I’ve always considered Jennifer Weiner to be the unofficial queen of “Chick Lit,” so when I requested her latest novel, Mrs. Everything, I was expecting a fun, sexy read. What I got, however, was so much more than I anticipated, and I mean that in the best possible way. I honestly cannot remember the last time a book resonated with me as much as Mrs. Everything did. It packs an emotional punch on many levels – it made me smile at times, but it also made me shed a few tears, and sometimes it even just made me angry and frustrated. Why? Because it accurately, vividly, and sometimes painfully explores how hard it can be to grow up as a woman, especially during the time period when the book is set. The whole time you’re trying to figure out who you are and what your place in the world is, someone is looking over your shoulder trying to pigeon-hole you into some pre-determined notion of what makes an ideal woman, telling you your life will be best if you just do what you’re “supposed” to do.

Mrs. Everything captured my attention right away because it’s actually more of a historical fiction in that it follows two sisters, Jo and Bethie, from their childhood in the 1950’s through the sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll era of the 60’s and 70’s, all the way up to their senior years, including Hillary Clinton’s historic run for the U.S. Presidency in 2016. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and Weiner does an incredible job of capturing each decade in terms of fashion, hair, pop culture references, etc. I truly felt transported back in time.

Weiner also captured my heart with Jo and Bethie. When we first meet Jo as a child in the 1950’s, she’s a rebellious tomboy who would much rather wear jeans and read books than do anything her mother considers “ladylike.” In contrast, Bethie is Mommy’s little princess, the epitome of beauty and femininity. In their mom’s eyes, Bethie is doing everything just right in order to secure herself a husband who will take care of her when she’s an adult, while who knows what will happen to Jo since she’s clearly on the “wrong” path. At first Jo had the bulk of my sympathy because her mother was so awful to her, always making her feel like she’s a disappointment, but later, when Bethie’s life doesn’t go as expected and her journey takes a darker turn, she earned my sympathy as well.

In following Jo and Bethie from childhood up into their senior years, Weiner fully explores what it was like to be a woman back in the latter 20th century all the way up to what it’s like now. She takes us through the highs and lows, the successes and the failures, and most especially, how hard it can be to stand up and be brave when the easier path is often to let fear win out. Even though the story takes a few dark turns through addiction and abuse, it’s ultimately a very uplifting story that shows how much has changed over time and proves women can be whoever they want to be: sisters, mothers, daughters, aunts, wives, friends, lovers, teachers, role models, and yes, even Presidential candidates (and hopefully Presidents someday!).

I feel like I just don’t have the words to convey just how powerful and moving a read this is, so I’m just going to close by saying this is one of my favorite reads of the year so far and that I highly recommend it to everyone!

I can't stop thinking about this book. It is hard to put in words the emotions this book evoked. Mrs. Everything brought forth social justice issues while also telling a beautiful story of two sisters trying to navigate life. A tragedy hits the family and from then on the sisters have to choose how to deal with it and how it will change their lives. This was the perfect book to read for pride month!

Jo is a smart athletic girl and the older of the two sisters. From the beginning of the book you can see that Jo feels as though she just doesn't fit in. Even her mother called her "unnatural." She feels as though the world isn't ready for her and she recoils a bit. As the story progresses your heart breaks because she feels as though she has to hide who she is.

Bethie is the younger sister who was always beautiful and outgoing. Something terrible, that no child should have to go through, happens to her and she tries desperately to make herself undesirable. She no longer wants to be seen and throughout the book she goes through many up and downs. Bethie's actions were sporadic and careless at times but probably very similar to many women who have gone through what she did.

Jennifer Weiner did a great job fully developing the characters and showing their progression through life. She touched on so many issues that still affect women and men today. Jennifer was able to address social justice topics through the years and showcase the history of how far we have come but also how much fighting we still have to do today. I do not want to give too much away so I will not tell you what topics (you will have to read the book) but will say the overall theme of independent women stuck with me. There are so many strong female characters in this book who face many obstacles and adversity. I could talk about all the themes and parts I loved for hours. Go buy this book when it comes out next Monday June 11.

Thank you netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jo and Bethie, sisters growing up in 1950s Detroit, are leading rather rigid lives. Jo is the troubled and angry older sister--the "different" one, while Bethie is the adored, perfect younger sister. Jo feels completely misunderstood by their mother, Sarah, but at least she has their father to act as a go-between. But, as the sisters grow up and move out, they somehow find their roles and lives changing. Bethie becomes the free spirit: the one unable to settle down and please their mother. Meanwhile, Jo marries and leads a picture-perfect life with her husband and children. Yet, deep down, neither sister is truly happy. Is it too late for either Jo or Bethie to find the life they really want?

This is a really wonderful novel from Jennifer Weiner. In the beginning, she states that she always wanted to write about a woman like her mom, who was born in the 40s, came of age in the 60s, married and had children, but then divorced and ended up falling in love with a woman. By then, times had changed and she could live a very different life than when she was born. Framing the story in this way makes perfect sense, and I think Weiner has more than fulfilled her goal. She's written a gorgeous and sweeping epic novel, starting with Jo and Bethie as children and continuing throughout the majority of their lives.

The novel, as mentioned, starts with Jo and Bethie as kids, moving into a new house in Michigan. Each is hopeful for a new start to their small kid-sized lives. Already Jo is feeling different. The book is told from both Jo and Bethie's perspectives, and Weiner does a wonderful job of not only capturing each of their own unique voices, but telling the story from their perspective at that particular time period.

"But maybe, in this new place, she could make a fresh start. Maybe here, she could be a good girl."

From the beginning, we clearly see how much trouble Jo is to her mother, and how she struggles with her feelings of being different. She's a tomboy who hates dresses and loves sports. She doesn't want to date the boys that her other classmates fawn over. I had no idea that the book was going to cover Jo's sexuality in this way, and it was such a pleasant surprise. It's so well-done. I loved the unexpected storyline about this intelligent and strong girl/woman struggling with her sexual orientation during a time period where it not at all accepted: it was very poignant and touching.

"I am going to leave here, she thought. I am going to read, and I am going to write. I am going to find a girl who is brave enough to love me, and I am going to have the kind of life I want."

So this book touches on a lot of tough subjects--racism, immigration, feminism, sexual orientation, religion, sexual assault, and more. It offers a discussion on womanhood, motherhood, marriage, and the options available to women (or not). Perhaps in the hands of a lesser author, this would all be too much, but through Weiner's deft writing, it's really truly beautifully done. The book spans a huge time period, but it never feels rushed or as if too much is crammed in. Once you get into Jo and Bethie's story, you're there: you are part of the family. And truly, this is a story of family at its core. A bitter family, perhaps, at times. It's a story of how certain moments can change the course of your life. But it's also a story of love and sisterhood, in all its many forms.

"'You think I ruined your life? Well I think you ruined mine.'"

Overall, this is a really lovely book. It's heartbreaking at times, for sure, and I cried at the end, but it's a testament to how much I fell for these two sisters. Its story of strength and love is a wonderful theme. It's a book for and about women, with some excellent messaging about women and society. (Wow, so much has changed and yet so little, it seems.) I certainly recommend this one. 4.5 stars.

I received a copy of this novel from Netgalley and Atria Books in return for an unbiased review (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 06/11/2019.

<b>Women had made progress — Jo only had to look as far as the television set to see it — but she wondered whether they would ever not try to have it all and do it all and do it all flawlessly. Would the day ever come when simply doing your best would be enough? </b>

I'm sure the quote above will be used in many other reviews, but I felt like it summarized the underlying theme the best. As the title (and above quote) suggests, this is a story of two sisters, Joe and Bethie, who are battling the ever changing landscape of what it means to be a woman. Told over the span of 70+ years, the girls go through the Eisenhower era, the Civil Rights movement, free love and expression of the 60s, (which could be three separate books in itself), through various women's rights movements all the way up to the 2016 election.

While this book does seem a little long at times, taking a look back at the scope of everything these characters went through, Jennifer Weiner masterfully brings it all together and I do not think it could have been done better. To me, this is *the* book on how complicated and wonderful it is to be a woman and should be required reading for us all. Every emotion possible is experienced, while learning something about yourself too. I think Ms. Weiner set the tone of the book up perfectly with her author's note. She mentions she always wanted to write a sweeping saga of a lifetime and she absolutely accomplished that here.

One common theme I've seen among reviews is how relatable this book is. You might not connect with one particular plot point or attribute of a certain character - but give it time and you'll find something. I think if anything, the message that spoke the most to me is how ridiculously tough we all are on ourselves and to each other. I think we all need to cut ourselves some much deserved slack and reach out and support others if we see someone struggling. At some point, we all have and will. Ultimately, reading is an escape from our daily lives, and if we are lucky, we come away with the experience of walking in someone else's shoes. I know I'm a better person for reading this book and I will try in future situations to look past my emotions and work to resolve conflicts with other women with patience, understanding and compassion. Isn't that what we all deserve?

Thank you to Ariele Fredman at Atria Books and Jennifer Weiner for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Review Date: 6/6/19
Publication Date: 6/11/19

This was an amazing book! MRS. EVERYTHING by Jennifer Weiner is her first book in four years. To be honest, the first and only Weiner book I’ve read before this was GOOD IN BED - and that was way back in the early 2000s - so I wasn’t sure what to expect.⁣
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However from the start, I was pulled into the story of two sisters growing up in the 1950s - Jo and Beth. The story progresses over the decades - from high school to college to marriage and adult life. The reader is taken on a journey that offers not only a terrific sense of history with US and world events and movements, but also offers a front row seat to experience the winding paths these two characters take over a lifetime.⁣
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I loved the theme of womanhood and the exploration of what being a woman means to both of these characters. As a mom and wife now approaching my 40s, I could relate so much to the themes of being a MRS EVERYTHING myself in terms of the role I play in my marriage, family, career...and the path my own life has taken from girlhood to womanhood.⁣
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Another reason I loved this book is because I could see my mother and my aunt in these characters - both born in the early 40s and similarly raised in the 50s and 60s. I felt this book really shined a light on the culture they grew up in - is it weird to say I feel like I might understand my mom better now? ⁣
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If you enjoyed THE FEMALE PERSUASION or other character driven books that explore themes of feminism, you will like this one too (might I even say, you might like MRS EVERYTHING even better - I did!).⁣⁣

Mrs. Everything is the VERY LONG story of the lives of two sisters and their mistakes and accomplishments as their live their lives through the decades. It's the story of women who don't necessarily fit into cultural norms. It takes the reader through the demonstrations and drugs of the 1960s and 70s and the ramifications of poor / questionable decisions made during those formative years. Weiner writes of relationships that come and go, and the ultimate joy and love of family.

I think that maybe Jennifer Weiner tried to accomplish too much with this story. It seemed like everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Though I enjoyed reading this story (in record time!) I felt a little annoyed with the seemingly endless negative issues in the lives of all the characters. Having said that, the ending was satisfying.

This book will appeal to women readers who love very deep narrative type stories of family members with complex relationships. Also, I especially enjoyed the "hippie" parts, having lived through that decade!

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read Mrs. Everything.

I’ll start off by saying I love this author and I always have! I was extremely happy to receive an ARC of her new release, Mrs. Everything. I knew I would love this one because I love Weiner’s writing style of her other books and this was the case here.

This is a story about Jo, who is basically every woman on the face of this planet… she’s you…she’s me. She’s a wife, mother, sister, aunt, friend, daughter, who always puts herself first. And her sister, Bethie…who couldn’t be more different than Jo. We get to know these sisters from childhood to seniorhood. We follow their heartbreaks and joys, all while trying to figure out who each of them really are.

This story comes at such an important time in our society with gay relationships, the Me Too movement, and so much more. This book is filled with such real emotions, and gives us much insight about those who are struggling with these issues. I found myself so connected with these characters and felt their heartbreaks and joys as if they were my own family members.

Kudos to Jennifer Weiner on another job well done! Releases on June 11 so make plans to buy this one! Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It tells the story of Jo and Bethie from toddlerhood (ages 4 and 6) through adulthood (they're in their 70's near the end of the book). In alternating chapters, it follows both girls through the trials and tribulations of young adulthood, college, adulthood, and beyond. It talks about what it means to be female during this time period, what expectations are set and what happens when you aren't the normal, "natural", female. It talks about what happens when you force yourself to be something you're not just for the sake of society. This books gets you angry, happy, sad, and frustrated for women and anyone who may be considered "different" by society in any way. It's a very timely read, and I really enjoyed the message. I do think there is a LOT crammed in to an already-long (400+page) book, and I would have liked a little more delving into some of the issues that arose, but that's a nit-picky criticism in a great book

I have been a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner since her debut novel, Good in Bed. Weiner once again delivers a fantastic novel about women that leaves you wanting more. Weiner spoke to me in this one: you can be whatever you want to be; It's okay to fail and to reinvent yourself; and do things to make yourself happy-not what you think will make everyone else happy. But the back story on this one...... I loved every character and story line!! She emerges you, as if you are right with these characters. Weiner begins introducing you to Jo and Bethie, two sisters, growing up in the 60's and how the times were changing for women. You follow Jo and Bethie throughout their lives. You root for them and cry with them. They become your family. She manages to intertwine real life with her story and suddenly that becomes so much more real. Weiner carries you through the 1960's to the future, ending in 2022. Each chapter comes from one of the two sisters point of view. I found this book to be an easy, enjoyable read. I will always be a huge Jennifer Weiner fan and I will definitely recommend this book to others. Special thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

#MrsEverything #NetGalley

Mrs. Everything is a multi generational novel that spans the 1940s to the present day. The book follows two sisters—Jo and Bethie—for the entirety of their existence, from childhood to the trying times of adolescence and the woes of adulthood. Their dueling story lines chronicle the journey of these two women as they struggle for happiness, love, and fulfillment, even when they believe they can't have all three simultaneously. These are women whose stories have been told so many times yet they need to be told many times more. This is a fascinating exploration of the roles women play within their families, within their marriages and relationships, and within society. It is an epic, sweeping saga that explores the complex relationship between women, while at the same time, examining and subverting gender norms, all while delivering a timely message in the wake of the #metoo movement. What makes this novel so great is that it covers a lifetime, not just a few years in the life of a character, so the author is really able to delve into something deeper than the average story. Proudly feminist without being preachy, it is a well-written, character-driven, fast and easy read that brings forth topics likely to resonate with women from all backgrounds. Highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Everything about this book was absolutely a delight to read. Jennifer Weiner’s story about these two sisters stole my heart. I highly recommend this book.

(Will update with links at pub date.)

A compelling story about two sisters, spanning the 50’s to present day. Jo and Bethie’s journey through important moments in their lives are painful to read at times and joyful in others, providing a good balance. Opportunities lost, bad choices, inattention, and self-absorption have long-lasting repercussions that Weiner compassionately handles.

Weiner also successfully sets atmosphere by including a plethora of historic events, trends and social issues as the girls mature through the decades and spotlights the changing roles of women over the years.

Let me fan girl for a second.....I love Jennifer Weiner's books. Ok back to work telling you how wonderful Mrs. Everything is! This story was so interesting and a littler darker than I expected. Jennifer tackles some hot topics that effect women and she does it with so much emotion and grace. I love how this book spans from 1950s to present day.
Jennifer Weiner is top of must read writers and Mrs. Everything did not let me down.

I'm a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner so I was really excited when I got this ARC. Unfortunately it was not my cup of and I couldn't connect to the characters.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It is very character driven and I think I like a little more action. I stayed with it as it is about my mother's generation and it was interesting to see some of the things she may have gone thru.

A terrific saga of two sisters- Jo and Bethie- and their loves over a sweep of time from the 1950s to the present. I don't know why, since Little Women is one of my favorite books, I didn't make the connection between their names and personalities until I was deep into this exploration of what it meant to grow up and experience the immense social changes of the era. Their childhood was difficult, especially after their dad died. Jo loves women. Yep. She has two great loves and then...she sacrifices for Bethie and later marries a man with whom she has three daughters. Sexual assault runs through Bethie's youth - and she runs away from home until she finds herself in a commune of women until...no spoilers. These two have an incredible number of ups and downs (but isn't that life?) but they know each other and support each other like no one else. Ultimately, however, they both find their place in the world. Wonderful characters and a good sense of time and place made this in some ways a flashback read for me but it was just so good. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I couldn't put it down!

All I can say is WOW. This is Jennifer’ Weiner’s best writing yet. I loved the story following the two sisters from youth to adult to elders. The characters are written beautiful and the events are revenant today. I will be talking about this one for a while.

What a beautifully written eloquent portrait of the lifelong repercussions of our parents’ hopes and desires.
Jo and Bethie have wonderful parents to protect them in their formative years of the 1950s. Mother has a strict set of expectations, which Bethie, the little sister, can easily achieve. She’s cute, smart, feminine, and does what her mother expects. Jo, on the other hand, is cumbersome, tall and lanky, into sports and fishing, with no regard for her mother’s constant bickering to make her more ladylike.
They lose their father at an early age, which tilts the trajectories of their futures; he was more accepting of his children as they were. When left alone to be raised by a distant but well-meaning mother, the ripples of her actions create a tsunami of painful waves throughout their lives.
Written with such detail and insight, this is another fine example of why Jennifer Weiner is such a successful author. She has lived only one life but has the compassion and detailed prescience to paint a beautiful yet painful portrait of the lives that exist solely in her novels.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks so much to Atria Books and NetGalley for making it available.)

This book read a little like an epic - years and generations and layers of people, women specifically. It also felt like a collection of snippets of conversations and feelings shared in unexpected moments of every woman I’ve known or even read about.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say what a downer this book was. If there was a situation filled with angst, it was in this book. Considering that this book spanned seven decades and some of them the most tumultuous in history, it is no wonder that I found myself deeply depressed while reading it! However, because I lived through a lot of these historical events, I found myself unable to put this book down.

This book, in my opinion, will be perfect for book clubs filled with people of a certain age, younger people who like to learn about modern history from the perspective of the generation who lived it, women (since this book was filled with women's issues) and the Lesbian community.

This book dealt with issues such as -bigotry, racial matters, political unrest, Lesbian issues, rape, drug addiction, cancer, early death, teenage angst, and so much more. There was very little to make you smile in this book, but a lot that will make you think and remember what life was like back then and really, still is.

*ARC supplied by publisher.