I was intrigued from the second I saw this cover and even more so as I read the blurb on the back. Overall I was pleased with it and thought it was well done. I will say that I didn’t think any of the characters were as fully developed as I would have liked and at times that made the story feel like it wasn’t fully flowing well. This story is about 4 girls who start Radcliffe College at the same time and become fast friends. They are all different and want different things from their education, but they form a quick friendship and join a Cambridge bookshop owner for a book club. The book is set in the 1950’s and while women are slowly gaining some momentum but women still lack a variety of options as the girls discover. I loved the glimpses of the book club meetings and questions about various books which added something additional to the story.

What do we tell our girlfriends or the people closest to us?  What do we choose to share or choose to hide?   How do we perceive others and how do we thrive in a world that believes an education for a young lady is merely a passing frivolity before moving into our true calling of marriage and motherhood in 1950s Boston? And what masks do we wear to make us fit the perceptions, perceived or otherwise, that society has in droves?  

Alice, newly independent, hosts a monthly book club at her shop, while Caroline, Tess, Evie, and Merritt are just discovering a taste of freedom in their fist year at Radcliffe. The five meet at Alice’s shop. As Tess states, “Weren’t they here to get an education…  Or was their time at Radcliffe merely something they dabbled in to brag about later at dinner parties when they were married and running households of their own?”

I loved that the novel was told from each of the five main characters’ viewpoints allowing us a glimpse into their thoughts and rationales.  I particularly enjoyed how each chapter began with a quote from the month’s book club selection which reflected the chapter’s climate.  Each of the novels they read and discussed in book club was a classic and I want to read those I haven’t already read as a result.

It’s rare that a character surprises me in quite the way that one of these young ladies did.   And at that, repeatedly.  I may or may not have raised an eyebrow higher than it ought to be raised on more than one occasion.  I’d love to say more, but even saying that much is a spoiler of sorts.

Overall, “The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club” serves as a reminder of the importance of withholding judgement and not jumping to conclusions; of female friendships and the ties that bind; of conformity and questioning social norms; of learning to think for oneself.

Thank you @bookmarked for providing an eARC of  “The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club” by @juliabryanthomas_author via #netgalley Released June 6; preorder today!

I loved this novel! 

#juliabryanthomas #sourcebooks #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #historicalfiction #bookgeek #femaleauthor #femalewriter #radcliffeladiesreadingclub #radcliffe #womensrights

It's 1955 and 4 women are experiencing a taste of freedom for the first time. They are freshmen and roommates at Radcliffe College. Although very different, the girls form a bond and are having the time of their lives - until an event that will change them forever. The aftermath pulls them apart and not only strains the friendship but reveals attitudes best left hidden.
I loved the grirry reality portrayed by this book. It's examination of women on the cusp of adulthood, figuring out who they are and what they want, is intense and insightful. Definitely recommend.

*****Publishing June 6, 2023*****

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ After Alice’s husband died, she decided to move from Chicago to Boston, where she found an apartment and opened a bookshop, The Cambridge Bookshop! Alice started a book club where they read classics.

Tess, Evie, Caroline and Merritt all attended Radcliffe College. They became friends as they lived in the same dorm and had classes together. Tess convinced them to join the book club at The Cambridge Book shop even though they seemed skeptical at first.

These ladies supported each other, took each other out of their comfort zones with their differing opinions, gave each other advice, and encouraged each other to do things they might not have done on their own. After all, they each had a different upbringing and social class. Caroline, the wealthiest, had felt more accepted by these friends than any past friendship.

With each book read at the book club, Alice challenged them to think about topics such as men, relationships, money, social class, in a way that they might have not thought about before. This challenged their ideals and expanded their horizons. When a crisis arises for Caroline, their friendship is put to the test. Will they remain friends? Can they support Caroline in the way she needs or does it make it worse?

This book has great character development that highlights what it was like to be a college student during the mid 1950’s at Radcliffe College. The societal pressures/expectations, social class, and friendships played a role in these ladies’ college experience. It also played a role in how they reacted and handled a tragic situation. I loved Alice’s character, where she was not only a support to the ladies, but opened their minds to think differently through books. It helped them to grow and handle new situations.

A well researched and well told story that will bring out all kinds of emotions, but will leave you feeling satisfied in the end. A great book for book clubs as it will lead to many great discussions.

Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, I was provided an ARC of The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Radcliffe College was the all female counterpart to Harvard College in the 1950s when the story is set. This story follows 4 woman from very different backgrounds, views, and collegiate expectations. They are rooming in the same dormitory and are drawn together by location initially. When they attend a book club at The Cambridge Bookshop they meet owner Alice pushes them to explore different topics in their monthly reads. I really liked this part of the book because their was such a wonderful discussion. It also brought to lights the very deep seated difference in views held by the woman. I think this allow me to understand some of the actions taken by the women though out the book.

Reading about the views on woman, and their place in society during the 50s was, at times, jarring but undeniably realistic. The students are all flawed and the dynamics and relationships of the woman change over time. Some of the woman grow and develop more than others. Readers should be aware that a sexual assault takes place.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebook Landmark for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Four girls from differing backgrounds in the 1950’s attend their first year of Radcliffe and become involved in a book club run by a middle age divorcee named Alice. I’ve decided to simply this review by making a list of pros and cons, just to be succinct and to the point.

What I liked about this book:
*I love Alice and her book club. I could have read twice the number of chapters about the books that they read and the discussion they had during the book club instead of the few that were included.
*It was interesting to read about the dichotomy between being a new college girl in the 1950’s with the very real likelihood that you would be married with children and no career within a couple of years.
*There was just very little recourse for women during this time and that was portrayed (somewhat successfully) in this book.

What I did not like about this book:
*The writing was very basic and so much “telling” instead of “showing.”
*The plot went off the rails and didn’t seem entirely believable.
*The college aged characters were very one dimensional and I just didn’t feel like any of them were realistic, even during some fairly horrific episodes.

Overall, this may be a good beach read for the summer months but wasn’t entirely memorable.

I received a digital Advanced Review Copy of this book from the Publisher through NetGalley.

2.5 stars. Firstly, thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for this digital advance copy The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club, in exchange for my honest review. This #historicalfiction book comes out June 6, 2023.

When I read the description of this book, so many elements jumped out to me: an “enchanting bookshop,” coming-of-age themes, independent female protagonists, and an academic setting in 1950s New England. It gave Mona Lisa Smile vibes. Also: who doesn’t love a book about books?

Perhaps my expectations were too high. Shortly into the book, I felt disconnected from the characters, as they each felt so underdeveloped and superficial; it was hard to distinguish them from one another. I also felt that the bookshop owner, potentially the most interesting character of them all, was left in the wings with little to no depth at all. She had the most captivating storyline, as a woman who left her husband to start her own business in the 1950s, but in the end, we learned very little at all about her. I felt like I was left hanging.

I did enjoy how the author tried to weave lessons and themes from classic literature into her characters’ narratives, but overall, the plot just lacked depth. At the worst of times, it felt like pandering to the reader.

I encourage readers to look up content warnings, as there are some serious triggers in this book, which I, personally, was not expecting.

Four young ladies have entered Radcliffe. This is in itself momentous. 1954 was
still an era where girls of eighteen worked at anything temporarily whether studies
or a job - as a means
to an end. Finding a suitable husband and being respectable.

The four young women came from widely dissimilar backgrounds but they did settle
in to do their time in college. The bookshop owned by Alice became the center of
a small book club where Alice encouraged them to widen their horizons, question
situations, look at life from different perspectives. She guided them but was not
intrusive.

Because social life was a part of college life the girls began to venture out to
take part in a pleasurable part of college life. Things dont always go smoothly and
the incident with Caroline set off far reaching consequences for all.

The storyline was good but for me the characters other than Alice were weak. All were
very preoccupied by society's expectations and standards, preferring to overlook
abuse, chauvinism, inequality all completely overshadowed by the standards of society
of the day. It took a lot of courage to take a stance against injustice the way Caroline
did. Her character developed as an independent woman from that point on.

A warm story of four girls in a changing world.

I was intriqued by the title and the time frame setting of the 1950's. The Radcliffe Ladies Reading Club is a fascinating view into young college women of the early 1950's and their appreciation for women's literature. Thank you to the author, the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this fascinating book. My review opinions are my own. I highly recommend this book for your reading enjoyment. All women must read this book to better understand and appreciate the times we live in.

Alice is a unusual woman for the 1950's. She is independent and tired of her marriage. She leaves home to follow her dream of opening a bookstore and does so near Radcliffe College. She meets four women attending Radcliffe College all from various backgrounds yet all become fast friends over their shared love of literature and discussion. For the 1950's this book club would have been behind closed doors as women were not encourgaged to read and we must remember as we read this book how far we have come from the controlling mysognist society our families were living in during that time. This is best read by the reader imagining themselves constricted by society where women had no societal value other then nurses or wives. It is a wonderful story of these five brave women who are determined to educate themselves of women's literature of their time and learn from Alice life lessons on independence . Alice becomes a wonderful mentor to the young women as they traverse college life.
I loved this book and I do highly recommend it for all women to read and learn from.

It's 1954 and four young women, barely 18 years old, leave home and head to Radcliffe College. One comes across the country to leave her home behind, one is on scholarship, one is literally off the farm, and the last comes from a cold, but rich family from Rhode Island. Their ideals for their futures are vastly different from one another but as they connect as roommates and then members of a book club held in a local bookstore, they are challenged by not only the club picks but by the intuitive questions posed by the book store owner.
Taking the story and only holding it accountable for the timeframe in which it is set provides a great opportunity to understand what women went through before our current time in history. The bookstore is basically a backdrop to the drama each young college student is either dealing with or coming from before making it to college. They struggle with familial and career expectations while barely allowed to make decision for themselves. Autonomy is not for the 1950's woman.
The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club has been compared to works of Beatriz Williams and I find that a fair comparison.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for my early copy. All opinions are my own.

Following my natural instinct to grab books set in bookstores, I had to pick this one up. This is a new author for me too. This book succeeded in projecting society's view of women in the 1950s and their roles: college is a place to find a husband and make a good marriage - not for a career. We have certainly come a long way since then, thank goodness!

Description:
Massachusetts, 1954. With bags packed alongside her heavy heart, Alice Campbell escaped halfway across the country and found herself in front of a derelict building tucked among the cobblestone streets of Cambridge. She turns it into the enchanting bookshop of her dreams, knowing firsthand the power of books to comfort the brokenhearted.

The Cambridge Bookshop soon becomes a haven for Tess, Caroline, Evie, and Merritt, who are all navigating the struggles of being newly independent college women in a world that seems to want to keep them in the kitchen. But when a member of the group finds herself shattered, everything they know about themselves will be called into question.

My Thoughts:
This was a good story, though a little slow in places. This portrays four women and their interactions as they come from different backgrounds and have somewhat different views. They don't always agree. The bookstore owner befriends the women during their reading club and provides them with a sounding board as they face various issues. I enjoyed the book discussions and the interesting points they prompted. Alice, the bookstore owner, has her own issues and I wished more of her story was revealed. I found her to be an interesting character and liked the way she mentored the girls.

Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on June 6, 2023.

Alice Campbell moves across the county to escape her past and open a bookstore. Upon opening the bookstore, she starts a book club where she meets the girls from Radcliffe: Tess, Caroline, Evie, and Merritt. As the book club meets every month, Alice comes to see the different sides of the girls as well as how similar they unknowingly are. When a life-threatening tragedy strikes one of the girls, it will forever change all their lives and their friendships.

This was a wonderful book. I have not read many historical fictions that are based solely on one timeline but this one was beautifully done. The characters are very realistic and you come to feel many emotions for them. These girls find themselves in situations where many young girls go off on their own for the first time face. There are many life lessons in this book that all can appreciate, although it should be noted that there is a female empowerment theme throughout. This book is perfect for a having a moment to yourself kind of read. If you are looking for a quick, enjoyable story then you may want to give this a chance.

College is an education for young people in more ways than one. Learning takes place in the classroom, extracurricular activities, sports, social gatherings and living situations. This book touches on all of these while also exploring the roles of women in education, marriage and society in the 1950s.

Going to college is like being dropped into a microcosm of society. It is a whirlpool of people that have been raised in different parts of the country, with different mores, values and opinions. In this story, the guys are mostly carefree and narcissistic, and the girls endeavor to "fit in" or "belong". Everyone tries so hard to be someone else or a newer version of themselves; some feeling on top of the world with their newfound freedom and others feeling lost or bullied or left out.

This story, set in 1954, follows the friendship of four girls from different socioeconomic backgrounds who are in their first year of college at Radcliffe. This was during the time when available careers for women were much less than they are today. The issues that these young women face are different for each of them, but they each learn how to resolve their conflicts and determine who they can turn to for help. The owner of a small bookstore in town plays a pivotal role in mentoring the girls while engaging them in a Book Club, reading the works of popular female authors, such as Bronte, Edith Wharton, Virginia Woolf and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. A tragedy presents itself which threatens to either unite these freshmen or tear them apart.

The story initially intrigued me. Unfortunately, I found that, for the most part, the characters lacked depth and the storyline was somewhat fragmented, as if too many storylines were attempting to be covered within a limited amount of space. And, at other times, the dialogue and actions didn't seem to fit the characters. Overall, I liked this book, but it did not meet with my expectations.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me the opportunity to to read a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for letting me read this book. I was disappointed in that I had expected to become involved in the characters and care about their difficulties. I did not find that to be the case. I will not be blogging about this book because another person may react entirely differently, and I don’t want to take away their pleasure.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC. Based on the description, I was hoping for an inspired or empowering look at the power of books to shape lives, but the story was unexpectedly heavy and traumatic, and several of the main characters felt flat or lacking nuance.

While I love reading about book clubs, bookstores, and everything book, I am conflicted on this offering. The book club was not the focus of the novel. Rather it is a novel about the complexities of relationships. Four girls from very different backgrounds are thrown together as dorm mates at Radcliffe College in the 1950s. They immediately become friends and join a book club run by a local bookstore owner, Alice. Told in alternating views among the five characters, it was an interesting look into what made each one tick, but I found most of the characters wooden and overly stereotyped. And it appeared the author had an agenda to portray those who held conservative views as catty, prone to gossip and overly judgmental. This was particularly evident in the case of Tess, who was a totally unlikable character with no redeeming qualities who made bad decisions at every turn and was totally willing to destroy her roommate because of an assumption based on lack of information. Still, the story kept my interest enough to keep reading. 2.5 stars rounded to 3. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley & the publisher for the ARC!

This was a beautifully written story. I recommend this if you like women’s literature, historical fiction vibes, and books about books.

There is mental health rep and discussion as well as some other potential triggering themes. I found this book sad at times though I still really enjoyed the writing overall.

A story of girls at Radcliffe in the 1950s who join a book club. I liked the first few chapters but then it slowed down for me. I don't think I really connected with the characters.

The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club, started by Alice Campbell in her Cambridge Bookshop, was attended by four freshmen women in college there--Caroline, Tess, Evie, and Merritt-- starting in the fall of 1955. The book, by Julia Bryan Thomas, will be published June 6.

This is also Alice’s “freshman” year as she has left her husband, traveled from Chicago, and settled into a small store where she can surround herself with books she loves. It is Tess who first enters the bookstore and learns about the club. Recruiting her roommate and two others, they attend the gathering once a month. In the fall, they read and discuss Jane Eyre, A Room of One’s Own, and The Age of Innocence.

The bookstore is not only a safe harbor for Alice but also for the four students who must deal with a society that wants to limit their options to marriage and children. With each book club meeting, the young women and Alice learn a little bit more about each other and life itself.

When a tragedy occurs to one of the “college girls,” she keeps it a secret as she withdraws from socializing with the once cohesive foursome. Before the freshman year is finished, the four young women will find their paths greatly altered from what they expected.

Julia Bryan Thomas’ writing career started with exchanging letters filled with poems and stories with her grandmother. Her novel For Those Who Are Lost received much attention for its story about the children of Guernsey displaced during World War II. Born and raised in Tulsa, she grew up studying literature. A graduate of Northeastern State University and the Yale Writers’ Workshop, she is married to mystery novelist Will Thomas.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting May 10, 2023.

I would like to thank Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

A fast paced book about a book club that starts out light-hearted yet slowly delves deeper as we learn more about the characters and their lives. I loved the 1950's setting and seeing all the characters develop making a really intriguing story. I did feel this fell flat at times with the plot becoming monotonous but it was mostly an enjoyable read.