Josette (Jo) and Elisabeth (Bethie) Kaufman were sisters who came of age in 1950s Detroit. Jo is a tomboy, more comfortable in old clothes and running around playing sports, while young Bethie was content with being the pretty, talented one, the center of attention. Not much changed as the two approached their teenage years, much to their mother's chagrin. Jo became more outspoken in trying to understand civil rights and social justice, while Bethie starts understanding that her beauty gives her an interesting form of power.

But a family tragedy leads to a traumatic incident for one sister and self-discovery for the other, and both impact their lives and their relationships. As time moves on, Bethie becomes a free spirit, traveling the world, never putting roots down in one place, immersing herself in the counterculture and embracing the idea that women should have whatever they want. Jo, on the other hand, becomes a traditional housewife in Connecticut, raising two daughters and wondering how she wound up living the life she is. Both are content in their own ways but aren't truly happy, but at the same time, aren't sure they are willing to shake things up enough to make change happen.

Mrs. Everything follows Jo and Bethie to the present day, chronicling 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. They have triumphs and deal with tragedies, they turn toward each other and turn away, and try to be true to themselves and who they are. It's a novel that has an almost epic feel to it.

"'We lose ourselves,' she repeated, forming each word with care, 'but we find our way back.' Wasn't that the story of her life? Wasn't that the story of Bethie's? You make the wrong choices, you make mistakes, you disappear for a decade, you marry the wrong man. You get hurt. You lose sight of who you are, or of who you want to be, and then you remember, and if you're lucky you have sisters or friends who remind you when you forget your best intentions. You come back to yourself, again and again. You try, and fail, and try again, and fail again."

I've never read anything that Jennifer Weiner has written, so when I was offered the opportunity to read Mrs. Everything I jumped at it. Weiner says in a note that appears at the start of my advance copy that she was inspired by Michael Cunningham's A Home at the End of the World and Susan Isaacs' Almost Paradise (two books I loved) to write a book that followed its main characters all the way through their lives. She also said she wanted to write about a character like her mother, whose life moved in unexpected and unbelievable ways.

The arcs that Weiner's characters' lives follow are very believable. 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. There isn't necessarily anything surprising in this book but that doesn't matter; it's still a powerful book with strong messages.

I really enjoyed the way Weiner writes and felt completely immersed in the story. I felt like things dragged a bit at times, but real life isn't always exciting either. I do read a fair amount of so-called "women's fiction," but this is one book that I'd imagine will resonate more with women than it did with me, although I still felt moved by it.

NetGalley and Atria Books provided me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

This book will be published June 11, 2019.

What another great book from Jennifer Weiner! I’ve read previous books from this author and really enjoyed them. I was pleasantly surprised to see that this was just as good as those. I enjoyed the story and the characters were very well written.

Narrated by two sisters, Weiner takes on unconventional relationships from adolescence on. Less humor than previous novels but poignant and timely with chapters addressing the metoo movement. A historical look at an era through the sisters' eyes gives the sense of time, although annual dates on all the chapter headings would have been preferred.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

Best tears inducing story of this year! A great story about life comes to a full circle. This story follows mothers and daughters from infant to their old age. Each struggles with their own life. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Story shows the struggles of each women with society, home life and work life. Things are no different from today of women role in society. Weiner's had a great observations and understanding of this concept and it brought dept to the story. Definitely a must read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this fabulous ARCS in exchange for an honest review.

Good chick lit read to just curl up in bed with. However, there were too many places Weiner rambled on and on about things that didn't add to plot or character development. Then, in a reversal of narrative style, the last quarter of the book seemed rushed, as if she tired of it and just wanted it done.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mrs. Everything is a great read — I will be recommending it to lots if readers when it comes out! Is is the story of two sisters from their childhoods (in the 1960s & 70s) through their adult lives in the present day. I felt so invested in Jo & Bethie’s lives. They face many of the same challenges of other women of their generation (and today) - discrimination, sexual assault, & heartbreak. There are so many touching moments in this story, I dare any reader not to love it!

I want to thank you for providing me with a copy of this book however have just gone into remission and the first few pages of this book hit a little to close to my current head space so think it would be best for me to set it aside. It sounds like something I would really enjoy and what I did read was good. It sounds like this was something that Ms. Weiner had wanted to write for sometime so hope it is a great success for her. I hope that sometime in the near future I will be able to pick this up again.

Jo and Bethie Kaufman are the daughters of descendants of immigrants who live in Philadelphia and we are introduced to them in 1951 at age of 6 and 4. From the outset the family dynamic is clearly established, they are Jewish and live in a Jewish Community. Their mother

The Kaufman family are descendants of Jewish immigrants in Philadelphia. Their daughters, Jo (6) and Bethie (4) are the protagonists of this novel. In 1951 they are living the ‘American Dream’ as their father puts it. They have moved into a single-family home in Detroit and they even have ‘help’ in the form of Bea (and sometimes her daughter). Jo relates to her community in terms of food supplied by her grandparents and the ritual of Shabat; but also to the corn-bread that Bea makes for them. One day she discovers that Bea has been replaced by a Jewish woman and she is angry with her mother who has decided that this is more suitable than having an African-American woman working for her. From this moment takes up the banner on behalf of civil-rights and sets her on an oppositional path to her mother – a somewhat difficult personality. By contrast Bethie is the ‘good girl’. Beautiful, talented in contrast to Jo’s somewhat tomboyish persona – she is strong and athletic and firm in her opinions.

We follow the girls through the ages until present day. We witness the civil rights movement, the hippy phenomena with drugs, music, communes and free love. We see the girls evolve, educate and develop distinct personalities and their reach for understanding, love and identity.

This is a powerful story and one that resonates with me as I was born in 1949 so can bear witness to many of the events detailed. The music, the politics, the moon landing, the Kennedys. The only difference is a cultural one inasmuch as I read this as an interested neighbour: definitely an American perspective. Clearly we have common grounds, family, love, marriage, motherhood – but I almost feel as though I didn’t live through this period as portrayed – more as a viewer. That said, this is brilliant, thoroughly enjoyable. Well crafted, well plotted, well structured. Well – I loved it and thoroughly recommend it.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, which focused on two sisters. Jo, the older sister who’s great at sports and hates dresses, and Bethie, who is constantly dieting so she can be the lead in school musicals. From the fifties through the sixties up until modern times, their lives don’t go in the way you might have predicted when you first met them as kids.

Some of this was hard to read. There is sexual abuse that isn’t described explicitly (at least not the rape), but how it impacts the character and the other characters is not easy reading. Weiner never goes for the easy happy ending, but pointing out that religion, gender, sexual orientation, and race ensure that there is no such thing as an easy life with easy choices.

So why I can’t say this is a super fun summer read, it is a good one that will keep you turning pages to find out what happens. Recommend.

Jennifer Weiner is one of my favorite author - I have read every one of her books and she's the author I recommend above anyone else. Her detailed writing create a clear picture in the reader's mind.

Mrs.Everything is no exception to her style. I loved the two main characters, Jo and Bethie, and how Weiner's explores their lives from the 1950's to the present.

This is a book I recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for this ARC.

Mrs Everything by Jennifer Weiner is a wonderful gem that is everything wrapped up together. It is a generational story of two sisters, Jo and Bethie, and covers their separate journeys as well as their own relationship with each other throughout their whole lives.

This fictional novel feels like a memoir it seems so real. It feels like it is a memoir of every female that has existed since 1950 onward. Every woman can identify with one character or another at some point in the book. Every woman feels a part of her is being written about and explained to the world. Each one of us leaves this novel in the hopes that they have found some solidarity, some answers as to who they are and what the heck are they supposed to be doing, and with the most important resonating feeling of: we are not alone.
We are not alone in our fears, our differences, our inadequacies (real or imagined), our strengths, our weaknesses, our failures, our triumphs, our what ifs, our what should have beens, and our sense of belonging, acceptance, and finally our hope for the future.

This novel has stirred something deep within me as a reader (and not just because I am an imperfect Jewish female in my mid30s still figuring things out). This book lets me know, lets us all know, that we are not alone, we are not “weird”, and we can find hope and try to create a place that can be left to our children/family that come after us that will be better for them then what was handed to us.
We are all in this together.

Yeh, it is that good. 5/5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, and Ms Weiner for this life changing journey. This review is voluntary and unbiased.

I enjoyed this story, though I do feel like some parts were a bit longer than they should have been. Obviously, being an ARC, there are some errors that need to be fixed. They are minor, but I caught them. Overall, though, it was a good story and you felt for the main characters, Jo and Bethie. I do feel Lila was a bit over-the-top with her personality, but under the circumstances, you can see why she is the way she is. I've always been a fan of Ms. Weiner's books and will continue to read them. Though not a favorite, it was still a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. This was a character-driven story that spanned generations. While I found it generally interesting and I appreciated its feminist themes, I was disappointed by how many lengthy passages that rambled on about inconsequential details.

Mrs. Everything was one of my most highly anticipated reads for 2019. I read an article last year where Weiner talked about the book, and it immediately hit my TBR list! Thanks to Net Galley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy.

The author's note at the beginning made me know I would love this book. Weiner was compelled to write this story after the 2016 election, and she focuses on two sisters who struggle to find themselves, amid pressure to be "normal" women. Jo and Bethie each have challenges, and reading about their childhoods, I did not expect their adult lives to turn out the way they did! This novel's timeline spans their entire lives, which allows the reader to become invested in each character. Growing up together, Bethie and Jo think the other sister is so confident and comfortable in their own skin. However, as we hear from each of their points of view, we understand that each of them is struggling to fit in. Their mother Sarah, calls one of them "unnatural," which has a lasting impact on both sisters.

There was so much to unpack with this novel, however, I encourage the journey of reading it without knowing too much about the story before you dive in.

I thought this was Weiner's best book yet. It covered so many hard topics in a beautiful way. It was difficult to read at times, but so hard to put down. I think anyone would benefit from reading Mrs. Everything, as it is thought-provoking and timely. This will definitely be one of my favorite reads of 2019!

I’m sure many readers will love this book but I couldn’t continue reading it after Bethie was getting molested by her uncle. I read for entertainment and while I’m not totally squeamish of such things, it was too much. I’m not a dainty little flower, I can take a little discomfort but that was getting excruciatingly painful. I don’t have time for this in my life.

Jennifer Weiner does it again!! This is one of the best Jennifer Weiner books that I've read in a long time, and I LOVE all her books. As always, she keeps her reader engaged with hot topics, and descriptive writing. This is truly one of those books where you get lost in the magic of the book and don't want to stop reading. I can't wait to get home today so I can finish reading my last couple of chapters and find out what happens to the two sisters.

Huge, wonderful novel about generations of women. Motherhood, cancer, daughters, lesbians, rape culture, marriage woes, losing yourself in others, and finding your place in life. The best line in the book for me was: "we lose ourselves but find our way back." My second favorite was "whatever you want to be, whomever your want to be, your mother is going to love you and support you." For me, that is what motherhood is all about. Another great book by Jennifer Weiner!


(will review on Goodreads and Amazon once it is released)

I loved this book. I love the bookend structure, the approach to exploring the characters over their lives, and the actual story line. I could identify with so much from my own family history and it really was one of Jennifer Weiner's better books, in my opinion. She always captures the complexity with her characters but this seemed even more sophisticated. I couldn't put it down, and each time I said just one more chapter, I'd read 2 or 3.
This is going to be a hit. I can't wait to hear her speak about it later this summer.

Having been born in the early 40s and grown up in the era that was depicted in this novel, I was looking forward to reading a book written by a daughter of someone of the same era who was accessing her mother’s memories and writing a saga based on her mother’s life during that time period in the US.

Sadly, there were too many inconsistencies with the historical period and too many inconsistencies with the culture and standards of the day for me to enjoy the book. I did not grow up in Detroit nor have I ever lived there, but certain standards were pervasive at the time as in all eras. Even if her mother’s memory was not entirely clear, I would think an editor would have checked to see what was current in the time period.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was sorry I couldn’t finish the book, but it just didn’t ring true.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for making this available for me to read.
Mrs. Everything will be, undoubtedly, one of the best books of 2019. What struck with me is how beautiful and touching Jennifer has intertwined all of the world issues we are dealing with from the 1950s until today, such as racism, LGBT, politics, marriage, parenthood, sexual assault, and gender equality, in the incredible story of Jo and Bethie.
Due to having sisters of my own and experiencing similar struggles, I have never felt this connected with a book before. I especially connected with Bethie's story. Reading her story has healed me in a way that I cannot describe in words.
I cried throughout several parts of this book, and am a crying mess by the time I got to the end.
It is a definite must-read.