The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick

“‘What?’ He shouted. ‘What can you possibly want that we don’t already have? What?’ There was a pause, then the sound of a sob, choked with confusion and shame. ‘I don’t know. I don’t know. Just…more.’” - Ruth, Margaret’s mother, The Bookclub for Troublesome Women

The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick is the fascinating story of four women who form a book club based off the novel The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan which was an actual (and for some controversial) book published at the time this story takes place. The novel is set in the outskirts of the Georgetown/D.C. area. The bookclub members are Margaret, Charlotte, Viv, and Bitsy and the story explores the struggles and celebrations each woman confronts over the course of nine months in 1963.

All four women are married and three are mothers. Margaret begins a part-time job as a writer of lighthearted stories for a popular women’s magazine, Charlotte is striving to be an artist, Viv is a part-time nurse and Bitsy works as a stable hand. All four women face challenges with relationships, finances and careers. Friedan’s novel, a proclamation about being a woman and the unspoken feeling of wanting of more in their lives spurs these characters to reflect on what it means to themselves and, eventually, to the people around them.

I highly enjoyed this book. Marie Bostwick intertwines true historical events with the plot which emphasizes the importance of the challenges the women addressed.. The four women have very distinct personalities and compulsive narratives. I found myself very engaged and eager to find time to sit and read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.