What a great read! I absolutely loved the Betty's! Four different women who might not have become friends who came together and helped each other navigate the changes that were happening for women in the 1960's. An inspiring story.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is a delightful and thought-provoking journey into the lives of four women in 1960s suburban America who embark on a transformative book club centered around Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique. Narrated by Lisa Flanagan, the audiobook brings to life the distinct voices of Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy, and Viv, capturing their evolving friendships and personal awakenings with warmth and authenticity. Bostwick's storytelling weaves humor, nostalgia, and social commentary, offering a poignant exploration of female empowerment and the complexities of societal expectations. Listeners will find themselves immersed in a narrative that celebrates the power of sisterhood and the courage to challenge the status quo. This audiobook is a must-listen for those who appreciate rich character development and historical fiction that resonates with contemporary themes.

1960s suburbia. One book club. Four women ready to rewrite the rules.

Marie Bostwick’s (@mariebostwick) The Book Club for Troublesome Women is a nostalgic, quietly powerful story about friendship, self-discovery, and finding your voice.

As four suburban women in the 1960s start a book club and end up sparking a feminist awakening in their own lives. Together, reading the pages of The Feminine Mystique and having candid book club conversations, these women begin to question everything they’ve been told—and start living on their own terms.

🎧Lisa Flanagan brings each character to life with graceful, understated shifts in tone. Her steady pacing lets both the humor and emotion breathe naturally, adding richness to the story’s themes of connection, growth, and subtle defiance. The narration feels spot-on for a book that honors women’s courage and spirit.

The story weaves together themes of self-discovery, feminist awakening, the power of female friendships and the courage to embrace change.

Living in a new suburban planned community in Northern Virginia should fulfill all the dreams of four 1960s housewives, at least if all the advertisements are true. But Margaret, Viv, Bitsy, and newcomer Charlotte don’t feel fully fulfilled with their roles. When they decide to form a book club, and choose the just released book The Feminine Mystique, things in their lives begin to change. They come together, not only as a book club, but as a group of friends who support each other in every way possible. Through difficulties with children, wives, bosses, and even the bank and doctors, these ladies realize they have more to contribute and with a little help from your friends, you can reach goals you thought were unattainable!
This is a great tribute to the power of friendships! And of course, that these close knit friendships started because of a book club, makes it that much better! These ladies deal with some tough situations in a time when women were still expected to just stay home and take care of the kids throughout much of society.
Since it is already published, you can grab this book at any of your favorite book buying locations!

Thank you to @netgalley for providing me a free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #TheBookClubForTroublesomeWomen

The Book Club for Troublesome Women was definitely an interesting read, though a little slow paced at times. It’s fascinating and also frustrating to read about a time where women’s rights were so suppressed, while simultaneously living in a world where women’s rights are once again being threatened.

I did enjoy the time spent getting to know the characters and found Charlotte to be my favorite since she was the only one to really push the “troublesome” title. I wish there was a little more rebellion and risks, but I also understand that’s not quite the style of book. A follow up on charlottes life would be interesting though!

Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it!

Just finished this lovely book! I'm already a fan of Marie but this book brought back some fond memories of my Mama and my childhood. I could relate to many parts of this story as a child and as a young mother as well. I think the messages it gives are so important for all women to read. It particularly struck me when the part about JFK happened. I remember distinctly where I was and the reactions of those adults around me. I love that we were able to see in the ending, what happened to each of the Bettys. I think it's important to finish a story. So many books leave us wondering what happened next?

I really enjoyed this book, when I first started I didn’t know if it was something f I would enjoy but by the sending chapter I was captivated and totally invested. I really loved the buildup of each character and how real they felt. By the end of the book I wanted to be one of the Betty’s. I would definitely recommend this book to others, as it had become one of my 5 star reads of the year.

I didn’t love this one sadly. The story was paced pretty slowly and it felt like there wasn’t much point to the plot. Things were added in and included that ended up serving no purpose at all, or felt gimmicky. When I got the the end of the story I felt a little bit like “that’s it?”. I didn’t really find that I gained anything by not DNF’ing.

I loved this book and feel it’s still relevant today even though it was set in the 60s. Each of the women’s stories were interesting, and I particularly appreciated the nuance the author used in writing about the male characters. I enjoyed it and have recommended it to friends.

A compelling work of historical fiction, this novel centers on the Bettys—a group of housewives aptly named after the author of the first book they tackle in their book club - Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique.
I always love when historical fiction, or really any type of fiction, includes small realistic elements such as in this case an existing novel that was published around the time of the narrative. The Feminine Mystique had garnered quite the controversy when it was first released back in the 1960s and is credited with sparking a second-wave of feminism in the United States. Similarly, the Bettys are individually affected in varying ways after reading this book whether it be addressing tense marriages or going back to a long-abandoned career. The narrative skillfully parallels their personal awakenings with the broader Civil Rights Movement, creating a poignant and insightful portrait of an era defined by the fight for equality on multiple fronts.

This is about a couple women in the 1960's that start a book club. It is about more than just a book club though this women find their inner strength through friendship and getting support from each other. Gave it 3 stars and would recommend to friends.

This book has my favorite story structure for Historical Fiction & Women's Fiction mash-ups:

Like Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons and The Divine Secrets of Ya-Ya Sisterhood, this book is told from the POV of 4 distinct female friends, with one as the anchor character. When done right, that fiction formula works so well.

Set in the early 1960s in a fictional suburb in Virginia, it captures a time when women who wanted more than housewife duties and motherhood were deemed troublesome. I loved the role that female mentorship played. In today's economy and competitive job market, it often feels like every man or woman for themselves. I hope this book inspires people to intentionally act as workforce allies, rather than rivals.

My only quibble is the handling of alcohol. One binge-drinking character declares they’re going to cut back and, voilà, they do. It seemed unrealistic to go from problem-drinker to occasional social drinker with such ease and success. “I’ll just have a few from now on” is an oft-said statement, but as a strategy it rarely works out.

This book is a powerful tribute to the “boss women” of the 1960s—women who outwardly seemed to have it all, yet quietly longed for so much more. I loved the way Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy, and Viv’s book club became a lifeline for their evolving identities and fierce friendships. The exploration of The Feminine Mystique alongside their own struggles made the story feel both timely and timeless. It’s a heartfelt, honest look at the price of societal expectations and the bravery it takes to rewrite your own story. Definitely a must-read for anyone who loves rich, character-driven historical fiction.

A new neighbour, a protagonist’s desire to write and a book club are the catalysts for change in the lives of four middle-classes white women in 1960s Northern Virginia suburbia.

Margaret Ryan has a happy family, good marriage, a lovely home, and she's dissatisfied. After receiving a subscription to a women's magazine that tells women of her social status what to buy and wear, she decides she's going to write for the magazine, which she does.

Also, she meets new neighbour Charlotte Gustafson, and decides to start a book club, inviting Charlotte, and two other neighbours, Bitsy and Viv, to the first meeting to read the "Feminine Mystique" by Betty Friedan. They begin to realize that the picture of suburbia and their lives that they thought was fulfilling is not, and begin meeting regularly to not only read other feminist books, but to give each other support as their reading changes their actions and lives.

Though problems ensue, they find also find opportunities that none of them expected and new directions and strength, even in the face of, in some cases, opposition by their closest to their new ideas.

This entertaining story shows women gradually awakening to the restrictions imposed on them by patriarchy and misogyny, and even more importantly, banding together in support and love to fight for what they want, even when that is contrary to all that they've absorbed over the years.

My complaint was that the evolution of the women's lives were mostly trouble-free, and their activism was pretty minimal. But I guess for a 1963 woman in an affluent and conservative suburb what little they did was seen as a big deal?

I listened and read this book, and enjoyed voice actor Lisa Flanagan's take on each of the characters, bringing a nice sense of brash confidence to Charlotte and determination to Margaret.

3.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and to HarperCollins Focus for these ARCs in exchange for my review.

I absolutely loved this book! It was such a well-written and heartfelt story that made me appreciate just how much courage and determination women in the 1960s had to push for “something more.” The friendships between Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy, and Viv felt so authentic—I could see myself sitting right there in their living rooms, listening in on their conversations.

The characters each had such different lives and struggles, yet they shared that same yearning for fulfillment beyond the roles that society laid out for them. The way the book explored those feelings, while weaving in humor and warmth, was just wonderful. It reminded me how powerful women supporting women can be and how those small acts of bravery ripple forward into real change.

I also loved the historical detail—Bostwick nailed the 60s atmosphere while making it feel timeless. Honestly, I wanted to join their book club myself! This story is empowering, relatable, and a beautiful reminder of resilience and friendship.

3.5⭐️
The writing felt a bit amateurish for such a published author, but I enjoyed the story. Things ended a bit predictably, but that is probably what was needed to make the story about the journey and not the conclusion.

I received a copy of this book for my book club. I enjoy historical fiction, and this one immediately caught my attention. Set in the United States in the early 1960s, it follows four housewives who come together to form a new book club, beginning with The Feminine Mystique.

• Margaret is a stay-at-home mom who met her husband at university. They live in Concordia with their children, and her husband works in accounting to support the family.
• Charlotte is the mother of four and appears to lead an idyllic, affluent life. She is the free spirit of the group.
• Viv trained as a nurse but is now at home raising six children—and is expecting again.
• Bitsy is newly married and hoping to start a family with her husband, King.

I enjoyed how the story explored the struggles of women in the 1960s, showing the deep inequalities of the time and how both men and women wrestled with the roles society assigned them. What stood out most was the strength of the friendships among these women and the way they supported one another while facing very different personal challenges.

This novel makes an excellent book club choice, offering plenty of opportunities to reflect on where we were then, and how much has—and hasn’t—changed in the last 60 years.

In a new town called Concordia, four women get together and begin a book club. They call themselves ‘the Bettys’ after reading ‘A Feminine Mystique’ by Betty Friedan, which opens up a whole world of realisations and possibilities.

Each one of the them has their own trials and tribulations but their strong friendships enables them to support one another through various hardships and aims in their lives.

It was quite good in parts and then a bit twee in others. The premise is basically women promoting women’s rights (in the 60s) and of course this is an important subject.

It will be well received as women’s rights have never been more important as they are today.

It's 1963 and Margaret, Bitsy, Viv and Charlotte are restless housewives living in a newly developed "controlled" housing development in Northern Virginia. This is a time when the husbands worked outside the home and the women made sure everything was perfect when their man returned at the end of the day. But these women wanted and needed more, including not only friendship but also intellectual stimulation; so they started a book club. Their first book was Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" and it sets the tone for the independence they were all craving along with a bit of rebellion.

These women will make you laugh, cry and be inspired. Their support for each other helps them each become strong, independent women while tackling marital issues, career aspirations and a feeling of self-worth.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women was a relatable and heartfelt read that captured the frustrations and quiet yearnings of sixties-era housewives in a way that still resonates today. I appreciated how the story showed the power of books and friendship to spark change and courage, and the struggles of Margaret, Viv, Bitsy, and Charlotte felt authentic and moving. That said, while the premise was strong and the themes important, I found myself wishing the narrative spent more time exploring each woman in depth beyond their surface roles. Their inner worlds and personal transformations sometimes felt rushed, leaving me wanting more nuance and individuality in their journeys. Overall, a thoughtful and timely novel, but one that could have dug deeper into its characters to fully deliver on its promise.