When the war ends and Fanny’s husband comes home safe she never dreams that she will become a young widow. Reeling from the loss of the man she loves she will have to solider on to provide for herself and her young daughter. Taking a job in entertainment she comes to know what the blacklist is and what it means for the people singled out to be on it. She will struggle to decide if she wants to be the girl she was raised to be or the girl her rebellious Aunt Rose believes she can be.
A romance set when woman were just starting to demand more from their lives then a home and a husband.
I enjoyed reading Ellen Feldman’s newest book. The first of her’s for me. I haven’t read a lot of books featuring the red scare and the blacklist but this was an interesting take on how it touched an industry. It doesn’t go too in-depth and really is a romance at its heart.
The Trouble With You hits shelves on Feb 20 2024.
Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for allowing me to have an early copy in exchange for a review.
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I had to DNF this one unfortunately. I found the multiple POV without clear delineation at the beginning awkward. Also going back and forth in the timeline left me having to go back and forth multiple times to try and figure out where I was. I got to about 20% in and wasn't motivated to keep moving forward in the story...didn't feel like much was happening so I had to leave it be. I know this one has some pretty solid reviews, but I think it just wasn't for me! Thanks for the opportunity to give it a try!

I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this book on NetGalley.

Being a fan of Historical Fiction, especially in the WWII era, this book did not disappoint. A widowed women with an inspiring story about creating her own path. She has to make the decision between doing what is right and playing it safe.

I am a fan of this author and was excited to read her new novel. Set in the McCarthy years, this book highlights that time period when blacklisting authors, writers, actors , etc. was prevalent. The story begins when a recently widowed woman is hired as a secretary to a company that writes scripts for radio soap operas. When she meets several people who have been blacklisted, she chooses the path that she believes in. A fascinating history of that time in history, a must read for those who want to know more about the McCarthy era and how it affected so many lives.

Thank you to NetGalley for this opportunity to read an ARC of The Trouble With You. The description of the book intrigued me as I enjoy historical fiction and specifically around the WWII period of time. The book centered around Fanny who lost her husband Max soon after he returned from serving in the military. She was widowed and had to figure out how to raise her daughter Chloe. Fanny starts working as a secretary with an office that does radio "soaps". She meets various people in the midst of Blacklists and Communist scares. She has to decide on her future with one of two men, one safe and stable but a little old fashioned, and one who really sees her for who she is and has become. It was a nice story but a little long and drawn out. It was a good palate cleanser from my usual thrillers. I would seek out other books by this author.

An interesting read with an alignment to women having careers and being black listed. In a post WWII, a widowed woman becomes a single parent and must find work. Through her struggles she finds her way to independence.

I’ve said before and I repeat, I was never very good at American History. But I do know that, in my day, any dark moments in US history, like the Salem Witch Trials, the Great Depression, Native American Studies, and the McCarthy era “red” hunt and the blacklisting that ruined so many lives (among so many other atrocities) were either glossed over or never even mentioned, in lieu of mindless memorization of dates of Civil War Battles and President’s names (not that those aren’t important as well, of course). So any historical fiction that can leave me with just a bit more knowledge, while still being a great story, is a keeper.
The Trouble with You is a beautifully written novel that combines one woman’s journey with a look at McCarthyism and blacklisting, focusing on the entertainment world.
At base, it’s the story of a woman coming into herself as an autonomous entity after her much beloved husband dies right after returning from WWII. Now a widow, with a child, Fanny is faced with being alone in a world where women are expected to be silent fixtures, homemakers, and mothers. Never working, only men work! Left alone to raise her daughter Chloe, Fanny is adrift. What now? Even though she holds a com laude degree from Barnard, no one will hire her to do anything she finds remotely interesting. And marriage? She just lost the love of her life! What’s a girl to do!? What can she do?!
Thank goodness Fanny has a strong female role model in her Aunt Rose (a favorite character, for sure). Rose helps Fanny secure a job as a secretary in radio serials (soap operas). There, Fanny meets an array of interesting characters (always juxtaposed with Fanny’s family members, who remain firmly in the early 1950s Stepford mindset), and comes face to face with the harsh realities of the McCarthy hunt.
Fanny’s two worlds are fully embodied in her two love interests; the traditional, old-fashioned Ezra, and the “wilder,” exciting, blacklisted Charlie. (Some may find this a bit of an obvious trope, but I didn’t mind it. I only minded that it seemed to take a long time in wrapping itself up.)
It’s a fascinating look at Fanny’s path, wrapped up in a historical lesson that still strikes uncomfortably close to home, even in 2023.
I was lucky to have a mother, raised in a stern Polish household from the 30s-50s, who braved her own path, defied her upbringing, went to NYC to follow a dream, married my Dad, brought up her children, and, even then, kept doing things she liked, always attempted new things, and never stopped trying to grow as a person.
This book reminded me of her is some ways, and it was so satisfying to watch Fanny weigh all of the pieces of her surroundings, upbringing, the times she lived in, and still break out and forge her own way.
Very satisfying, and highly recommended for fans of historical fiction and women’s fiction.
Book clubs are going to eat this one up.

Ellen Feldman's The Trouble with You is very satisfying. The characters jump off the page, the plot is believable - and interesting - and the historical research impeccable. Fanny could have been my mother or her friends. Highly recommended. (And I'll look for more Ellen Feldman!)

The Trouble with you was so much more than a woman “choosing” a safe or ethical man. Truly, this was a book that was a picture of feminism in its simplest form as we follow Fanny in her journey of self discovery. It tackled such a different side of the post-WWII experience by highlighting the growing independence of women as they adjusted into the new normal of having their men return from war.

We began this book on Christmas Day where the impossible happened: Fanny was left a widow by her dearly beloved husband. This aching early discovery reveals the typical romance of the time as Fanny and Max meet and fall in love before he is send to war as an army doctor in WWII. The world that followed was challenging as the men of the time tried to reacclimatize to “normal life” while also creating a new war to fight with what was referred to as the Red Wave.

Reading this story, we did, of course, see Fanny struggle with how to navigate being the best version of herself for her young daughter. It was such a relatable struggle to read: a mother trying her very best in the worst possible circumstance to provide a meaningful life for her child. Every choice Fanny made, from her choice of job position, her failed engagement, and ultimately her finding happiness, was made with a keen understanding that Chloe was seeing all. She deeply understood that she needed to invest in herself to invest in her daughter, which was so beautiful to read.

I also really appreciated that this book tackled situations and stereotypes that affect women and their equitable treatment in society to this very day. I found Fanny’s story to be inspiring and I would definitely recommend to all of the incredible women in my life.

Another great historical fiction novel by Ellen Feldman. Centering on Fanny Fabricant, who finds herself a widow shortly after her husband returns from WWII. Both the shock of her husband's passing and the somewhat less respect she garners as a "not-war widow" pushes her to find a way to form her own identity and livelihood to support herself and young daughter Chloe. Unable initially to try to find a new husband to fill the emotional and financial void, she finds work as a secretary for a radio serial producer and ultimately navigates her way into scriptwriting. Fanny tries to push a more independent path and comes up against the very traditional expectations and mores of her boyfriend Ezra and cousin Mimi that were the norm in the 1950s. Her feminist struggles along with the backdrop of McCarthyism and the constant threat of blacklists for writers, actors and producers make this story both an interesting read and one that is still relevant to current day challenges faced by women (demanding equal pay) and . authors (seeing their books being pulled from school libraries). A solid well researched story with great writing and a protagonist that you can't help but root for. The ending may be a bit predictable but is still very satisfying. Readers of WWII and US 20th century fiction will enjoy this read. Highly recommend!

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book to review)
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In an exuberant post-WWII New York City, a young woman is forced to reinvent her life and choose between the safe and the ethical, and the men who represent each.

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.

It seems like Fanny has a family that is as confused as mine is over rules of what was expected of a woman in the 1950s as my mother was: her ambition was to get off the farm and marry a man with income potential … she did that. (My mom was and still is the ultimate micro-manager of everything … including my life when she is not hyper-focused on her perfect, non-adopted/biological son…maybe I need to write THAT book).

Like Fanny wrecking lives, most of us have dealt with women (or mothers) who did this for us or taught us how to do it, especially dealing with The Blacklists of Hollywood. Do you think being “cancelled for being a Karen” is bad now? Well, pick up this book and learn how the 1950s destroyed lives forever courtesy of McCarthy and the HUAC - House Un-American Activities Committee. (For more on that, watch the excellent movie “The Majestic”!)

A great blend of fiction and history – it will be enjoyed by mothers and daughters alike. And if you love historical novels with impeccable research, this book will truly float your boat!
#shortbutsweetreviews

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's for the opportunity to read THE TROUBLE WITH YOU by Ellen Feldman.

Please know that this is a case of me not you. Or in this case, me not the book. Haha!

The premise of this novel really drew me in. I love historical fiction and the fact that this book takes place after World War 2 and deals with McCarthyism really appealed to me. I think Feldman is an excellent writer who did a ton of research and it shows. This didn't feel like a book that was written "about" the time period, but was inserted with modern views; it felt like a true historical piece. However, I just did not connect to the main character of Fanny (I felt she was wishy washy in her character) and thus I cannot give the book more than 3 stars.

What a wonderful book and so relevant to the issues women are facing today. It’s the story of a young woman who looses her husband suddenly after he returned home safely from WWll. She is left with a small child to raise and forced to find work in a time when women working was frowned upon. With the support of her remarkable Aunt she finds success as a writer only to face the challenges of McCarthyism and blacklisting. We follow her story as she becomes a truly independent women and how she finds a way to deal with her personal life, career, and the political climate of the 1950s.

I loved this novel and recommend it highly.

Thank you NetGalley, publisher and author for allowing me to review this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was very different from what I normally read (smut) and I welcomed the change. I loved her writing style, and the slight the suspense. I think this would be a great book for a book club!

Taking place after World War II, "The Trouble with You" covers twenty years of fictional Fanny Fabricant’s life raising her daughter Chloe. A widow, Fanny has two suitors, Ezra Rapaport and Charlie Berlin. One is a doctor, the other is a script writer during the McCarthy era.

Fanny, her cousin Mimi, her friend Ava and her Aunt Rose all have a hand in raising Chloe while Fanny figures out if she wants to re-marry and give up working as a secretary in the writing department of radio shows.

The author of this story, Ellen Feldman, puts this book squarely during the polio epidemic of the fifties and early sixties in New York City. In so doing, one is reminded of what everyone went through during the recent Covid pandemic. It is comforting to read fiction about how people thrive during epidemics and political upheavals.

Reminiscent of the work by the late Grace Paley, this book would appeal to people who enjoy reading about women living in an earlier American era during different social mores.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

While I enjoyed the premise of this book, the story moved too slow for me and lacked a true crescendo. The topic was very interesting to me and something I hadn't read about before despite being a huge fan of historical fiction, but I would have preferred to have more meat to the "red scare" aspects. Fanny was also somehow likeable while also irritating in her lack of self awareness. I tried to remind myself what she was doing was monumental for women of her time, but she just kept coming off as meak and indecisive despite having a fairly solid support system in Rose. Rose and Charlie were the highlight of the book for me. I enjoyed the ending, but it felt like it took sooooo long for Fanny to figure out how to live her life for herself that it wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped.

The Trouble With You

Fanny was widowed just after the end of WWII. Her doctor husband has a stroke and dies shortly after his military service is concluded. She and her daughter moved into a small apartment, and she and her Ivy League education, a degree in English, went to a job typing scripts at a radio station. She goes from typing scripts to writing scripts, to co-writing scripts with a blacklisted writer and taking full credit so he could have some income.

Fanny has important choices to make: which of two men she loves, whether or not to get married again, and whether or not to continue co-writing the scripts with the blacklisted writer.

This is a good read with an interesting point of view.

Another good read by Ellen Feldman. I’ve enjoyed all of her books. I like her writing, and specifically in this book I enjoyed the literary references and the touch of suspense. It is a solid time piece told at just the right pace. My one issue is it is a bit too predictable but that doesn’t diminish my strong recommendation as an enjoyable read.

Thank you you to NetGalley for providing this early release in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I enjoyed this story of Fanny Fabricant, a woman not afraid to live life her way during a time when woman weren't allowed to have bank accounts without a man's permission.

It seemed a bit strange to read things I remember from my past as a historical novel. Although McCarthyism and its blacklisting of writers, actors and movie people was something I recall living through it did not have the same impact on my life that it does on the characters in The Trouble with You.

Fanny Fabricant is happily married to Max, a newly minted doctor. She is the mother of five-year-old Chloe. Max returns safely after the war but dies unexpectedly from a brain aneurism. Fanny is unprepared to earn a living to support herself and her child. With help from her left-leaning seamstress Aunt Rose, she gets a job as secretary to a soap opera writer. What is so interesting is the hide-bound nature of feminine and masculine roles in this era. Women may work until they are married, then must be housewives and mothers. Although McCarthyism and its blacklisting of writers, actors and movie people was something I remember, it did not have the same impact on my life that it does on the characters in The Trouble with You. (My mother worked outside the home and it was not considered unusual.)

There are two men in Fanny’s life: Dr. Ezra and writer Charlie. The Doc has “traditional” values while the writer is more open minded. Who will Fanny choose? Lives are upended in the Congressional hunt for “Commies” and drastic methods must be undertaken for economic survival after blacklisting by the HUAC cause loss of careers.

This is a very well written book, as you would expect of Ellen Feldman. It’s an almost Five Star review except for the peripheral character, who are wooden and two dimensional. Not so Fanny Fabricant. She is real and relatable.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy.