Loved this book. I enjoyed learning more about how McCarthyism impacted day to day lives in the 1950s and enjoyed more how Fanny rose as a feminist during these times. It was really hard to think about women who went to college for the sole purpose of getting married and men at that time who felt it reflected poorly on them when their wives had meaningful work. I am glad times have changed, at least with regard to these attitudes. This was really a great story and I look forward to reading more from this author. One of my favorite books of this year.

Thank you to Ellen Feldman, St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book. My thoughts are my own.

Having a penchant for history, I eagerly accepted the invitation to delve into the works of this new-to-me author. The experience turned out to be an absolute delight, offering a refreshingly unique yet somewhat foreseeable narrative. In the pages of this book, the author skillfully introduces a compelling storyline that captured my interest from the outset.
Fanny Fabricant emerges as a beacon of strength, courageously navigating life's unexpected twists while carving a path for herself and her daughter, Chloe, in defiance of societal norms.
If I were to sum it up in a word, it would be "reinvention."

What stood out:
✅ A resilient female protagonist navigating the world of radio serials, challenging the constraints of her time.
✅ A poignant portrayal of a woman adapting to unforeseen circumstances, piecing together a new future.
✅ An illuminating exploration of post-war politics, delving into the McCarthy era and the HUAC's impact on artists and authors.
✅ Expertly crafted setting, painting a vivid picture of the social climate in the aftermath of war.
✅ Personal growth arcs and a compelling look at dating norms in the 1950s.

Challenges I encountered:
❌ Pacing issues that occasionally affected the flow of the narrative.
❌ Predictability in certain aspects of the plot.

This historical fiction gem shines a light on a courageous and relatable female lead while offering a unique glimpse into a lesser-explored period of our history. A binge-worthy read within the realm of historical fiction, complemented by an appealing cover.

The Trouble with You
A Novel
by Ellen Feldman
(This review is from an ARC sent to me from NetGalley)
Set in New York City in the aftermath of World War II.
Raised never to step out of bounds, educated in one of the Seven Sisters Colleges for a career as a wife and mother, Fanny is torn between her cousin Mimi and her rebellious Aunt Rose.
Fanny struggles to raise her young daughter after her husband unexpectedly dies, and finally gets a job as a secretary to the “queen “of radio serials. (Not referred to as Soaps in those days)
Fanny enjoys working and through friendships she makes, with an actress and a script writer she gains more confidence and starts writing scripts. She comes face to face with the blacklist.
“The Hollywood blacklist was an entertainment industry blacklist put in effect in the mid-20th century in the United States during the early years of the Cold War, in Hollywood and elsewhere. Actors, screenwriters, directors, musicians, and other American entertainment professionals were barred from work by the studios.” The person in question would need to declare under oath that he/she was not a communist. The blacklist was destroying careers and lives.
The Trouble with You is the story of a young woman whose rosy future is upended in a single instant, and Fanny must decide in doing what is right.

Interesting characters, story and plot. Enjoyed the read and a perfect escape for a cold winter afternoon or a nice afternoon at the beach. Thanks

Wow! What an fantastic book! I devoured it in two days. I will be thinking about Fanny and Rose, two independent strong women living in New York City during the 1940's and '50's, for a long time. Fans of Rules of Civility and City of Girls will enjoy this book. Highly recommend. Thank you Netgalley for this advanced reader's copy.

The Trouble With You by Ellen Feldman is a captivating exploration of post-WWII New York City through the lens of Fanny Fabricant, a resilient young woman navigating the upheavals of societal expectations and personal reinvention. Fanny, initially groomed for a conventional life, faces unforeseen challenges that propel her into the world of work, defying the norms of the time. As a secretary in the realm of radio serials, she discovers unexpected passions and confronts the political turmoil of McCarthyism and HUAC blacklisting. The novel skillfully intertwines personal growth, societal shifts, and the evolving dynamics of 1950s dating. While the pacing and predictability present occasional challenges, the story offers a thought-provoking narrative of courage, resilience, and the determination to carve one's path amidst a changing world. Ellen Feldman's richly detailed portrayal of post-war America and Fanny's journey makes this historical fiction a compelling and immersive read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
Wow, I loved this book so much! The main character, Fanny Fabricant, is a young woman who loses her husband right after WWII and has to find work so she and her little girl can survive in a world that isn't kind to women who are single mothers. In those days women didn't have many rights. Plus McCarthyism and a polio outbreak don't make things any easier.
But with her Aunt Rose's help and a job in radio, she grows into a strong, independent woman.
I loved both Fanny and Rose so much and was very happy with Fanny's choices at the end.
I can't recommend this book enough, it's fantastic!

I have read other books by this author, enjoying them. This one is no different. It is a different approach to historical fiction than I am used to looking for. But I loved it. I love when a woman is strong, does what is unexpected, risks she takes. The whole book is about this.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

Very interesting story. A woman trying to survive after the death of her husband. Lots of avenues and obstacles due to the feelings of woman in the work force after WWII. Throw in some love interests and there you have it interesting

I'm so glad I accepted the invitation to read an advance copy of this book, thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. I loved this book and its characters. By chance, I had just finished reading another book that also took place during the McCarthy era. I found The Trouble with You was much more effective describing life during that time. Feldman showed the frightening impact of McCarthyism in the entertainment industry and its impact on the individuals being questioned, as well as their friends and families. The author did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life and portraying the challenges women had during and after the war. I think this would make a great choice for book discussion groups. I highly recommend this book.

I just finished The Trouble with You by Ellen Feldman which was an ARC that I received through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first book I've read from Ellen Feldman and I can promise, it won't be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. This story takes place after WWII in New York City. Fanny Fabricant was excited for her husband, Max, to return home from the war. Shortly after his return, he unexpectedly dies and Fanny is forced to rediscover herself and move through life without him. While simultaneously picking up the pieces of her broken heart and caring for her young daughter, Fanny finds herself navigating life as a working woman at a time when most women were leaving the workforce and going back to their roles as wives and mothers. She is hired as a secretary for a radio serials editor and quickly learns a dark truth about the industry. Writers and actors are being blacklisted including an actress friend of hers and a witty writer always trying to sneak innuendos into his scripts. When both of their careers are destroyed by being blacklisted, Fanny is faced with a difficult choice.

The characters, the plot, the pacing, and the quality of the writing were all fantastic. I highly recommend picking up this book!

In McCarthy-era New York, radio actors and writers try to keep themselves afloat. Fanny, a recent widow, must write her stories in secret. Also, she and her daughter Chloe must balance between Mimi, the correct sister, and Aunt Rose, the smart daredevil. This makes for interesting reading.

Author Feldman makes sure we understand how difficult it was for women to have a career at that time. If a married woman worked, husbands felt they were being criticized for not being able to support their family. No matter what the career, the belief was that men could do it better. And perish the thought of women advancing to a supervisory position! As a result, the men who could be proud of women in the working world were few and far between, and they were cherished.

I loved the characters in this book, particularly Aunt Rose. She sounds like someone every family needs—a straight-shooter who sees through all nonsense. Both Ezra and Charles were also great characters—deeply caring men who had completely different personalities that were a little bit different from what one could see about them at first.

I also loved that this is a book about family, about loving and caring for whom you belong to. And, of course, different people in the family have different ideas, which makes loving them so important and difficult at the same time.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. This is an interesting story that covers the time period of 1947 thru 1960. Fanny becomes a very young widow with a six year old daughter after her beloved husband has a freak accident in their home. The book follows Fanny and her daughter, Chloe, as they try to survive and live without a man in their lives in a society that says that the man is the ruler of the family and has the final say. Fanny can’t even get served a drink in a bar without a man with her. The story also goes into great detail about the “Red Scares” , blacklisting and McCarthyism that America was experiencing at the time. The story is a real eye opener about what life was like after the war. . I really enjoyed the book, but, it was a little slow at times. .

This was so good! Very accurate historical fiction. I was immediately transported into another world, and I loved Avery second of it!

The Trouble with You, by Ellen Feldman, is an interesting historical fiction novel. Feldman does her research and ties it together with a believable story of interesting characters in a way that is both entertaining and informative. Reading a novel like this has me doing some research of my own to learn more. Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook to read for this review. My opinions are all my own.

With the backdrop of WW2 and the blacklist years of McCarthyism, this book navigates the world of one woman’s quest to learn who she is and what she could become if she found the courage to go her own way.
Fanny Fabricant (what a wonderful name!), is a young widower who with the help of her free minded Aunt Rose, finds work at a radio station. Here she meets Charlie, a scriptwriter, whose liberal scripts and friendships land him on the blacklist. And then she meets Ezra, a respectable doctor who wants to marry her and have a very traditional life, with Fanny at home with the children. But what does Fanny want? That is at the heart of this novel.
I loved Fanny’s witty sense of humor and also her traditionalism. Her devotion to her daughter Chloe and her burgeoning devotion to her craft. Her 1950s dilemmas or no different to the dilemmas of today and Fanny is a great character to admire and enjoy.
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. Another great read from them!

What a wonderful book! Much more than a coming of age story, it's more about a young woman's search to find herself in post WWII New York. Fanny Farrington has the perfect marriage with the perfect husband and the perfect daughter. Her husband Max survived the war, but when tragedy strikes, Fanny is left as young widow with a young child. Bound the the strictures of the day which frown on women working, Fanny struggles to support herself. When she takes a role as secretary to a woman who writes soaps (although that work is never to be used!), She finds that she likes working and not being dependent on a man for everything. But pressure is on for her to find a husband and go back into her proper role. The McCarthy hearings are frightening everyone and especially in the movie/TV business, and the soaps are not exempt. When one of her co-workers gets blacklisted, Fanny must decide whether she can help him continue to make a living without compromising her principles. At the same time she meets another man who would like to marry her, but expects her to fall back into the role of 50's wife and mother. Influencing Fanny (or attempting to) are her cousin Mimi, also a young widow with a child who urges her to marry and stop working, and her aunt Rose, a free spirit who encourages Fanny to think for herself and be independent.

I really enjoyed the book, watching Fanny navigate through the various dilemmas and becoming the person she really is, in spite of social and other pressures to be less. A really great read!

What a perfectly relevant story about a young widow who has hard choices to make in life, not only as a woman, but as someone who is pulled in many directions.

When Fanny is widowed at a young age with a young child, she must learn to follow her instincts among the backdrop of 1950’s America. She is an educated woman, but has only ever been a wife and mother. It is time for Fanny to forge her own path forward, and do it on her own terms.

I found this story very well researched and highly evocative. If you enjoy historical fiction, you should give this one a try. It’s an enjoyable 4-star read.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. The Trouble With You is due to be published on February 20, 2024.

Fanny is widowed shortly after the end of WW II. She has no money and a child to support. Her Aunt Rose [ leftie] helps her get a job as a secretary to a woman who wrote for daytime radio serials [known as soap operas]. Through this job, Fammy met Charlie, a writer, who is lated blacklisted for his comments. She also met Ezra, a doctor, who treated her daughter.
Different values for women were maintained after the war, but the women had 'tasted' the freedom of choice during the war. It was difficult to let that status go. Fanny has lots of decisions to make, secrets to keep or share.
This is also the time of the McCarthy ear where many writers, actors, and others were accused of propagating the
communist line of thought.
Ellen Feldman has written a realistic tale of the US after the war. READ.

The Trouble with You mainly centers around Fanny, who is a young widow and mother after WWII. She struggles with her family expectations, which are to marry another Jewish man, or her own career which is unexpectedly satisfying. She was not raised to be political, but finds it hard to avoid during the McCarthy era and hearings. Then she is caught between 2 men - the safe one who she's expected to marry, and the exciting co-worker who opens her eyes.