time. I look forward to reading Ms. Weiner’s previous books I haven’t gotten to yet as well as her future ones.

Mrs. Everything is everything you could ask for in Jennifer Weiner’s new, wonderfully written, generational family saga. The book spans the lives of two sisters, Jo and Beth, who are 6 and 4 years old respectively when the book begins in 1951, ending in 2015.

This book gets so much right –
• richly drawn, fully human characters with easily relatable quirks, strengths, fears, dreams, regrets;
• family and sibling relationships;
• the coverage of each decade that passes and the societal impacts the carried;
• how someone can change paths again and again as they strive to get closer to the one that fits best who they really are;
• how those who love us best often hurt us the most;
• how we sometimes give up on our dreams because we’re just too tired of fighting for them anymore;
• how we can live the same event(s) with someone and see them totally differently;
• how in the end, all that matters is that we feel loved, accepted and seen for who we really are.

Mrs. Everything is a story you can get lost in, that feels real, and that you will close the covers with a sigh of satisfaction and also one of regret that it has ended. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Jennifer Weiner is my favorite thought-provoking author! While sometimes I don't love the story as a whole, the message and inspiration the reader is left with at the end is worth the read! Mrs. Everything is every one and every woman, and should be read by all.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to.

Women! We are a force to be reckoned with! We have come so far as a gender with more roads to conquer. Jennifer Weiner’s new novel, Mrs. Everything, takes readers back to a time when women were the secondary sex. They earned college degrees in MRS and honorary Phds in Laundry, Cleaning and Child Rearing. During this time, homosexuality was considered taboo and sticking with “your own kind” kept you on the right path (whatever that means). Weiner’s story follows two sisters’ life journeys through the changing decades of our modern history. This book highlights the struggles women have had through the years and still have today. Plan to be swept away reading this beautiful family drama.
Mrs. Everything is a grand story. It follows sisters Jo and Bethie from their childhood in Detroit in the 1950’s through present day. Jo is the tomboy of their nuclear family. She is a voracious reader who wants to make the world a better place. Bethie has the girlie girl flare. She loves to look pretty and strives to be a traditional woman of the time. Things rapidly change for these two sisters when they each encounter situations that put a snag in their life long dreams. The tables are quickly turned leaving Jo as a stay at home mom and Bethie as the quintessential wild child. This book is a tough one to summarize without giving away too much (I hate spoilers). All I will say is that this story sets up with plenty of space for the characters to develop and evolve in a world that is constantly trying to stifle their growth. Weiner does not skip a beat sharing these two sisters’ lives. She takes her readers behind the scenes of Jo and Bethie’s most intimate experiences. Their individual stories are told in alternating chapters with plenty of overlap. Weiner covers a lot of ground in her book. Readers will get to watch how Jo and Bethie maneuver through some heart wrenching experiences that ultimately shape the course of their lives. Though Weiner’s message is powerful, her writing has a delicate touch and is extremely easy to read and absorb.
In Mrs. Everything, Jennifer Weiner writes about women who were thinking outside the box. Women who were in an uphill battle against the social norms of their time. Weiner’s characters are heroic and fierce in their own right. Yes, they succumbed at times to the expectations of their gender. They also rebelled and challenged these standards, changing the path for fellow women. These ladies were determined to find their happy ending. Weiner’s book was an absolute joy to read. Be prepared for Jo and Bethie to steal your heart. You will be rooting for them every step of the way.

Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

This book was very different than I was expecting. Instead of a typical time frame for many books --a day, a few days, maybe a couple years-- this book covers the entire lifespan of two sisters, from the 1950s to the 2020s.
Jo and Bethie are two, nearly opposite sisters growing up in a time when our country was going through major changes in civil rights. Just as they witnessed the struggles their country faced while attempting change, they also experienced similar difficulties in their family and their own lives as they grew up.
I enjoyed this book, but I will admit that it seemed like it took me awhile to get through it. I realize this book is largely about women and women's rights, but I did not love that nearly every man in the book was of dishonorable character. There were only two men in the book that were portrayed in good light. Despite these few things, it was a very interesting book and I really liked learning about some of the social history of our country during a time when my grandparents and parents were growing up.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review.
Mrs. Everything is available tomorrow, June 11, 2019.

Once again, Jennifer Weiner does not disappoint. Weiner crafted a masterful story of two sisters, Jo and Bethie, as they are coming-of-age and trying to find their place in society from the 1950s through 2020. I appreciate the Weiner did not shy away from difficult topics such as assault, feminism, sexuality, and identity and created a real story about the struggles and triumphs of everyday life. Although I found some parts a little long at times, I flew through the book, and cried several times. I believe Weiner herself has said that this is her most ambitious book yet, and I applaud her for having the courage to share this personal story.

Jennifer Weiner’s latest is an extremely ambitious story that follows the lives of two sisters essentially from birth to death. I loved the way the structure gave the reader a chance to really get to know the two main characters. They both grow and change a lot over the years, but even their most dramatic changes feel perfectly natural and earned. It’s an incredible feat of characterization and was my favorite part of the novel.

The book uses its expansive timeline as a means to explore a lot of different cultural movements over the last several decades. It’s fascinating how much has changed…and how much hasn’t. Weiner is never overly didactic with her “message,” but I don’t think it’s possible to read this without taking a hard look at how much work we still have to do when it comes to equality of race, gender, and sexual orientation.

This one comes out 6/11, and I highly recommend giving it a read as soon as you can get your hands on it. I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my 3rd Jennifer Weiner book and by far my favorite! This style of writing that spans several decades tend to be a little bit slower of reads for me, but at the same time they are more emotional and self-reflecting reads that are extremely thought provoking. It doesn't matter what year it is, I can relate to both Jo & Bethie constantly throughout the book. As you read each character growing, I can't help but reflect on ways I have grown or areas of my life that I am still learning to grow. This is a great book, however, it is not a super easy / fast read. This book really takes mental concentration - which is not a bad thing but something to be prepared for. As I read each trail and tribulation Jo & Beth went through (and even Sarah), my heart ached and really felt for them. As they grew, I felt like I grew. My favorite part about a book like this is that it really helps you think about the saying "walk a mile in someone else's shoes. This really hits me hard as I am reading, as I think of everyone around me.

Just by reading this book you will understand patience and empathy and look at the world differently - even if it is for just a moment.

In Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner, As two young girls growing up in the 1950s in Detroit, sisters Jo and Bethie Kaufman were intricately involved in the many changes they saw taking place around them. Growing up in a Jewish family, they knew about some of the discrimination that happened of course, but never imagined the way a person’s race or their gender would become the subject of demonstrations, discussions, and even riots in the years to come.

But as Jo and then her younger sister Bethie took their first steps into the world as young adults, they had a first hand look at what things were truly like out there. And they each decided to do what they could to make a difference in their own way. Neither Bethie nor Jo could imagine the ways their bond would be tested. Or the challenges they would face as adults and the sacrifices they would have to make. Through it all, though, the one thing that remained constant was the importance of their relationship as sisters. Something they worked determinedly their entire lives to cultivate.

A novel that explores subjects ranging from feminism to interracial relationships to dark family secrets, Mrs. Everything was a powerhouse work of fiction that left me an emotional wreck. And I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Jennifer Weiner didn’t pull any punches with Mrs. Everything. It will be a tough book for some sensitive readers to get through due to the controversial subjects Weiner included in Jo and Bethie’s rocky journey. I won’t give spoilers, but if you look at the years this story covers, from 1951 up through the present day, you can only imagine what two young Jewish girls from Detroit went through over those decades while the world constantly changed around them.

It’s difficult to describe Bethie and Jo’s relationship and their struggles in this book without giving too much away. I can say that we got to see how every decision they made and their reactions to their ever-evolving world drastically changed their individual paths. It also altered Jo and Bethie’s bond in ways they could never foretell. Their emotions and personal issues were written realistically and with such rawness to them by Weiner that I felt like I experienced those emotions right along with our main characters. Something that made me smile as many times as it drove me to tears of sorrow, joy, or frustration.

At the beginning of their story, when Bethie and Jo were children, there were a lot of details, some passages that felt almost too much about the minutiae of their daily lives. Then as they grew older, it seemed just the more pivotal moments were addressed–in a more concise way–almost mimicking the sisters’ thought processes as they became adults. I could be wrong, but it felt like Weiner did this intentionally. It seemed like the narrative voices of Jo and Bethie changed as *they* changed, with things speeding up and more years being skipped over as their lives sped along. And, truthfully, it was what helped hold my attention after a slower beginning that eventually turned into a heartbreaking but poignant ending.

Mrs. Everything is a vivid, emotionally-present fictional story that is bound for the big screen, in my humble opinion. With complex characters and a multi-layered plot based around fascinating moments in history, Jennifer Weiner has crafted a touching novel that will remain with her readers long after they’ve read the last heartfelt page.