The four young women face family disappointments, romantic love and heartbreak, work and career struggles, as well as deep cultural prejudice. But their weekly meeting makes it possible for each to have the courage and strength needed to transform their immigrants stories into individual American lives. Each had the odds stacked against her, but persist, believing in their dreams.
I loved learning about this part of history, but what made the novel so wonderful for me are the characters. Jane Healey creates unique personalities in all four of the young women; all of whom I'd love to befriend. There are times I've read a novel with several friends/characters and they tend to blend. Caprice, Ada, Maria and Thea are each their own woman and delightful.

This was a middle-of-the-road read for me. While I liked a lot of aspects, there were some things I disliked, and overall, I just didn't feel strongly enough about the book to really warrant adding an in-depth review to the blog.

This book was an interesting one. I am still trying to decide what I thought of parts of it. I loved the premise and enjoyed the different view points.

The Saturday Evening Girls Club carries special meaning as we reflect on the struggles that women have overcome. This story of four women trying to find independence in work and in love against cultures that don't encourage such individualism is both engaging and educational. Prepare to have your heart tugged as you champion their friendships and their journey. A winner from author Healey - I look forward to reading more from her!

good story and enjoyde the time/place it was set - characters needed more depth but overall enjoyable book

This was a very short, but enjoyable read about four young, immigrant women in the North End of Boston in the early 1900's. It is loosely based on a true story...there was a Saturday Evening Girls Club, that was started by a librarian and was supported by a high-society woman, and some of the events in the story were real...but the lives and paths of the four main characters were completely fictionalized. I was drawn to this story for many reasons. Primarily, I find it interesting to revisit the struggle of not only women, but the immigrant population at the turn of the century. What it must have been like to be American born, but ruled by old country expectations...the language barrier in the home, the discrimination at your job, and the struggle to establish new American ways of life. For women, this is especially poignant. I loved reading about not only the strong friendship these four young women shared, but the dreams they each pursued, even when it wasn't popular or is some case, expressly forbidden by their parents. Of course, we are reading history through contemporary eyes, but to really put yourself in their shoes...it was a truly remarkable time where real change did happen. I found this to be a really feel-good story, a very fast read, and a wonderful reminder of the power of community and strong role models.

I received a copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Well written with interesting story line and engaging characters. I enjoyed it immensely.

I love this book ! It is perfection in its entirety . This is the charming story of four immigrant women, Jewish and Italian in the turn of the 20th century. They are all independent, intelligent and determined to change their circumstances in life. They come together in their Saturday night girls club to empower, lift and help each other meet their life goals. As they each rise about their circumstances with great strength they remain true friends and help one another. They must fight against strict constraints for women of the time as well as their own families cultural expectations.
This is my favorite book I have read this year ! The writing is so well developed and perfectly crafted for their unique and varied stories. The author has written four very strong women, not bound by circumstance but by their strength and determination to succeed. I loved the development of their friendships and how close the four women remained. This is a great historical read that will enthrall you to the last page. I highly recommend The Saturday Evening Girls Club.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book which did not influence my review.

Get into your comfy PJs, grab a snack and some wine. Curl up with a beloved pet. Get lost in this laugh-out-loud book that will make you glad that you decided to stay in.

This book tells the story of three immigrant girls from different backgrounds who meet every Saturday evening in a pottery building. These girls come together in friendship. They explore life as immigrants and friends. I enjoyed this book and would read it again.

Being a former New England resident, I tend to read books set in that area once in a while, and this book is great! I love historical fiction and sometimes the genre could get overwhelming, but this story has the perfect balance of everything I look for: Relatable characters, a story that flows and is believable.

This story revolves around four friends who are part of a group called "The Saturday Evening Girls Club" or "S.E.G.," for short. Set in the early 1900's, the women go through a lot of challenges to achieve their dreams.

I highly recommend this book, and will read this author again.

Very good idea but along the way the author appeared to get into a hurry and lost her way along with the characters.

This is a nicely written light novel of four young women in 1909 Boston. We've seen this theme before, often more in depth, but this is a quick read and gives you a sense of what unmarried Italian and Jewish women faced at the time. Caprice is the most well rounded character; the others are just sketches. I would have liked more on all of them. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. It is about four friends who epitomize the supportive bond that is so common among women.

























This is a wonderful book about the strong friendship of four women and is based on true historical figures. They are immigrants, two Jewish and two Italian, and all come from traditional families who are trying to make their way in the new America. They are determined to make their life better and still be the daughters their parents expect them to be. The Saturday Evening Girls Club really existed and the clubs two founders actually were characters in the book. This book was apparently well researched for the reader feels like they are experiencing the North End of Boston a century ago. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this genre. You are going to love it!

This is not an "oh, wow!!! What a fantastic book!!" But it is a good, good book. I liked the story- it was kinda different in a good way. It was about four female friends in the early 1900s. Caprice, Ada, Thea and Maria. The girls are all immigrants coming of age. Caprice is the main character whose family are Italian Catholics. The girls are taking college classes or working and are starting new relationships. Some of these relationships have their families blessings and some are kept hidden. Caprice has big dreams and they don't include marrying a stranger her father has found for an arranged marriage. Each girl has an important role in this book and I became invested in each of them. The author has a way of keeping your interest and anticipating what will happen next. I would definitely recommend this book and this author to family and friends. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review of this book.

I found it very difficult to get into this book. I found the characters hard to connect with and had to work hard to stick with it to the end. I am glad I did but still felt unfulfilled.

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What a gorgeous and compelling story. The characters were multi-faceted and I found myself engrossed in their world. Healey is a gifted storyteller and I anxiously await her future titles. She is definitely one to add to the "Favorite Authors" list!

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I love an author that can transport me back in time. This book does just that. Set in the early 1900s in Boston, four young women determined to make their own path despite tradition. I enjoyed every character in this book and learning their story. I was rooting for Caprice all the way. She had lofty goals and it was enjoyable to watch her fight for them. This is absolutely great read and a really great reminder for women how far we have come. Unputdownable!

The Saturday Evening Girls Club, a real organization in Boston’s North End in the early 1900s, was set up by progressive reformers to provide opportunities for daughters in working-class immigrant families. (Today it’s best known for the beautiful pottery produced there.) Healey’s winning debut brings readers into the lives of four women in their twenties, two Italian and two Jewish, whose friendship was cemented through this group. All are caught between their parents’ old-world traditions and their own aspirations.

Caprice Russo, whose hat-designing talents are popular with Boston society ladies, is the engaging narrator. She dreams of owning her own millinery shop and, eventually, marrying a man of her choosing—definitely not one of the Sicilian boys her father invites for dinner. Her plans are put on hold when her boss decides to move to New York and close her store. The friends’ close bond, and the generosity of the club’s patronesses, help them through rough times and difficult decisions. To escape her mother’s fate, Maria starts dating a rich Italian man with questionable morals; Thea considers an arranged marriage; and quiet, scholarly Ada, who hides her university studies from her conservative Jewish father, falls in love with someone unsuitable.

The writing is so smooth that readers may not consciously notice all the cultural details tucked in: the comforting scents of Italian families’ rooftop tomato gardens, the ties and rivalries carried over from Europe, and street festivals that celebrate heritage and faith. The four women, while fictional, interact with historical characters that their real-life counterparts would have known. Kindly philanthropist Helen Storrow is a strong supporter of the club and its “girls,” while Isabella Stewart Gardner’s elegant home shows off her large art collection and supercilious attitude. Fans of warmhearted sagas should enjoy this, and it’s suitable for YA readers, too.

(From the May 2017 issue of the Historical Novels Review)