I have read several stories of friends or sisters growing up in mid-century America, but I really enjoyed the storytelling of this book. Each sister was layered with their own issues, and I appreciated the bond these young women had.

It's a... fine read, but it didn't impress me. Nice to learn about the (fictional) lives of people different from you, but it's nothing mind blowing.

this book starts very slowly and doesn't really pick up its pacing throughout its pages very much which i personally don't mind overly much but i do wish it would have focused a lot more on the actual relationships between women, between daughters and mothers, between friends and everything in between, especially since that is more or less what the book promises it is supposed to be about.
It wasn't a bad read but also lacked in a lot of places that i wish it would have been stronger in.
Not necessary a book i think a lot of people will love but it also defiantly will find its audience.

Could not get into this book. It was very slow to start and after the first chapter or two I felt no attachment to any of the characters and didn't feel compelled to move on.

My third Evan Hunter in as many weeks (Buddwing, Strangers When We Meet) and by far the best. Even though I enjoyed the others this one engaged me much more and I found it compulsively readable. It’s not exactly great literature but it’s an absorbing saga of a group of people whose lives interweave in various ways from the 1940s to the 1960s. The title is misleading as it’s no more about mothers and daughters than it is about fathers and daughters, or husbands and wives, or friends and lovers, but it does focus on two women in particular – Amanda, the daughter of a small town minister who hopes for a career in music, and the wilder Gillian, whom she meets at college and who want to be an actress. The novel gives a wide-ranging and panoramic portrait of mid-century America, tracking the societal changes, the changing mores and attitudes, the changing aspirations of both women and men, and if a stranger came to town and wanted to know what life was like in this period, this book would supply all the necessary information. There’s a particularly moving episode relating to Amanda’s sister, who has a breakdown and through her we track psychiatric treatment and all the new drugs coming into use. Through Gillian’s experiences we learn about the day-to-day drudgery of trying to make it as an actress. And so on. All of life is here and it makes for a fascinating read – even if there’s a bit of melodrama and soap opera thrown into the mix at times. A really enjoyable novel, well-written and well-paced, and even if definitely of its time, still applicable to our contemporary world, such are its many eternal themes.

Sadly, this book wasn't for me. I really wanted more about the relationship between the women featured and their mothers (hence the title) but it wasn't to be. I enjoyed the first part of the book most. I could relate to the Amanda & Gillian met at college but this part ended fairly rapidly. I just couldn't take to the character of Julia later on. I felt fairly irritated by Amanda when she met her husband and gave up her career. I just didn't feel it was completely realistic that she would entirely change all elements of her personality. Took me forever to read!

The description was intriguing but the novel did not live up to my expectations. That does not mean it isn't a good book, only that it didn't appeal to me as I thought it would.

I feel like I should apologize for just giving this book 3 stars when I see the average is 5. But I just didn't get it. I thought it could have ended about a hundred pages before it did. I enjoyed reading about Amanda, Gillian, Julia and even young Kate but I didn't become immersed in their stories or lives. They weren't memorable enough to me. I'm sure others will rate it five stars and be able to write raving reviews. I'm glad I read it but am equally glad I can now move on to the next book and the next adventure. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

I don't have time to read re-releases of older books. I'm sure this is a decent book, but I am not going to read this.

Wow!!! This book makes you ask yourself questions, I lived every word if this book! I could not believe what I was reading, I could not put this book down, I had to know what happened next! I felt like I was right with Alice feeling what she felt, going through what she did. I highly recommend this book, it is a book you will read again and again. It is a book you will talk with your spouse about, your mother, your best friend, your neighbor it is very powerful!