I love books that take place in the 1960's, and I love books that include strong female characters. Let me rephrase that - I like books about female characters not knowing that are strong, but those who search for the means to emerge strong. This new novel by Marie Bostwick checks off both of those elements as it explores the societal role of women in our country in the 1960s.

Maggie, Viv, Bitsy, and Charlotte all find themselves plopped into Concordia, a cookie cutter Washington DC suburb where the HOA has their nose into everything, not only landscaping, but also the lives of all of the women in the neighborhood.

In an attempt to break away from the monotonous boredom, Maggie invites the other three to join a book club. This book club forges an unlikely friendship with this quartet of ladies that will end up spanning decades. They dub themselves The Bettys in homage to Betty Friedan, author of the newly released book, The Feminine Mystique, which becomes their first read and then somewhat their theme song.

Besides the development of the delightful females leads, I really liked the pop culture and historical references of 1963 that were woven into the plot. These actually made the reader feel as though you had stepped back into the pages of history as each of these ladies' lives unfolded,

If you enjoy strong female characters and a walk down memory lane, to a time in our country's history where rights of all minorities (including, especially in this story, those of women) were a constant battle, then pick up Marie Bostwick's new book when it hits shelves on April 22, 2025. Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus / Harper Muse, for this captivating little slice of our country's history that is too often ignored.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women follows four housewives in 1960s in 1960’s Virginia who start a book club and friendship blossoms. Bitsy, Charlotte, Margaret and Viv seem to live perfect lives and live in guilt wanting more out of life. When they read The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan, everything begins to change.

I loved that it mentioned other books in this story like Revolutionary Road, Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman are just a few to name. The pacing was a bit slow at times, but I honestly didn’t mind the story’s unique perspective and historical setting kept me engaged. definitely added a few titles to my TBR list. I listened to the audiobook and read the book together.

I received a complimentary copy of this book/audiobook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Books about books are some of my favorites to read. This book was so much more than that and I loved it! Margaret forms a book club with three other, very different woman. Yet they all form this strong friendship/sisterhood that was so genuine and lovely. Charlotte gives this speech about women building each other up that was so relevant and truly inspiring. This was such a great book and I can’t wait for my friends to read it. Highly recommend! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Margaret, Viv, and Bitsy are living a typical suburban life with their husbands in the early 1960’s. Their lives revolve around their spouses and their kids. One day, Margaret invites their new stylish and artsy neighbor, Charlotte, to join a book club. And that’s when things start to change for them.

Charlotte suggests they read a new controversial novel called “The Feminist Mystique” by Betty Friedan. As they read the book and bond together, they realize that perhaps they want more from their lives than just being a mother and a wife. As each of the women faces new challenges in their lives, they take it on with a new sense of purpose, confidence and the support of their friends.

I liked the premise of this novel but keep in mind this book tackles the challenges of privileged white women in the early 1960’s. While their struggles were real, they also don’t represent the obstacles that women of color or those in lower socioeconomic classes or even in abusive situations might face. This is a snapshot of one type of life experience and I appreciated it for what it is. I enjoyed the audiobook as I listened and read both versions interchangeably.

Thank you to @harpercollinsfocus @harpermusebooks for an advanced digital copy and @librofm for the #gifted audiobook of this novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of 4 suburban housewives starting a book club in 1963. They are challenged to make their first book, Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique." This book and their relationships change them in unexpected ways. They each find that the status quo of wife and mother isn't enough and each sets out to find their own meaning and journey in life. It may be shocking to many of us to read about what life was like for women in this time period. You couldn't open a bank account or get birth control without permission from your husband. I rooted for each of the four women in the book club, and while some of the story and the ending may seem a bit pat, it never detracted from my enjoyment of the story.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for an advance ecopy. My opinion is my own.

*Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

There was a lot for me to like about this book, including the 1960s-DMV setting and the overarching plot of housewives having a feminist awakening. However, the writing was simplistic at times and the characters felt pretty flat. Interesting enough, but not standout historical fiction.

To solve a problem you must first identify it

In early 1963 Margaret Ryan is a wife and mother living in Concordia, a recently created suburb in Northern Virginia. She loves her brand new home and her three children, and although she and her husband are going through a rough patch she knows that she should be happy with her life. She just can't figure out why she isn't completely satisfied when by all measures her family has achieved the American dream. When Margaret meets her new neighbor Charlotte Gustafson, a glamorous and self-assured transplant from New York, she is drawn to her and impulsively asks her to join her new bookclub (which she had just invented). Charlotte agrees but only if the book they discuss is the new work by Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique. Along with Margaret's best friend Viv Buschetti, a former nurse who is now the mother of six and who is looking to return to nursing, and Bitsy Cobb, the youngest of the group who is married to a much older man, Margaret discovers in the pages of the book that she is not alone in wanting more out of life than society feels that she deserves Together the women begin a journey of introspection and questioning the status quo. It will be a transformative year for them all as it will be for the country at large as well.
The title may be a bit unwieldy but the premise of The Book Club for Troublesome Women is both intriguing and engaging. How much women today (myself included) take for granted as they lead their lives! Things like getting a prescription from the doctor or opening a bank account are hardly acts of rebellion, but in 1963 a married woman needed her husband's permission to do either, The friendship between the women is well drawn and feels genuine, and each is sorting through her own situation as they seek fulfillment. Their husbands all differ from one another in how they feel about their wives and about the changes that the women are making, with not all being supportive. The Friedan book, a classic of feminist writing, is an interesting prism through which to view each woman's growing realization that they are not alone in feeling less than fulfilled by being only a wife and (in most cases) a mother, despite what the women's magazines and media in general would have them believe. The book is more about introspection than it is about actions and at times the story seems to get mired in the ruminations, but the characters are relatable (although they are not quite as "troublesome" as the title would have you imagine) and the time period was portrayed effectively. Readers of author Marie Bostwick's previous books as well as fans of Kate Quinn, Lisa Wingate and Adriana Trigiani will enjoy this novel that depicts women, their friendships and their search for meaning in their lives as the feminist movement gains increasing traction. My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus/Harper Muse for allowing me access to this enjoyable read in exchange for my honest review.

Book review: 4.25/5 ⭐️
Genre: womens/historical fiction
Themes: feminism, women in the 60s, changing attitudes
📖 Read if you like: Lessons in Chemistry, The Women

Thank you to HarperCollins Focus, Harper Muse and NetGalley for an eARC and audiobook for review.

This was both frustrating and insightful. It is easy to forget all the liberties and rights we as women take for granted today that even our mothers and especially our grandmothers didn’t have. This is a story about all the walls that existed to keep women confined to their place in the home as wives and mothers. Walls created by society through asinine rules like requiring a husband to open a bank account or get contraception, but also the ones held up by women themselves. A sort of conditioning or angry unfulfillment projected onto others, barriers existed on many fronts.

Within 1960s America, four women meet in suburbia for a life changing experience. Anyone who is part of a book club knows the bonds that can form within such groups and the power of finding like minded individuals who are keen to discuss ideas and philosophy. Sometimes just having one person reassure you that you are not crazy for wanting something more, something just for yourself is natural can be life changing. It can shatter the constructs created around your own existence and allow hope and possibility in. The Bettys found just that in each other and the book club they stumbled into. The ideas from Betty Friedan's controversial book, The Feminine Mystique launched an exploration in their own dissatisfaction and admittance for their true longings.

I enjoyed that all the women were imperfect. Most were happy to be mothers and homemakers, and so had some guilt about wanting more. Each was ambitious in their own ways, and yet forewent a possible career for their families. It was interesting to have women that wanted both and found a way to do so, as opposed to the outright rebels who would sacrifice a husband and family for their passions. It explored that area of transition and how ideas of change were taking root in quiet ways and the importance of sisterhood and literature in sparking these concepts. In truth, I found most of the husbands horrible and most of the women fairly ordinary, besides Charlotte, but money gives a woman options that society does not. This may be why I am not married, but I would have left three out of four of these men for appalling behaviour and treatment.

Charlotte was delightfully unhappy with her lot in life despite having the privilege of wealth, while Viv was her perfect balance. Each had a passion and loved their kids, but that is where the similarities stopped. I will always be drawn to the tortured artist and war nurses have an unimaginable strength that is aspirational. I liked both women and they were easy to imagine as real in all their complexities and hardships. Bitsy’s story was heartbreaking and I found her pandering to a petulant husband difficult to swallow, but I also understood her youthful attitude under the circumstances. I actually found Margaret to be the most bland. She was a little contrary with her judgment of Charlotte possibly breaking her vows against a philandering husband or of Bitsy forgiving her absent husband made her too much of a Pollyanna, especially given her alcoholic husband was absent in his own ways. The fact that he treated her so poorly and she continued in her undying affection was contradictory. Still this really highlighted the difference in the times and it all played out in the end.

I did wish Margaret was a little more enthused by her writing and would continue doing it whether or not she had a job. She seemed to lack the passion that others had in spades. Her trajectory just dropped this from a five star read given the ending seemed so unbelievable given all the practicalities of the previous chapters. It was a sweet imagining, but there is no way I believe two people with three kids that don’t come from money could afford that dreamlike lifestyle. And while I thought it was well rounded to include the male burden of hardship in this narrative to keep the story inclusive, I just didn’t want it. Feeling sorry for a man in the patriarchy is laughable in the face of constraints placed on women at the time. So my rating does not reflect the quality of writing or ideas presented in this book, which were both objectively excellent, merely my feelings towards certain characters and outcomes. It took something that was both hard to read and enjoyable, but oh so real into the land of dreams and it didn’t fit the narrative for me. That being said this is certainly a book I would recommend and it would be ideal for a book club!

🎧 I planned to do a tandem read with the audiobook and ebook, but I was liking the story so much I just ended up reading it twice in each format! The narration was spectacular with Lisa Flanagan providing the perfect voice for these four Bettys and their partners and children. I think I will enjoy anything read by this narrator!

Marie Bostwick's latest, THE BOOK CLUB FOR TROUBLESOME WOMEN, is a compelling and nostalgic novel about female friendship and empowerment, featuring four homemakers in the 1960s who form a book club that changes their lives.

Empowering women through history and literature!

About...

Early 1960s: Margaret Ryan, Viv Buschetti, and Bitsy Cobb are suburban housewives who have moved to a new planned community, Concordia, in northern Virginia, with their husbands.

However, they are unhappy in a world and time when they do not feel like a person, just a wife, a homemaker, and a shadow of their husband, with no voice. They are struggling with the societal expectations of being a perfect wife and mother, the lack of personal identity, and the feeling of being trapped in their roles.

Things change when they form a book club led by Charlotte Gustafson, the new neighbor from Manhattan, who is both eccentric and artsy. They start with the newly released book, The Feminine Mystique.

These women, realizing they are not alone in their dissatisfaction, form a bond of sisterhood. This bond gives them the courage to confront their past and take a stand in a changing world for women, inspiring readers with their bravery.

My thoughts...

Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, I adore books set in that era and can recall my working mother from that time. I probably did not appreciate the challenges she and other women faced at the time. Marie's research was spot on, and I immensely enjoyed all the fun, nostalgic references I am familiar with, which made me smile and reminisce.

It wasn't much better in the early 1970s when my husband and I built our first home. I had a full-time income, but the mortgage companies wouldn't count mine because I was in my childbearing years.

THE BOOK CLUB OF TROUBLESOME WOMEN is brilliantly written, thought-provoking, with vivid descriptions of time and place, and the rich characters come alive on the page.

At first, it just surfaces talk, but as we dive into the book and form a close friendship, the women share their secrets, cocktails, and honest reactions to the controversial bestseller.

The women soon discover that the American Dream isn't all it's cracked up to be, and they want more. They want a voice.

THE BOOK CLUB FOR TROUBLESOME WOMEN is a charming, humorous, and nostalgic tale of sisterhood and self-discovery. It explores the historical roles of women, the challenges they faced in society during this time, and the transformative power of books, leaving readers feeling empowered by the women's journey. 1963 was truly the beginning of the feminist movement. As modern women of today, we can thank this generation of courageous women.

Several novels from the 1960s explored themes of female empowerment and challenged traditional gender roles, contributing to the burgeoning feminist movement of the time. Key examples include Doris Lessing's "The Golden Notebook" (1962), Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar" (1963), and Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" (1963), which gave voice to the experiences of women feeling stifled by societal expectations.

Friedan's book exposed the limitations of the "cult of domesticity" and inspired women to challenge their traditional roles and seek fulfillment beyond the home. This non-fiction work is widely recognized as a catalyst for the second-wave feminist movement, exploring the widespread unhappiness experienced by American women in the post-war era.

"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett (2009):
Although published later, the book's setting in the 1960s and its focus on the struggles of African American women servants in the American South qualify it as a work of women's fiction, exploring themes of resilience, resistance, and female empowerment.

Audiobook...

As a reader, I had the privilege of experiencing both the book and the audiobook. The audiobook, narrated by the super-talented storyteller Lisa Flanagan, was a delight! Her voice, which has brought over 300 audiobooks to life and earned numerous awards, was the perfect fit for this group of ladies. Her excellent pacing draws you into the world of women in the 60s, making for an engaging and entertaining listening experience. I highly recommend the audio version to all readers.

Recs...

THE BOOK CLUB FOR TROUBLESOME WOMEN is for fans of the author and those who enjoy thought-provoking historical novels about women, book clubs, nostalgia, and female friendship. The story is also for fans of Kristin Hannah, Kate Quinn, Patti Callahan Henry, and Ellen Meister..

Special thanks to Harper Muse for a gifted digital ARC and ALC via Netgalley for my honest thoughts.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: April 22, 2025
My Rating: 4.5 Stars rounded to 5 Stars
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Engaging characters and a heartwarming story frame a very interesting exploration of the impact of Freidan's landmark feminist work!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for this ARC! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completed my own.

I confess it look my a while to really get into this book. The lives of 1960s housewives didn't seem all that interesting when I finally cracked it open and began reading. After a few chapters though, I became invested in the lives of Margaret, Viv, Bitsy, and Charlotte in a way that I think only other women can, despite the differences in decades. They faced challenges of equality, and searching for something "more" outside of societal and gender norms that can easily be identified with today.
I was really rooting for all four women to find their happiness, whatever that meant for each of them, and was so happy that they stuck together through thick and thin throughout the years to come!
This novel really just goes to show you how important a single book or idea can be!

This book could not come at a more appropriate time. As women in the US face the loss of rights that didn't even exist for these characters in the 1960s, this novel serves as a reminder of how far we have come, and how hard we need to fight to ensure we keep these rights. The characters were all well written, and I enjoyed how each one had a completely different relationship with themselves, their partners, their children, and society.

Calling this a 3.5 star read!

This is a story of a group of neighborhood, 1960s housewives' reaction to and formation of a book club surrounding Betty Freidan's new book at the time: The Feminine Mystique. I loved the premise of this book: four women (Margaret, Bitsy, Charlotte and Viv) who spend time together discussing a book that supposedly would change their lives. 
Overall: each of the female characters were likeable, and really enjoyed how the friendships were portrayed on page during both fun times and hard times, and that we essentially had happily ever afters. 
However, I found there to be really only one "troublesome," woman in the story (thank you Charlotte). That said, I can appreciate Bostwick's inclusion of women who were relatively happy in their marriage. Despite the era and the societal restraints on women of the time, there were likely MANY women who were not overall unhappy with their married/home life. 
One of the main points of closure really depends on the reader believing Walt (Margaret's husband) when he eventually says he'll change, but I suppose given his experience spending time with his newly widowed mother being the catalyst for said change, I went with it...
Other thoughts:- I did love being able to curate a list of feminist books from the time, thanks to the setting's local bookseller Helen at Babcock's books! - I felt anxious/ragey/claustrophobic reading the experiences of these  women not being able to cash a check made out to her from her employer, and another unable to get a prescription without their husbands signing off/agreeing to it 
Good, enjoyable book that I would recommend for historical fiction fans who like a little feminine rage with their stories of female friendship. I'd also compare this a little to The Briar Club, given the descriptions of book club nights, menu planning and adult beverage time for the girls!

I ADORED this book about four friends who form a book club (calling themselves “The Bettys” after the author of their first book). All four are housewives who want “more.” The meaning of that varies for each of them, but their common bond is feeling like what they have isn’t enough and wanting to explore more. I think it’s a common thought that many women grapple with - I’ve always wanted a husband and children and my life looks perfect, but I don’t feel fulfilled. Each one explores that in her own way and they come together at their book club to support one another as they face relationship challenges, work requirements, and just the general hustle and bustle of everyday life. If you enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry, The Astronaut Wives Club, and even The Help, you’ll enjoy this one!

Thank you to @netgalley and Harper Muse for the advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

Wow. This was so good and incredibly timely.

Set in the early 1960s, it follows a group of women who start a book club and choose The Feminine Mystique as their first read, sparking a powerful awakening. As they begin to question the limitations placed on their lives, from needing a husband's permission to open a bank account to being denied access to birth control without their husband approval, they also uncover how these societal expectations impact men as well.
Through books and friendship, these women find strength, solidarity, and the courage to fight for their rights and reimagine their futures.

Pacing is a bit slow, it's a long book but I highly recommend. Thank you @netgalley and @harpermusebooks for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this wonderful historical fiction book by Marie Bostwick, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by Lisa Flanagan. All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 5 stars!

Set in the 1960s, we meet four women – Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy, and Viv – living in an exclusive Virginia suburb. Margaret starts a book club, and their first pick is The Feminine Mystique. As the women get closer, they realize that they all secretly share the feeling that they aren’t as happy and fulfilled in their lives as they should be. They seem to have it all, but it doesn’t feel like enough. They nickname themselves The Bettys, after author Betty Friedan, and begin forging a tight bond.

I adored this book! I started reading it digitally but quickly switched to the audiobook because Lisa Flanagan perfectly captured the different women’s voices and personalities. This book has it all – humor, nostalgia, sisterhood, self-discovery. It’s still jaw dropping to realize that in this time period, women couldn’t open bank accounts or get birth control without their husband’s permission. I admired how these women provided strength for each other when needed, and highlighted how important standing up for ourselves and others is. Plus, it isn’t total man bashing as I loved Walt! This is the absolute perfect book club pick, and I highly recommended it!

This one had a unique premise! It was set in the 1960s, where 4 very different housewives start a book club where they first read The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. They deem themselves “The Bettys” and support each other through new life changes inspired by this book and their new friendship. I loved getting all four of their perspectives and how it showed the different hardships faced by women in the 1960s. I think I was looking for a little more action (or “trouble”) based on the synopsis and I did feel like some sections moved a little slow for my taste. But I loved the way the story ended and really enjoyed the strong friendships forged between Margaret, Viv, Charlotte, and Bitsy.

I enjoyed this one more than I was expecting to! Each of the characters was likable in their own way, and they each grew in new directions as the book progressed. It was eye opening to see what life was like for these women because it made me think about my grandmothers who were also raising children during this time period. Read when you want to join a book club full of women who help each other find their way and support each other through it all.

While I enjoyed myself reading this historical novel about four different women discovering their path in life, I wasn't blown away. It's jarring to read about this period in time, following these housewives. I mean it's an interesting time period, rife with sexism and inequality.

I feel like this tried to touch on so much, it wasn't able to delve deeper into certain themes. For example, I would have loved to see more about Martin Luther King Jr. We kind of get a mention, a build up, only for one of our MCs to see a friend on TV at one of his speeches. We're also right there, in the time period of JFK's assassination. Yes, one of our MCs met the First Lady just two days before the event, but that's it. I get that the author couldn't not mention these very important recognisable historical facts, but it kind of reads like they were put in there as an afterthought. The book also actually points its lack of intersectionality once or twice, but doesn't really do anything with it after.

In short: the writing was good and the characters and topics were interesting, but I wanted a little bit more from this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set in the 1960s, this book follows a group of housewives living in a small town who come together when they form a book club. I found this relatable with a lot of parallels to women's lives today who also struggle with trying to balance marriage, motherhood and their own dreams.

The first book the women choose is Betty Friedan's classic, The feminine mystique, which was a new release at the time and quite controversial. Okay on audio read by Lisa Flanagan, I did wish that there had been a full cast of narrators to help distinguish each of the main characters better for listeners.

Recommended for fans of books like The Martha's Vineyard beach and book club by Martha Hall Kelly. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!