When I read historical fiction novels I often wonder how much of it is based on facts and how much is from the author’s imagination. I loved the characters in this book so much that I wanted them all to be real! I appreciated that the author’s note addresses which parts of the story were fact based and which were her imagination. In addition to loving Bostwick’s characters, it was interesting to learn more about the early 60s and specifically the lives women lead at that time. It definitely made me thankful to be among wife and mother in my 40s in the 2020s instead of the 1960s.

Probably my favorite part of this book was the friendships formed among the main characters - The Betty’s as they called themselves. They were strong and independent women who supported each other through challenging times in each other’s lives. What more can we ask for than to have good friends like that?

I really enjoyed the audiobook of Book Club for Troublesome Women. The narrator, Lisa Flanagan, did a great job bringing the story to life. Thank you to Harper Muse Audiobooks and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this ALC.

I absolutely loved this book! It was reminiscent of one of my favorite films, The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio. I felt connected to all of the characters and was thrilled to see where their stories went. I was not alive during this time, but some of the parallels are relevant today. I have already started to recommend this book to people!

This was so good. Historical fiction based in the 1960s when The Feminine Mystique came out. When women were often at the mercy of their husbands and their fathers. When solely homemaking was the norm and working outside the home was almost an abomination.

So enlightening, well-written, and enjoyable.

The audio was great. The narrator did a good job with each and every character and setting.

I enjoyed The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick. It is billed as historical fiction and the feel I got from it was fiction with historical nuggets. Four friends start a book club and the first book they choose, The Feminine Mystique, has them questioning their satisfaction with their current lives. I loved that the author highlighted the limitations placed on women - the inability to open a back account or obtain birth control without the husband's approval, the expectation that the home and raising a family were enough for middle class women. Having a paying job was the exception and not the norm. Although not a main part of the story, as an African American woman, I really appreciated the author acknowledging that the limitations placed on Black women (even professionally trained ones) were more restrictive than those placed on Caucasian women. I highly recommend for readers who like historical fiction and especially for book clubs. Book club discussions are eye opening and allow us to see different points of view.

This was a bit of a slow start for me… but as it progressed I really grew to love the characters and appreciated the growth they all had. I liked the way it progressed to present day… and the stories wrapped up nicely for all the women.
Overall good read.

Splendid ode to female friendship, thoroughly enjoyed the story, narration and writing style! I really appreciated the way the writer emphasised the need to safeguard women's rights and how she illustrated the dire situation in the 60s.

I listened to The Book Club for Troublesome Women. It's set in the 60's, a group of housewives read The Feminine Mystique. The Feminine Mystique is credited with starting a second wave of feminism. It encouraged women to look beyond being a housewife for satisfaction. Many of the women in this book club start to pursue careers outside the house, some to the dismay of their husband.

This is one to pick up if you enjoy reading about book clubs, female friendships and women taking autonomy of their lives and rights in the early 60’s.

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher.

This is my first time reading anything by Marie Bostick and I am now a fan! I enjoy reading historical fiction that highlights women’s stories so I was excited to get an advanced listeners copy of the audiobook The Book Club for Troublesome Women. The story centers around four women living in a planned community during the 1960s. Margaret Ryan, Viv Buschetti, and Bitsy Cobb, join their new neighbor Charlotte Gustafson for a book club and their lives are never the same.
Each woman goes through a personal journey of discovery and the book club becomes more than just reading books, but a place of sisterhood and support for each character.
Lisa Flanagan does a fantastic job narrating the novel to tell each woman's unique story.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, HarperCollins Focus, Harper Muse and Marie Bostwick for giving me an ALC of this enjoyable book!

"The Book Club for Troublesome Women" by Marie Bostwick, expertly narrated by Lisa Flanagan, I found myself transported back to the 1960s—a time filled with transformation, exploration, and a quiet yet palpable revolution simmering beneath the surface of suburban life. Margaret Ryan, our main character, epitomizes the so-called "American Woman's Dream," yet it quickly becomes clear that beneath her picture-perfect exterior lies a yearning for more than just domesticity.
Margaret’s life initially seems complete: a loving husband, three children, and a lovely home in the idyllic suburb of Concordia. However, upon meeting the enigmatic Charlotte Gustafson, everything shifts. It’s not long before Margaret concocts the idea of a book club to bring together a few women from the neighbourhoods. Little does she know, this book club will not only forge deep connections between the four women—Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy, and Viv—but will also catalyse a transformative journey for them all.
Listening to this audiobook was a delightful experience; Lisa Flanagan's narration brought the characters to life in such a vivid way that I felt as though I were right there at their gatherings, sharing in their laughter, frustrations, and revelations. The camaraderie among the “Bettys” (inspired by Betty Friedan) is beautifully captured, and it struck me how their discussions around "The Feminine Mystique" gradually unveil the deeper emotional landscapes each woman grapples with, exploring their dissatisfaction and longing for a sense of self beyond motherhood.
What I particularly loved was how Marie Bostwick wove in the striking socio-economic changes of the time, highlighting the struggles and triumphs these women face as they navigate their identities in a society that often sidelines them. Each woman, with her unique story and perspective, highlights the diverse challenges women encountered during this era. From Margaret's initial hesitations to embrace her desires to Viv's spirited journey towards authenticity, I was enraptured by their tales.
Bostwick's writing is witty and profound, and she deftly tackles the emerging consciousness of women as they reclaim their narratives, resisting the roles that society has confined them to. Amidst the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement simmering in the same era, I appreciated how Bostwick remains mindful and respectful of the larger struggles for equality, capturing a sense of solidarity that resonated deeply with me.
The pacing of this novel is just right; every moment felt significant, and I found myself laughing, crying, and cheering for the Bettys as they experienced the highs and lows of life together. By the end of the story, I felt a sense of inspiration and empowerment—a testament to the formidable strength that comes from sisterhood.
"The Book Club for Troublesome Women" is not just a nostalgic nod to the past; it is a celebration of resilience, self-discovery, and the power of women coming together. I can’t recommend this book enough, especially for anyone looking for a meaningful yet entertaining listen that will leave you reflecting on the importance of friendship and the capacity for transformation. Thank you, Marie Bostwick, for crafting such a wonderful narrative that not only entertains but also enlightens.

3.5 Stars. While I enjoyed the characters in this book, it moved too slowly for me. I was more than half way through it before I really felt engaged enough to want to finish it. I appreciated the rich character development and the various personalities, and the narrator did a wonderful job. I just needed it to move faster.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse for my advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Focus for the free ARC of this audiobook and the opportunity to express my views on it.

The title of this immersive novel is somewhat ironic. As the story begins, in the early 1960s, America is still committed to the post-war dream based on the intact, heterosexual nuclear family. Families reflect the entrenched patriarchy of the wider society. Bostwick paints a detailed picture of this middle-class white domesticity, and its carefully crafted setting, the suburb.

It’s a picture that, initially, could serve as advertising for that coveted lifestyle. Margaret, Vivian, Charlotte and Bitsy, of varying ages but none older than their early 30s, move into the new suburb of Concordia, just outside Washington DC. Bitsy, the youngest, is childless and having trouble conceiving; married to an older man who wants a child, she is frustrated and depressed about her state. This was the tail end of the baby boom, and suburbs were meant to contain mothers and children while fathers commuted—escaped—to work. Margaret has three children, even the unconventional artistic Charlotte has four, and Catholic Viv, a nurse by training, is quickly on her way to six. They are all attractive and intelligent.

The main voice is that of Margaret, who has an English degree and a stodgy accountant husband, Walt. Married straight out of college, and soon pregnant, she has never had a career. None of the women have paying jobs, including the childless Bitsy, who quit college to marry her veterinarian husband just before qualifying for veterinary studies herself, not considered a profession for women anyway. From a wealthy, controlling family to which her executive husband owes all he has, Charlotte’s high spirits, alcohol and sleeping pill abuse, and her determination to paint, also raise eyebrows. Vivian’s husband is the most empathic of the lot, but the demands of homemaking and mothering keep her too busy to think much about her longing to use the skills she honed as a combat nurse. Like the others, she feels confined to a very small world.

This is a long book that tells these four women’s stories within the context of their marital and familial relationships, the suburban dream/nightmare, and the larger American society, in particular as it concerned the slow and contentious ´liberation’ of women.´

Margaret, wanting to make ties with her new neighbours, reads Betty Friedan’s groundbreaking The Feminine Mystique, in which the author described the lives of American women who were outwardly living the ideal women’s life while struggling with ‘the problem that has no name. She invites the others to join her in discussing the book, and thus is born the book club of the title, which evolves into a deep friendship and mutual help circle. The irony is that ‘the Bettys’, as they call themselves, were not at all troublesome to begin with. Yet each in her own way searches for a way. found a way, never uncontested, to break through their socially-imposed walls.

Bostwick is an excellent writer, and her characters are very real. Because I listened to the audiobook, I had a good sense of this through Lisa Flanagan’s xcellent narration. She capably sketches the backdrop of a rapidly changing society that is reluctant to let its attitudes about gender and race change, where married women could make few legal, financial or medical decisions for themselves or their children without their husbands’ official consent. Every type of work not defined as feminine was either barred to them or extremely difficult to get. Nonetheless, , the Bettys often remind themselves about how lucky they are, considering the segregation and racial violence, the assassinations of Martin Luther King and JFK, the various protests and the Vietnam War in the daily news.

As I said, this is a long and complex novel and, of necessity, the background stories mostly pass with a glance. The exception is the Kennedy assassination, which is an emotional touch point for the women and their families. The dialogue occasionally comes across as stiff and sermon like, even scripted (‘You’re not an ordinary housewife, you’re my wife…). Margaret’s husband Walt, often petty and resentful, essentially has a mid-novel conversion that pretty much makes him the prototype enlightened man. Their story takes a radical turn in 1967 with a mutual decision that sets them on a course of ‘adventures’ for the rest of their lives. I would have liked to see it end there. When it picks up again, in 2016, they have been remarkably successful. The Bettys, Viv and Bitsy and the late Charlotte, have also been remarkably successful, personally and professionally, as have their 15 now adult children. There is a list for each of them. Happy endings are great, but a historical novel about the lives women actually lived concludes with a fairy tale epilogue.

3.5!

I really enjoyed this book. All four women in the book club have their own troubles and strengths. Through each other and their book club pick, The Feminine Mystique, they gain the confidence to become more than just housewives. They learn how to be themselves without having to conform to the 1960’s society that they life in. Of course there were certain characters I resonated with more than others, however each woman was interesting to me! This is a story of feminism and finding yourself.

Captivating story about a group of women living in 1960s America who dare to want more and how they achieve their dreams. A must read for those women who never want to go back to this time …

I almost hesitated to request this, thinking I had read it five years ago. It turns out that was *The Book Women of Troublesome Creek,* which I thoroughly enjoyed. Set in 1936 in Troublesome Creek, Kentucky, it follows the journey of 19-year-old Cussy Carter, the last surviving female of the rare Blue People lineage. This unique blue skin condition stems from a genetic blood disorder prevalent in the Eastern Kentucky region.

Cussy, a solitary figure in the Appalachian community, eagerly joins the historical Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky. As a librarian, she traverses slippery creek beds and climbs perilous mountains on her trusted mule to bring books and other reading materials to the underserved hill people.

In contrast, the story I’m interested in is set in 1963 in the planned community of Concordia, Northern Virginia. Here, four housewives—Margaret, Viv, Charlotte, and Bitsy—join forces to form a Book Club. They decide to read and discuss Betty Friedan’s newly released work, *The Feminine Mystique.* Initially, these women barely knew one another, but as they meet, they begin to forge a connection and adopt the nickname “The Betties.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published April 22, 2025.

Four women meet to start a book club, reading Betty Friedan’s “The Feminine Mystique”. They each go on to do great things and continue their friendship through the years. It could have been a great story but the plot didn’t really pick up for me until about 75% in.

This book took me three weeks to finish which tells me what I already know: it just wasn’t compelling enough. I liked the historical setting in the early 1960’s and felt it was a realistic portrayal of housewives during that time.

I did enjoy the narrator.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women, by Marie Bostwick, is a beautifully written tale of a group of very different women all bonded together by their unique perspectives of their place, as women, in society and their families during the 1960s. Margaret forms a book club with the neighborhood women and their first book is The Feminine Mystique, by Betty Friedan. They call themselves the Betties.

The story is engaging, fast moving, and masterfully told. While each character is very different and complex, they are all easy to become invested in and they are all likable.

The audio narration is excellent and added to the book's depth and enjoyability.

Thank you to #MarieBostwick, #Netgalley and #HarperMuse for the ARC of the audiobook.

Thank you for the ARC to Harper Muse and Netgalley.


Based on the blurb, I unfortunately expected a much more dynamic story where… I don’t know, things actually happen? Because here, the story became very nuanced and focused on suburban housewives. I was waiting for the historical events to have a more significant impact on the protagonists' lives, but up until Kennedy’s assassination, there wasn’t much mention of anything. And even then, it was almost like a list—"oh, this happened, and that happened, and this is how they experienced it."

The pacing wasn’t great; at times, it was too slow, while in other places, it felt rushed.

That said, the women were mostly likable, and I did get chills thinking about what it must have been like to be a woman during that time.

Overall, it’s interesting if you’re satisfied with simply following the life stories of four women, learning about their love languages, recipes, and the little details of their everyday lives. Plus, it does give a general idea of the kinds of challenges women of that era had to face.

The narrator did a lovely job, I would recommend her.

Lisa Flanagan's narration gave a unique voice to each character and really brought Marie Bostwick's story to life.

The vibe of The Book Club for Troublesome Women is very "First Wives Club does Second Wave Feminism."

I can see this being a favorite for book clubs in 2025.

Thank you for the ALC, NetGalley & HarperCollins.

What a great story, I did not want it to end. The Betty’s are 1960s housewives who are not completely happy with their “roles”. They form a book club, and after reading TheFeminine Mystique, they find their voices in their homes and in society.

Marge, Charlotte, Viv and Bitsy bring out the best in each other. Their friendship knows no bounds, and the way they show up for each other is beautiful.

The narrator of this audiobook was very enjoyable to listen to.

I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Marie Bostwick for the advanced copy of the audiobook!