Hey, Gen Xers! Are you aware that women in the United States were not legally able to open bank accounts, obtain credit cards, or get Ivy League educations (among many other things) without the assistance of men until possibly after you were born? The recency of these changes, and the gender discrimination that still exists today, are two of the reasons that I was so eager to read Marie Bostwick’s new book, The Book Club for Troublesome Women.

This novel follows the lives of four women living in a planned community in Northern Virginia in the early 1960s. They form a book club, and when their new neighbor selects Betty Friedan’s “The Feminine Mystique” as their first read, they all begin to see their lives as suburban housewives in a different light. Throughout the course of the novel, their friendship deepens, and each of the women takes action to make change in her own life.

I enjoyed getting to know “The Bettys”, as they call themselves, though I would’ve preferred more complexity and depth on both the characters and the time period. That said, it is rare to read a story centered on feminism in the early 1960s, and that was satisfying. So much is unfortunately still relatable today, over sixty year later. Highly recommended for fans of Sara Ackerman.

Thanks to HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse, the author, and NetGalley for providing this copy of The Book Club for Troublesome Women for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

In the early 1960s, four women—Margaret, Viv, Bitsy, and Charlotte—living in the fictional planned community of Concordia, VA, a suburb of Washington, DC, decide to form a book club. Their first book is The Feminine Mystique. This book greatly impacts them all and eventually empowers all of them.

The characters drew me into this book. I became truly invested in each of these four women’s lives. This is a character-driven book. I enjoyed watching each of them grow. I also enjoyed watching their friendship develop and solidify.

So often books that empower women have all horrible male characters. One thing I liked about this book is that though horrible, chauvinistic, womanizing men are prevalent, there are decent male characters too.

I also liked the historical backdrop of the early 1960s and the incorporation of real people, such as Katharine Graham, into the story. I also liked that this book expressed hope. Despite the obstacles these women faced, they kept pushing forward.

My only complaint is with the title. Despite the fact that they wanted to step out of the norm for women of that time period and wanted a choice on how they lived their lives, I didn’t feel they were troublesome.

This would be a good book club selection, especially since this is about a book club.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is a historical fiction set in 1960s Virginia following the lives of 'the Bettys' - a bookclub of four women who's lives are changed after the publication of the Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan up until the assassination of JFK. The book looks at the injustices women faced - not being able to open a bank account or get a contraceptive pill without your husbands signature, male attitudes and expectations, societal expectations to marry and become mothers. The Betty's are all middle-class, white housewives but there is a brief acknowledgement of this looking at the experience of a black nurse and the Betty's questioning about the lives of working class women and men in general.

I wanted to love this book but I was expecting more grit from the title. The blurb promised a revolution in the suburbs. However, for me, the Betty's were not 'troublesome women' except maybe Charlotte and Denise. I felt the plot was quite predictable and the issues deal with were on the lighter side, there is no violence or huge transformative moments, in summary, there is no real revolution. I felt the novel was too long. There were prolonged stretches of the book that felt padding and it could have been edited to be slightly punchier. I overall would describe it as a fairly placid plot.

However, I did still enjoy this and there were lots of sticking points and things I googled as I read (the rabbit pregnancy test?!). The characters were all well-built and well-rounded, if not slightly insipid. I enjoyed Bostwick's writing style and would read more of her work!

In three words, I would describe The Book Club for Troublesome Women as cozy, thought-provoking and lighthearted.

This is a very timely book with compelling and very well developed characters. I could see using this in a creative writing class as well for students who are working toward character development and making people jump out of the page.

I loved following the housewives of this story and how their characters seemed to grow beyond their original roles as housewives.

Awww….takes me back in time…realistic characters who are likable…reflection on times past…books…friends and family…influencers….I like this author and this book…thanks Netgalley

I enjoyed this historical novel about women's struggles in the 1960s. Four women living in suburban Virginia discover friendship by starting a book club. The first book, The Feminine Mystique, serves as the gateway to reflecting on why they decided to get married and how to deal with the boredom of housewifery and all that goes with it. Each woman's passage resonated with me and gave me some good reasons to consider my struggles in the sixties and beyond. Marie Bostwick offers a passage into the female challenge today, as so many aspects of female life continue to require difficult compromises.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is set in 1963 and centered on the impact a controversial book, The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan, had on a new group of friends in their book club. Moving through the perspectives of these newly formed friends - Margaret, Viv, Bitsy and Charlotte – as they live the post war housewife roles for the middle-class women. They support one another, give each other the truth and push when needed. We read about their troubles, their triumphs, and transformations. I did enjoy the famous characters mentioned like Katherine Graham of the Washington Post and Jackie Kennedy woven in the story. A good historical fiction read and would make a great book club read.

This was an interesting read at the start, but I lost interest midway. I will not be posting a review on GoodReads as I DNF’ed it, and it would be unfair to leave a review of an unfinished book.

I was very intrigued by the blurb of this book and the start was interesting. I had high hopes for this book and I think I might have had too big of expectations.

The characters and the plot was interesting but I felt nothing was happening after the first quarter of the book and I really felt like I wasn’t progressing in the book.

Then it pick up again and all the characters had something interesting happening and character development was nice.

Ending of the book felt lengthy again. Everything was explained to a detail and I skimmed through the last chapter.

Conclusion recommend if you like historical fiction with female main characters. Give this a try. I did like this book it is just not my favorite book of historical fiction.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women was a surprisingly great read. It was one of the most enjoyable books I have read in a while. It follows four women who start a book club. This book is set in the 1960s and deals with many of the issues women faced during that time. Even though it is set in the past, the themes really resonated with me in the here and now. The characters were well written, and I found myself rooting for their success in life. I loved the author’s writing style, and I loved that this book really captured a range of emotions. I would whole-heartedly recommend this book (and already have to my friends).

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. The book is shelved as historical fiction and I guess that the early 1960’s qualifies, but just. Four “housewives” meet in a highly desirable suburban subdivisions in Loudon County Virginia. They truly couldn’t be much different. Margaret has 3 young children, a husband who is unhappy in his job and even more unhappy than Margaret has procured a job writing for a woman’s magazine. “Pinmoney” he says to a group of men at a party one night. Margaret’s dream is to write. Viv served as a nurse in the war. Betsy has given up her dream to become a veterinary doctor and married one. And Charlotte is no one’s housewife. Eager to form a circle of friends Margaret starts a book club. The first book is The Feminine Mystique. It is a book like no other they have read. Except for Charlotte and her story which takes the reader on a wild ride is not all that different from the other women’s: white men have the power.

The book hits all of the post war, pre women’s lib stereotypes. Women could be teachers, nurses or secretaries. Dinner on the table as soon as the husband got home from work. Margaret is told what to write and as soon as she deviates, she is threatened with the loss of her job. Her husband grows distant as she becomes more engrossed in the writing she is passionate about. What I loved about the book was that the women had each other’s backs. Katherine Graham our country’s first female Fortune 500 CEO (The Washington Post) is written into the book. Bitsy exercises the family’s horses and Mrs. Graham often stops to chat with her, offering advice and kindness. Has Mrs. Graham been deleted from American archives yet? Imagine the backlash she dealt with as a female CEO in the 60’s.

The book is a little too neat. Four women who have formed solid friendships. Four women who choose different paths to achieve their goals. Charlotte and her art takes too much page space. The last chapter fast forwards about 40 years. It isn’t a bad wrap up, but I would have liked to see more of how Margaret’s writing influenced woman. I didn’t expect the four “Betty’s” to change the world by themselves, but a lot happened in those 40 years. How did they make a difference?

You know you're old when the decade of your birth is now Historical Fiction.. It was eye opening to read about the expectations for women in the early 1960s. I was born in 1963 and obviously too young to know about the issues but I was surprised to learn that a married woman couldn't open a bank account without the signature of her husband. I'm happy that I was raised by parents that expected me to learn to do all the things that my brother learned. I was taught to be independent and would probable have been considered a troublesome woman. I liked this book and recommend it!

I really enjoyed getting to know the Betty's in The Book Club for Troublesome Women". Margaret, Viv, Bitsy and Charlotte all have different backgrounds and situations but they are brought together when Margaret forms a book club and they tackle Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" in 1963. They all live in a very idyllic suburb of DC and while some of them work, others are raising children or pursuing a passion. I enjoyed reading how the work of Betty Friedan impacted these fictional characters and allowed them to find common ground and create a support network. All of the characters were well developed and I felt believable as well.

I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a historical fiction novel with a focus on women.

The messaging in this is pretty heavy-handed. Like...a character suddenly muses out loud, with little to no prompting, that The Feminine Mystique should have included more diversity. One of the husbands has a sudden awakening and it's noted that rigid gender roles are difficult on men, too. Things like that. Other than that, it wasn't bad. I liked Viv and Bitsy best, and they got less focus than the other two.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the characterization of the four main women. They were all real to me and watching them grow through their sisterhood was a great experience! They defied society’s expectations/desires as they set off to give more meaning and independence to their lives beyond their roles in the home. I loved it.

I felt like I was one of them, like I was a part of their book club, too! We were all on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment together, rooting for each other the whole way.

The author provided great details—whether they be about food, clothing, events, etc.—to immerse readers into the 1960’s era. She made sure the sexist & misogynistic realities that women faced in the workforce, finance, academia, healthcare, etc. at the time were present.

She also did a wonderful job explaining through one character how Betty Friedan’s book was limiting in its own ways, as it was mainly written for the middle class.

In spring of 1963, Betty Friedan’s classic “The Feminine Mystique” was published. Four housewives in a suburban Washington DC planned community decide to read it in their book club. Ostensibly these women have it made: husbands with good jobs, new homes in a coveted subdivision, not forced to work outside the home … yet something is missing. Their version of the American Dream is not really satisfying.

Margaret aspires to be a writer. When she lands a spot writing a column for a women’s magazine, her husband calls it a “jobette” for “pin money.” Bitsy excelled in biology and wanted to go veterinary school, but her professors would not write letters of recommendation for female students. A woman shouldn’t take a seat from a man, since she would quit practicing once married. Viv was an Army nurse and is now expecting her seventh child. She loves being a mom, but wants to return to nursing. Charlotte is a flamboyant artist whose wealthy father paired her off to a protégé in his company. Both men attempt to control her via psychiatric diagnoses and meds.

The book offered a window into the barriers facing women in that era. (E.g. husband’s permission required to obtain birth control or open a bank account.) I became angry on behalf of these fictional characters. The women’s commitment to support one another as they challenged the status quo was as influential as their reading of Freidan’s book. I also appreciate that the author acknowledges that the 1960s were not easy for men either – trapping some in jobs they disliked due to societal pressure to be the sole breadwinner – and that Friedan’s book left out women of color or experiencing poverty. Their lives were even more proscribed and their choices extremely limited.

A somewhat predictable story, but a good reminder that the nostalgic past is not as rosy as we may think.

Loved The Book Club for Troublesome Women! This book takes a look at the bond of sisterhood that we all crave. Books create conversation and connection that seep into all aspects of everyday life. One book changes the way that this group of women leaves their own mark on the world. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for this advanced reader copy.

I would like to thank Harper Colins Focus and NetGalley for the eARC of this title.

I enjoy slice-of-life historical fiction and I enjoyed this circle of woman as they navigate developing friendships and the changing world around themselves. Gave off the feel of Sex in the City set 60 years ago in the suburbs. My only complaint is the entire vibe felt very Hallmark/Disney/90s sitcom that slaps you in the face with the 'moral of the moment'. A little too on the nose for me and not very realistic for the type of historical fiction that I typically gravitate to.

I would recommend this to anyone who needs a feel good story, enjoys reading about female friendship as well as historical fiction.

I would first like to thank NetGalley, Harper Muse publishing, and Marie Bostwick for the advanced copy of this book. All of the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. I read a lot of books, but I have not read a book that I loved as much as this one in a very long time. It should be categorized as historical fiction, and it truly is that, but the period of history for this novel is during my lifetime. It starts out in 1963 when I was in high school and my mother was a young housewife.

Four women living in a small planned community in Northern Virginia called Concordia are all neighbors and decide to form a book club based on the controversial book, The Feminine Mystyque by Betty Friedman. They call themselves the Bettys and have differing opinions of Ms. Friedman’s book, but they all find the ideas interesting if not challenging. They are all married, although not all happily. As time goes by, the four women become fast friends and support and encourage each other in numerous ways.

The story is very engaging, and I could hardly put the book down. What was so incredible to me, however, was how accurate the descriptions of the rules, attitudes, and indignities that constricted the women in this time of our history. Women were expected to give up their dreams and aspirations and to become dutiful wives, mothers, and homemakers. It was the men who were expected and wanted to provide for their families. For many women, this was fine. All they’d ever dreamed of was finding a good husband and becoming mothers. For others, it meant having to drop out of college when they got married and to start having children, postponing or even killing their dreams of education and careers of their own.

Having lived in the ‘60s I was amazed by the accuracy of the author’s descriptions. From clothing and hairstyles to popular fragrances to cooking (tuna casseroles and meatloaf) and even to the names of children (Bobby, Beth, Susan) this author really did her research. Women could not hold the same jobs as men, and even if they did, they would never have had equal pay or the ability to advance.

While we get caught up in the lives of these four fictitious women, there is the backdrop of things going on in the world at that time. I am old enough to remember when John F, Kennedy was assassinated, and the horror that was felt by the characters in this book was real in my life and in the lives of my family and friends.

Marie Bostwick did an incredible job writing this work of historical fiction, and I applaud her. I highly recommend this book. I will be sharing my review on Goodreads and recommending this book in the Friends and Fiction FaceBook group.