Jennifer Weiner calls Mrs. Everything "the most ambitious book I've ever attempted," but she sells herself much too short with this statement. The dictionary defines "ambitious" as "the desire to achieve a particular goal." With Mrs. Everything, she doesn't just desire to achieve-Ms. Weiner succeeds, in an extraordinary way-at writing a timely, thought provoking, heart-rending, and sometimes difficult to read treatise on the state of civil rights (mostly LGBTQ and women's rights) from the 1950's to today. Based loosely on her own family, Mrs. Everything follows sisters Jo and Bethie from their home in middle class Detroit, through the death of their beloved father, to college, marriage and pregnancy (not necessarily in that order), careers, struggles, triumphs, and all the ordinary moments that shape a life. And she seamlessly ties in actual events like the #MeToo Movement and the nomination of Hillary Clinton as the first woman to run for president on a major party line. Don't worry, Ms. Weiner doesn't use Mrs. Everything to make a political statement-just acknowledges this as a defining moment for women (although you don't have to work for the Gallup poll to guess who she voted for). What Mrs. Everything does so cleverly is show how far civil rights have come since the mid 20th century by using eye opening examples of how far they haven't. Jennifer Weiner is the author of multiple best selling books- several have been made into major motion pictures. Ambition is in her blood. She's been Good in Bed, In her Shoes, and The Next Best Thing-but nothing, nothing comes close to the inimitable and incomparable Mrs. Everything.

There are many important topics that this story covers. There is sexual abuse, drug use, same sex relationship, eating disorders, grief, abortion, family relationships, interracial relationships and trying to find your place in the world. I really enjoyed this book. Although there were moments that were tough to read about, there were high moments full of love and good to balance it out. You can’t help but root and fall in love with their sisters and the family. This is definitely not a light and fluffy read but an important one.

I had the pleasure of obtaining a copy of this through NetGalley. It was an enjoyable story of two sisters and how they lived their lives through trials, heartaches, joys, and love. There was a strong undercurrent of how the lives of women have changed throughout the years and how far we have come and the acceptance of differences. But the strongest theme was the love of family and how family will always be there no matter what. 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Do we change or does the world change us?

Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise.

Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life.

But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies. As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie becomes an adventure-loving wild child who dives headlong into the counterculture and is up for anything (except settling down). Meanwhile, Jo becomes a proper young mother in Connecticut, a witness to the changing world instead of a participant. Neither woman inhabits the world she dreams of, nor has a life that feels authentic or brings her joy. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after?



My Thoughts: Mrs. Everything launches the reader into the present moments in the life of Jo, and then swings back to growing-up years in Detroit, in the 1950s. We alternate between Jo and Bethie’s stories, from their sisterhood, their relationship with their mother Sarah, and their college years. The era resonated with me, since I also came of age during those times. The story is layered with the civil rights movements, the Vietnam War, the feminist and consciousness-raising groups…and how time and personal experiences changed each of the women as they moved beyond their early years.

I found myself relating to each of them in various ways, and I looked forward to each time I picked up the book to continue the family saga. A memorable story that earned five stars for me.

***My e-ARC came from the publisher via NetGalley.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. I was really intrigued by the premise but I found the sex scene of Jo and her best friend too graphic for my taste and unfortunately it ruined it for me. This is a personal preference and did not reflect the writing style at all.

"Maybe I am different. But being different isn't the worst thing."

"A body was just a body, just a vessel for her soul, and she was under no obligation to keep her body looking any certain way, no more than she was obliged to do anything just because it was customary, or traditional, or expected of women in America. She didn't have to get married, she didn't have to have kids, and she didn't have to be thin."

Mrs. Everything follows sisters Jo and Bethie Kaufman from their childhood in the 1950s through 2022, 8 decades of their life and experiences.

This is the first book I've read by Jennifer Weiner and per her foreword, this is her most serious and sweeping novel in her canon. It is a clearly ambitious undertaking that she mostly succeeds with. My one disappointment is the length. I felt there could have been more editing done as the chapters and book felt long at times where I didn't feel pulled in and engaged enough to want to continue turning page after page.

Despite that, this is an incredibly important novel for any woman in today's society. This is a coming of age tale of the two sisters, but more than that, this novel tells the history of the women's/feminist movement through decades of time through the lens of Jo and Bethie. Weiner explores so many important topics such as race equality, LGBT equality and acceptance, sexual abuse and rape, abortion, mental health disorders, and death just to name some of them. So many of these issues, really ALL of these issues, are still relevant today.

I truly believe Mrs. Everything should be required high school reading. It's THAT important. 4 stars and high recommendations.

When I first started reading this book, I wondered if I even wanted to finish it. Having grown up in the 1960s and 1970s, I knew the drill. Cold mother, loving but hardworking father, no one understands you, everything is changing around you. Those of us who experienced those turbulent times can certainly identify with how difficult life was for women in those days and the limited choices we had then compared to now. I did continue to read it because I wanted to know what happened to Jo and Bethie as they went through their transformations.

As expected, the book is well-written, the time period is realistic, and the characters were intriguing. Ms. Weiner is a talented writer, no doubt. But I thought that maybe these sisters went through too many changes, had a few too many tragedies, and the story came off as a bit too unrealistic to me. Any one or two of the tragedies they suffered seemed plausible, but all of it? I guess the book does give the reader a lot of drama for their money. All in all, though, it was an interesting read and I did enjoy how it followed the family for generations.

A good story for those who love the fifties, sixties, and seventies time period and books with a lot of family drama.

I’ve been a Jennifer Weiner fan for years. This book is a little different than the other books of hers that I have read. It is an enjoyable family drama about two sisters over the course of their lives. It was a slower burn for me in the beginning, but I wanted to see what would happen and how their lives would take shape. This book is good for people who like stories that are character-driven and stories about sisters in particular.

Exceptional. Jennifer Weiner takes the generational, multiple story teller novels that are so popular right now and kicks it up a huge notch! This story of sisters starts when the girls are young and follows them through college and their adult lives. It is a full circle novel. A love story. And a must read.

Mrs. Everything is by far Jennifer Weiner’s best book yet. Having two sisters myself, I was drawn to the story. I loved seeing how both sisters evolved and changed across their lives. So often, when I read stories, I want to learn more about the characters, their thoughts and feelings, and what happens to them but then a book ends. I felt satisfied by the end of this book because it explored so many aspects of the sisters and their relationship. I was sad when the book ended and wanted to immediately start over again. Jennifer Weiner poured her heart and soul into this book!

This was a great book that follows the lives of two sisters, Jo and Bethie over the span of decades. It took me awhile to get into this one, I felt like I connected more to the women when they were older. A main theme in this book is the role of women, and how it changes from the 1950's to the present time. Although the story didn't have anything to make me not want to put it down, I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to Jo and Bethie. I think this is a good family drama and would recommend it to anyone, as long as they are not expecting a fun/exciting read, more of a serious book that makes you think.

I would like to thank @atriabooks @netgalley for an ARC of ‘Mrs. Everything’.

I had no idea what to expect from Ms. Weiner’s newest novel. In an authors note, Ms. Weiner shared her personal desire to write a sweeping novel set over several decades. Which became, Mrs. Everything

With that said. I enjoyed the novel and the growth of the sisters as they ventured through their sometimes traumatic lives. However, this is a deep novel tackling complex and relevant themes.
There are a lot of potential triggers.

Ms. Weiner navigated through these topics with the greatest of care but they may be traumatizing for some.
In the end, this was a 🌟🌟🌟🌟for me because I felt overwhelmed a few times while reading (my own personal triggers).
I wouldn’t call this a lighthearted or beach read. If you are looking for a rich story about sisters and do not mind angst and adult topics then I highly recommend.
Thank you again for the ARC.

Mrs. Everything follows the life of two sisters, Jo and Bethie Kaufman, from growing up in Detroit in the 1950's to the present day. This novel touches on just about everything that a women might go through growing up and finding her way in the world. It beautifully explores what it is like to be a mother, a sister, a daughter, a girlfriend, an aunt, and a secret lover. The story is told in away that it feels like you are a fly on the wall watching these two girls become women and find their way in society. Although this book is a bit different from the usual Jennifer Weiner book do not hesitate to pick it up and become immersed into the life of Jo and Bethie.

I’ve been reading Jennifer Weiner’s books since my early 20s. Her conversational writing style has always kept my interest, while the subject matter of her novels always seemed to pertain to my life at that time. When I saw that she had a new novel upcoming, I couldn’t wait to read it.

Mrs. Everything did not disappoint. Told in the style of a fictional memoir, it tells the life stories of two sisters - Jo and Bethie - growing up in the latter half of the 20th century. As with most sibling relationships, these two women often alternate between bitter rivals and close friends. Growing up, Bethie was the “good one” and Mom’s favorite, but a traumatic event changed that, and switched the girls' roles as they blossomed into adulthood.

I loved the various themes in this book: family, friendship, self-image, but most of all feminism and its growing impact during the lifetimes of these women. Both struggled with the role they envisioned for their lives, and how that clashed with the one society enforced on them. That inner turmoil was the fuel that kept these characters going. Giving away more would spoil the reader’s journey. You’ll have to see for yourself.

I've been reading Jennifer Weiner for years. She's one of my go-to's for semi-serious but still fun "women's literature." (I hate that designation, for the record)

This latest book from her is next-level stuff. This is an absolutely fantastic novel that my only complaints about are 1. it ended and 2. I didn't write it.

The book tells the story of two sisters growing up in Detroit in the 50s and 60s and follows them throughout their lives. It is unabashedly feminist and smart and I kind of want to start reading it again right now, even though I just finished it an hour ago.

This is a buy-in-hardcover, re-read annually kind of book that I can't wait to run out and get a copy of when it comes out on June 11.

There was such buzz about this book and I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy. The story was interesting but honestly this book was a struggle for me. This book covers a lot of ground both in topic(s) and in time and it just felt like too much for one novel I really wanted to love it but I can't say I did. I enjoyed parts and found others extremely slow. Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher the early opportunity to read #mrseverything.

I honestly couldn’t finish this book. I got 40% of the way in and yet another awful thing happened to one of the girls and I can’t read any more. Really wanted to love this book but ugh so depressing.

I’ve always been a fan of Jennifer Weiner, but 8 have to say that this one had the most depth. She touches on subjects of bias involving race, religion, and sexual preference. Weiner creates characters that live through these biases, and with plenty of hardship, find a way to be stronger at the end. Even though this was a little too close to reality, a read that I will recommend!

This is the story of two sisters taking place over a time period spanning from the 1950’s through today. Overall it’s an interesting story and I enjoyed watching the sisters evolve and change over time however in my opinion the book hit every cliche from each decade. The chapters alternated stories from each sister and time hopped through the decades. Because it was a time hop narration, it seemed like maybe the reader missed out on some details That would have made the characters likeable. When Jo’s husband left her I think it would have helped the reader to have insight into the marriage outside of the cliched “ he fell for the neighbor”. Jo’sdaughters didn’t get any real coverage until the end of story so it was hard to root for any of them and the foreshadowing was predictable. If you want good beach read, that hits all the hot media topics of now and then, this is the right book. Not sure I would recommend it - it had a lot potential but came up short for this reader. It felt like a bunch of potentially interesting small stories crammed into one long one.

I have waited SO LONG for this book... and it was more than worth the wait!!! Jennifer Weiner tackles huge issues as we follow the lives of two sisters. Through their experiences, we see issues of racism, sexuality, discrimination, sexual assault and more. Weiner expertly tells the stories of two very different sisters whose lives go in different and unexpected directions. Above all, what I loved about this story was the strong theme of feminism and fight that women have had, still have, and will continue to have in the future. This is a long book, but it never felt long while reading it - I was so immersed in the lives of these women. This is a MUST READ this summer for all women!!

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.