⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️From the publisher St. Martin's Press: Set in New York City in the heady aftermath of World War II when the men were coming home, the women were exhaling in relief, and everyone was having babies, The Trouble With You is the story of a young woman whose rosy future is upended in a single instant. Raised never to step out of bounds, educated in one of the Sister Seven Colleges for a career as a wife and mother, torn between her cousin Mimi who is determined to keep her a “nice girl”—the kind that marries a doctor—and her aunt Rose who has a rebellious past of her own, Fanny struggles to raise her young daughter and forge a new life by sheer will and pluck.
When she gets a job as a secretary to the “queen” of radio serials—never to be referred to as soaps—she discovers she likes working, and through her friendship with an actress who stars in the series and a man who writes them, comes face to face with the blacklist which is destroying careers and wrecking lives. Ultimately, Fanny must decide between playing it safe or doing what she knows is right in this vivid evocation of a world that seems at once light years away and strangely immediate.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️My review: This was a great look at life during the blacklist era. The witch hunt of it all and the consequences of long ago choices made by characters incensed me. I moved between outrage, concern, and support for Ava, Charlie and Fanny.
Fanny's independence and loyalty to her rebel Aunt Rose made her a woman who stood out in this time period, even when she didn't want to. I learned a lot about the blacklist and the ways that investigations were carried out, and how lives were ruined. It certainly seems like something that could happen again given the current political climate in our country. Fanny's evolution and revolution was amazing. I loved it!
It was also nice to read a book about this time period that wasn't about the war. So much historical fiction is WWII based and focuses on the war, resistance, lost love etc. I found this novel well written and well paced. I was not always sure what would happen, what Fanny would choose to do, and what the fall out would be. And the modern day soap opera fan in me enjoyed the glimpse into radio serials of the 40's.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance digital copy in exchange for my review.

Set, in post WWII, this is an "against all odds" journey of a young widow raising a daughter. She becomes an independent woman, finding work and then coming face to face with the Blacklist and having to make life-changing ethical decisions.

I love the setting of the book. New York in the early 1950s was the epitome of the American Dream at the time. Radio, Broadway, the first days of television are all exciting industries and the happening places to work. Fanny is a newly widowed mother who must go to work to support herself and her daughter. She takes a job as secretary to a female radio producer and is exposed to the world of entertainment and the Red Scare rolling through the industry at the time. The story also follows Fanny's journey to falling in love again. I felt like I was being drawn right into mid-century Manhattan. The characters are likeable and believable and I constantly wanted to know what would happen next.

The Trouble With You by Ellen Feldman is centered around post World War 2 and the life of a widowed mother. When Fanny's husband made it home safely from the war, she really thought life was going to get back to normal. But when her husband dies suddenly she is faced with how to survive in a society where a woman's only role is housewife and mother. Or at least a respectable woman. It struck me as ironic how this book took place over 80 years ago but so much of Fannie's struggles still happen today. Trying to find the right job and juggle child care is a battle that many women still face today. Not much has really changed. The book is reminiscent of an old fashioned soap opera. It pulls you in but continues to add to the storyline so that you really can't see what's going to happen next. Even though the book at times was frustrating and depressing, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. From the descriptions of fashion to job expectations to family involvement, it was a wonderful story.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from netgalley

At first glance, I thought this book would be a straightforward WWII novel or America in post WWII years. It is that but it's also a deeper dive into social mores of the time, how marginalized women were (are) and how questioning people's values has been happening for decades.

After successfully returning from his service in the war, Fanny's husband dies unexpectedly leaving her without a means of income until her aunt connects her with a secretarial job to a woman who oversees a number of successful radio serials. Eventually Fanny tries writing and discovers she's good at it but that may be a conflict with the man she hopes to marry who doesn't want to have a wife who works outside the home! At the same time the Hollywood Black List has reached into the radio serials as well derailing careers for writers and actors.

This was a very unexpectedly thought-provoking and I can picture using it for future library book discussions!

One of my favorite books is “Paris Never Leaves You” by Ellen Feldman. I have read other books by this creative author, but to me, nothing can top the Paris book.

“The Trouble with You”, Author Feldman’s latest book, is a good read. Main character Fanny Fabricant is similar to the heroine “Charlotte” in the Paris book. And they each have likable daughters. The book is mainly set in the happy post WWII era, in New York City. Fanny is an educated young woman, positive and passionate until a tragic death changes her life.

Fanny has a solid family, with female relatives who love her and guide her. She gets a job, a very interesting one.
While the post-war years and the 1950’s were a time of great national optimism, marred by the unforgiving shadow of the anti-communist “Red Scare” of the 1950s. Thousands of Americans, especially writers and performers, lost their jobs and even families and friends. Fanny really gets to know herself during this tumultuous time.

The Author is at her best whenever Fanny or her Aunt Rose are in the spotlight. The rest of the scenes are pleasant but not entrancing. This is a good read, but it probably will “leave me”.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance digital review copy. This is my honest review.

I enjoyed this book but the beginning was slow moving so it took me a while to get into the story. The Trouble With You begins in the 1940s and ends in the 1960s, telling the story of Fanny, her husband Max, and their daughter Chloe, with some very likable friends and family thrown in. Fanny, who takes a job after her husband dies, deals with the prejudice against working married women in the 1950s and saw the damage the HUAC did to the people who were blacklisted during that time period. Fanny has to make a lot of difficult decisions for herself and her daughter. I liked seeing her grow throughout the novel and I really enjoyed the story, especially since it had the happy ending that I love so much!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

My love of the Historic Fiction Genre and this beautiful cover drew me in instantly. Having fought for so many women’s rights in the 60’s, this book hit home. For all of the younger girls that are reaping the rewards, this book is a must read. Things have not always been as easy. I could not put this book down! I have recommended it to a few of my friends who added it to their wish lists. Thank you for he advanced ebook of this book.

The Trouble with You by Ellen Feldman is primarily a portrait of one woman, Fanny, whose doctor husband returns from service in World War II to her and their almost-6-year-old daughter, Chloe, but whose life ends unexpectedly very shortly thereafter. Through the author's depiction of Fanny's life, we learn about the status of women in the post-war days. Many had been hired into a job with the understanding that they would give it up when the man who previously held the job returned. After all, a man needed to provide for himself and his family, while a woman--even a college-educated one such as Fanny--might be permitted to take on a low-level job, but was expected to stop working after marriage and devote herself to the home and children. Fanny had secured a job as a secretary for a woman who wrote scripts for radio serials, but over time she was courageous enough to ask for a chance to write her own scripts from treatments provided by her boss.

A major plot line is the McCarthy investigation, which looked for Communists and sympathizers and blacklisted them, forcing their employers to fire them. For one of the victims working in Fanny's office, that meant finding someone to "front" him, to submit his scripts under their name and share the resulting income. For another coworker, an actress about to get her big break, it meant . . . something else. Later on in the story, we witness the rise of women's lib and the infamous "bra burning."

Fanny is a relatable character, struggling with her own identity, her romantic relationships, and her quest to ensure that Chloe grows up to be a happy, successful woman. The characters of Fanny, Chloe, Fanny's Aunt Rose, coworkers Charlie and Ava, and pediatrician Ezra are well drawn, and the panoply of a women's life over the years flows beautifully and provides a deeply-felt picture of life in the late forties and early fifties in the US. I was not familiar with the author but will definitely look for more from her. I still don't understand the title, though!

My thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Ellen Feldman’s The Trouble with You is set in post-World War II New York City, a historical setting which is well developed and described. Also, I appreciated Feldman’s ode to women’s empowerment and independence - particularly as embodied in the character Aunt Rose. Feldman showcases well the struggles experienced by women as they were expected to vacate the work force to make room for the returning soldiers, and other societal barriers to women having a career. While I truly wanted to love this book, however, I found the pacing to be slow and at times disjointed, and the tale just did not capture and sustain my interest.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

Fanny Fabricant's husband makes it home from World War II, only to die at home a few years later. Fanny, now a widow, takes a job as a typist for a radio serial. She meets Charlie Berlin, a writer relegated to the soaps after his FPA play labeled him a radical. Fanny and Charlie navigate the Blacklist as writers with a drive to tell the truth through their work. Feldman once again brings the post World War II Jewish American experience to light. Fanny starts out as a timid widow and ends as a bold successful career woman, finding a voice and a passion for the truth along the way.

I received a copy from NetGalley and I'm willingly leaving a review
The story was slow-moving, a bit too much routines and everyday life in minute details. The timelines were confusing; only 3 chapters had dates on them - the prologue, chapter #1, and the last chapter (#30). Bits of horror of WWII and the aftereffects of being blacklisted by the U.S. government. Some bouts were really interesting, like the making of TV shows and soap operas for the radio, the times Charlie and Fanny worked together, how women were seen during that era, and Aunt Rose who was the black sheep of her family but who had so much wisdom. I was glad for how it ended, just sad that it was so late in time.

Great historical fiction representing a fierce and independent woman of the time I didn’t want to put it down.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was given an advance reader copy of this book by NeyGalley. I enjoyed this glimpse into life in the 1940s and 1950s. As idyllic as those times are often presented, it was infuriating to see how differently women were treated than men. It was an accurate depiction, but still maddening. I had a hard time with the grief and loss journey the main character experienced. That’s just a personal thing for me and might also be a trigger for others in similar circumstances. The story moved too slowly for me and did not hold my attention. It’s more of a slice-of-life type story than a compelling drama, which is fine, but not my favorite type of book. I really enjoyed how nicely the author brought each storyline to a satisfying end.

This gives the story of post WWII in New York City. It tells about the soldiers coming home and how one woman moves on, when women start working and having their own lives. Very good.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Really enjoyed this title. Very interesting to follow Fanny’s evolution from a traditional married housewife and mother in the 19r0s to widowed, single mother and working woman in the 1950s. An evolution with a number of twists and turns involving the 1950s anti-communism black lists.

Loved this book. I enjoyed learning more about how McCarthyism impacted day to day lives in the 1950s and enjoyed more how Fanny rose as a feminist during these times. It was really hard to think about women who went to college for the sole purpose of getting married and men at that time who felt it reflected poorly on them when their wives had meaningful work. I am glad times have changed, at least with regard to these attitudes. This was really a great story and I look forward to reading more from this author. One of my favorite books of this year.

Thank you to Ellen Feldman, St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book. My thoughts are my own.

Having a penchant for history, I eagerly accepted the invitation to delve into the works of this new-to-me author. The experience turned out to be an absolute delight, offering a refreshingly unique yet somewhat foreseeable narrative. In the pages of this book, the author skillfully introduces a compelling storyline that captured my interest from the outset.
Fanny Fabricant emerges as a beacon of strength, courageously navigating life's unexpected twists while carving a path for herself and her daughter, Chloe, in defiance of societal norms.
If I were to sum it up in a word, it would be "reinvention."

What stood out:
✅ A resilient female protagonist navigating the world of radio serials, challenging the constraints of her time.
✅ A poignant portrayal of a woman adapting to unforeseen circumstances, piecing together a new future.
✅ An illuminating exploration of post-war politics, delving into the McCarthy era and the HUAC's impact on artists and authors.
✅ Expertly crafted setting, painting a vivid picture of the social climate in the aftermath of war.
✅ Personal growth arcs and a compelling look at dating norms in the 1950s.

Challenges I encountered:
❌ Pacing issues that occasionally affected the flow of the narrative.
❌ Predictability in certain aspects of the plot.

This historical fiction gem shines a light on a courageous and relatable female lead while offering a unique glimpse into a lesser-explored period of our history. A binge-worthy read within the realm of historical fiction, complemented by an appealing cover.

The Trouble with You
A Novel
by Ellen Feldman
(This review is from an ARC sent to me from NetGalley)
Set in New York City in the aftermath of World War II.
Raised never to step out of bounds, educated in one of the Seven Sisters Colleges for a career as a wife and mother, Fanny is torn between her cousin Mimi and her rebellious Aunt Rose.
Fanny struggles to raise her young daughter after her husband unexpectedly dies, and finally gets a job as a secretary to the “queen “of radio serials. (Not referred to as Soaps in those days)
Fanny enjoys working and through friendships she makes, with an actress and a script writer she gains more confidence and starts writing scripts. She comes face to face with the blacklist.
“The Hollywood blacklist was an entertainment industry blacklist put in effect in the mid-20th century in the United States during the early years of the Cold War, in Hollywood and elsewhere. Actors, screenwriters, directors, musicians, and other American entertainment professionals were barred from work by the studios.” The person in question would need to declare under oath that he/she was not a communist. The blacklist was destroying careers and lives.
The Trouble with You is the story of a young woman whose rosy future is upended in a single instant, and Fanny must decide in doing what is right.

Interesting characters, story and plot. Enjoyed the read and a perfect escape for a cold winter afternoon or a nice afternoon at the beach. Thanks