I ended up not finishing this novel because I wasn't interested in the story and found the writing to be lacking. I did post a "currently reading" photo.

Very interesting book hell. The author told a love story through the eyes of a woman named F a n n y. The war ended and max came home from the war they were married and they had a little girl named Chloe. Life seemed to be really going well for them. But one tragic night he fell on the closet and died. Franny had to get over this grief and start a new life. Her aunt named rosie was politically occupied in the nineteen thirties. So franny finally got a job at a radio station who did soap operas. The person who ran this place was named alice and she was very interesting and she would get scripts and put them on the air for women who are home all the time. Crane , it was very lonely and then this man who worked for alice named charles came in. He was a scriptwriter for her, but he had a very interesting background as well. They talked about the black listing in the 50s and how one of the writers and actors couldn't produce anymore because the government said they were Communist.. Charles was caught up on this and he was also fired. Her friend ava was also blocked listed and she could not work in broadway because of this. Franny fell for a doctor because when her daughter chloe got sick , they started to see each other. This was not a really good match for her. I think she really loved charles because he let her decide what to do what not to do. Charles put her up to this to write scripts under her name , but he actually wrote them. I think this was really powerful for a woman who had to make choices and in that time. The Doctor didn't really want her to work. When he wanted to marry her. Her friend Susan stay home but then she went back to work too. Her cousin name Mir was very wealthy and she lost her husband during the war. But she married a very You're a nice man named carol. She had a daughter as well and her uncle would hang out together. I like this book because it showed how women had to fight a versity. And they talked about the block listing. Her aunt rose was A political activist in the S EAM s Tr ESS Union.. The author did a really good job tying all these ends together

Quick and Dirty
-post-WWII NYC setting
-highly feminist
-reads more like litfic than histfic
-wonderful character study
-Cold War themes

What Worked
Wow! I was not expecting this book AT ALL. The Trouble with You was the most pleasant surprise. I love most historical fiction, but I’m slowly realizing that my favorite historical fictions incorporate aspects of literary fiction. This book was exactly that: highly character-driven, principled, explores the internal world of the MC, and ambling. Fanny’s story is full of beauty, pain, and perseverance. Watching her navigate her world was fascinating, with so many personal and political things competing for the reader’s attention. Fanny’s relationships with Chloe, Rose, Charlie, and Ezra all highlight the complexity of WOMANHOOD. The author’s approach/writing style was real, raw, and full of emotion. Everything from the lovely romances to the mother/daughter bonds felt authentic and relatable. What a beautiful book!

What Didn’t Work
Honestly, I can’t think of anything other than I didn’t have enough time to read it in one sitting as I wanted.

Read This If
Folks who enjoy highly character-driven stories impacted by social/political events (in this case WWII ending and Cold War beginning) will find this read hard to put down.

I was offered the opportunity to read an early copy of this novel, and I'm so glad that I said yes. What a gem! The Trouble with You is well-written and compelling. I appreciated the nod to strong women who persevered in challenging circumstances, at a time in our nation when fear permeated daily living. This poignant novel spotlights post-war America, McCarthyism, society's expectations for women, and the clever, creative business of producing radio serials. The women's relationships were especially touching. I liked how they helped each other grieve, spoke candidly when necessary, and celebrated one another's successes. I'm a huge romance fan, so of course I adored the banter and slow-burn romance as well.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared here are my own.

The Trouble With You was a work of historical fiction that was a bit quieter than the very glitzy ones - so was the period covered the postWWII time in NYC … for Fanny the protagonist things were adjusting to a new normal, her doctor husband back from the war, luckily, no longer alone with her young daughter Chloe, moving to the suburbs from the city to live in a house instead of an apartment until everything comes to a crashing halt when Fanny‘s husband Max dies of an aneurysm. Suddenly she, who has been prepared to be a wife from early on, needs to work to support herself and her daughter and she needs to figure out how to deal with her grief. Work is not easy to come by since respectable women have been pushed out of the workplace by men returning from the war. And Fanny does consider herself a respectable woman, raised well. She finds her place as a secretary working in radio serials even advancing to writer during the McCarthy years of blacklisting and persecution of suspected communists. At this point in time Fanny is faced with hard choices especially for someone who is raising a kid. Her choice between a life of risk or safety, is also represented by her two potential relationship interests - Charlie, an unconventional playwright (blacklisted) or Ezra, another doctor willing to offer her qnd Chloe a home and a life where she doesn’t have to work.
It was so interesting to read about the McCarthy blacklisting of writers and actors, the fear it raised, the way the paranoia influenced day to day life and the strict societal norms of the time about the role of women, including whether married women should work outside the home- both my mother and my mother in law were still highly educated university trained stay at home wives even after all kids were out of the house so I guess those times aren’t so long ago ... I loved the way the author portrayed Fanny's conflicts safety vs. independence, a prized accessory or a very own route.
I recommend this book as a quieter but no less intriguing historical fiction read.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

The Trouble With You AUDIO by Ellen Feldman is the Story of Fanny (Florence) Fabricant who is a young, educated wife and mother until that one moment when her husband’s heart gives out and her life changes on a dime. She moves from their lovely house into an apartment in the city and is soon convinced that she must find work. Her first job is behind a cosmetics counter in a department store, where she and her supervisor quickly realize she is far too honest for a sales position. Her aunt knows a woman in broadcast radio serials (soap operas) who needs a secretary. Fanny types. It is a win-win. There she is introduced to people who she had never known existed, one named Charley Berlin, a writer. Another, Ava, an actress. Before too long they have both been black-listed as this is the post-war world of McCarthy and his hunt for Communists. Rose, her aunt and mentor, is unashamedly liberal and guides Fanny through these rough times as she fights an internal battle between what is right and what is not.

Fanny is an amazing character who growth is overshadowed only by the people she meets and allows into her life. She is resilient, open-to-change, and caring. She loves her daughter but we watch as the inevitable time arrives when the world draws Chloe away from her. She wants to remarry but the memory of Max is still too alive for her to make that move. Even when she becomes engaged, she withdraws. The only thing that she lives for is her writing. She has become a script writer for her old boss and she is good at it. Then, she faces a moral dilemma, and the reader lives through that with her. It is an engrossing listen as Fanny lives her life and determines what she wants from it. Her character is exquisite and entertaining as are those around her. The story takes us to a different time, but was it a better time?

The narrator is Kathryn Markey who does a brilliant job with Fanny, all the characters really, and their New York City accents. The accent is always there but it rises and falls until the listener is no longer aware it exists. Whether this is native to Markey or not, she does it well. There could not be a better reader for this lovely novel.

I was invited to listen to the audio version of The Trouble With You by RM Media. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #RBMedia #EllenFeldman #TheTroubleWithYou

Set in New York in the aftermath of WWII, The Trouble with You by Ellen Feldman revolves around Fanny Fabricant, a young mother, whose life is upended after her husband Max suddenly dies after returning home from the War. Grieving for her husband and with a five-year-old daughter, Chloe- who is heartbroken and misses her father dearly - to care for, she is aware that her existing funds could only support them for a limited interval of time. Fanny, a college graduate, having married a doctor, had been satisfied with life as a homemaker. She had never imagined joining the workforce to support herself. Employment opportunities for women were hard to come by. The rise in employment for women during WWII was essentially a stopgap measure to temporarily fill positions left vacant by men fighting in the war. Once the men returned, female employees were let go and expected to revert to their traditional roles of homemakers. With the help of her Aunt Rose, an independent woman ahead of her time, Fanny eventually secures a position as a secretary to a woman who produced radio serials – an experience that motivates her to discover her true potential. The narrative follows Fanny as she navigates her way through her new life as an independent woman, balancing her responsibilities on both the home and work front. She also meets new people including a scriptwriter whose reputation as a troublemaker precedes him and a doctor friend of her late husband with whom she and Chloe could have a life similar to the one she had envisioned with Max.

I loved the premise of this novel and thought it was very well-written. In the changing political and social landscape of the 1950s, Fanny’s story is one of loss, courage, resilience, self-discovery and reinvention. The author deftly weaves the gender politics of the era, the "Red Scare"and the HUAC investigations and the subsequent blacklisting of writers/actors and other entertainment industry professionals into the plot. The story is shared from the perspective of Fanny with segments from Chloe’s perspective interspersed throughout the narrative. Fanny is an interesting protagonist and I was invested in her journey. Aunt Rose was probably my favorite character in the story. The pace is relatively slower in the first half of the novel but picks up as the narrative progresses. I did feel, however, that the ending was rushed and I would have liked to know more about how Fanny and Chloe fared in the gap years. I did like how the author chose to end the story.

Overall, this was definitely an engaging read that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to fans of character-driven historical fiction with strong female protagonists.

Many thanks to St, Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Having a Marine father who survived WWII and met my mom after the war, I was heavily invested in wanting to read this story. The beginning chapters were intensely personal for me. I caught the first reference about not swimming in a pool knowing that the author was writing about polio. My mother’s cousin was 12 years old when he got polio and passed away several days later. Her brother contracted polio in 1944 when he was a junior in high school. He spent almost a year in an iron lung. This part of the novel hooked me right away. I also connected with what was expected of a woman during this time—-the clothes, not working, the serials………I was drawn in by Mimi and Fanny’s friendship. I could definitely see that Ellen Feldman did her research on the Red Scare, women’s roles in society……….Around the half-way mark, the book did slow down for me. I wanted to see more of Mimi and Fanny together along with Rose. For me the storyline with Charlie got old. This book was a 3.5 raised to 4 stars due to the first half of the book. I also loved the cover. I look forward to reading a future book by Ellen Feldman. My thanks to St. Matin’s Griffin and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

A story of love and loss and making difficult choices in order to create the life you want.

Fanny is supposed to marry and stay at home and raise children but when life throws her a curveball she has to make different choices. She finds a job working for a radio serial and finds that the work is interesting and something she is good at. But when the blacklist targets the radio serials and people she calls friends she needs to make a difficult choice. The choice is made more difficult by people in her life wanting her to stop her work. Will the blacklist ruin Fanny's life? When forced to choose she has to decide which path to follow to create the life she wants.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. I enjoyed the strong female characters set during a time when women were suppose to only keep the home. A little bit of a slow start that picks up as you get to know the characters. An enjoyable historical fiction.

Fanny Fabricant was one of the lucky women whose husband made it through the war and came home. With a new house and her young daughter Chloe, life is good. When her husband suddenly dies she must give up the house and she is lost in her sorrow. Thank goodness she has her Aunt Rose, a woman who took her skills with a needle and turned it into a successful business. She pushes Fanny to find a job. Fanny starts by typing scripts for radio serials and comes to love the people she works with. This is the 1950s, however, and Joseph McCarthy is on a witch hunt with the HUAC. Fanny sees how the writers and actors are affected when several are blacklisted. Approached by Charlie Berlin, one of the script writers, she is asked to act as a front and put her name on his scripts. It is her way of taking a stand against what is happening.

Rose encourages Fanny to open herself up to a new relationship. When she meets Chloe’s doctor there is a mutual attraction and they begin to date. She accepts his proposal, but working with Charlie she has become more than a typist. She has been contributing to the scripts and they begin to write for television. At a time when women were often pitied for having to work, Fanny discovers that she loves what she does and there is an attraction to Charlie, who encourages her. Her fiancé expects her to stop working after they marry. It would embarrass him, with people thinking that he could not afford to support her. It forces Fanny to look at what she really wants. Reading this book was often a trip down memory lane. Like Chloe, I was entertained by Howdy Doody and the shows of early television. While Ellen Feldman’s story was entertaining from the first page, those references made this an absolute joy to read. This is a love story and a lesson in history that is often emotional and filled with characters to fall in love with. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for my review.

A really interesting story about the difficulties of women who wanted to be independent in the 1950’s. While all the men were fighting in the war, women were working. But when the men came back, women were expected to go back to being housewives and looking after the children. Women who were married were expected not to work because their husbands were ashamed as it looked like he could not provide for them. Fanny lost her husband right after the war. She had to work to sipport her young daughter and herself. After starting as a secretary, she advanced to script writing. She did meet a nice doctor who wanted to marry her. She said yes but never seemed very enthusiastic about her decision. Also, he did not want her to work, saying it would embarrass him. Will she continue to work or won’t she? I loved the story and I loved the characters.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fanny has had to reinvent her life. She has been raised to be a “good wife”. But life throws her a curve ball and she has to get a job and create a whole new world for herself and her daughter.

If you follow my reviews at all, you know I am a big fan of strong women characters. And Fanny is just that! It takes her a little bit. But when she jumps into the workforce, nothing stops her.

This book is very close to a 5 star read. The only reason it is not is that it slows down a bit in the middle, or rather, it could have been a bit shorter maybe. But, you can’t go wrong with it. The story of Fanny definitely keeps you entertained from start to finish.

I love how once she became dependent on herself, she was not going back. And she had an opportunity or two to get married and become the “good wife” she was raised to be. She outgrew this thought and the constraints of the time period.

The narrator, Kathryn Markey, is the perfect voice of Fanny!

Need a good historical fiction…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

I really enjoyed this novel. I liked the fact that the McCarthy era was explored from the point of view of some who were blacklisted, and I also appreciated reading about what life was like for a single mother in the late 40s and during the 50s. Well researched and well written.

The Trouble With You by Ellen Feldman is a story of a woman who is trying to get her bearings as a widow, a mom, and also as a breadmaker. In a time when women were relegated into the kitchens and living rooms, Fanny was a writer for radio serials.

Set during the late 1940s and 1950s, this book shows the world after WWII. Some men return, and some don’t. Fanny's man returns, but shockingly, she becomes a widow afterward. She needs to take care of herself and her daughter. She becomes a writer for radio serials in a turn of events. But in the wake of HUAC and blacklist, will her livelihood be safe?

This book is slow paced, and though I enjoyed it in parts, I had trouble getting into it. In some parts, I was really keen to know more about Fanny's writing career. It picks up a bit and again falls flat.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press for this book.

Choice’s woman had to make and the political environment after World War II in the US
Woman brought up to be homemakers and mothers finding themselves windowed with young child after the war years. Should she do what is expected, look for a husband taking cousin Mimi’s advice or follow her aunt Rose’s advice and apply for a job? Single man returning from the war had their pickings of young women without children to start their own families. As Fanny is adjusting to her new life, working as a secretary to the queen of radio serials, she makes new friends, even a bit of romantic interests. Through it all she becomes aware of the injustice of the McCarthy trials who blacklisted so many people suspected of having communist sympathies. Blacklisted meant nobody would hire you been afraid of been blacklisted themselves. A lot of paranoia was going around. A remarkable story, nicely written and a good reflection of the mentality of that time.

This was a good read! It felt a little slow for the first half or so and I had a difficult time staying engaged. Overall, I liked this. The main characters were well developed, and the story had a unique, interesting arc!

The Trouble With You by Ellen Feldman is a story of a young woman in post WWII New York City when she is faced with the choice between playing it safe and risking everything for what is right. As the fighting men are coming home from war, the country is on a high note and settling into the life of marriage, family and a booming economy. In an instant, the rosy future of Fanny Fabricant was turned upside down. Educated for a career as a wife and mother, she is torn between being the “nice girl” like her cousin Mimi and being the rebel like her Aunt Rose. Fanny takes a job in radio serials and forges friendships with an actress and a man who writes the series and comes face-to-face with the blacklist and McCarthyism. Will she follow her heart or will she allow societal norms to dictate her actions?
I thoroughly enjoy Ellen Feldman’s stories as she writes about the stories in the aftermath of war, a time most stories gloss over or forget. The Trouble With You features a scary time in the United States as the Cold War begins to heat up and the fear of communism is everywhere and the one man leading the charge. It is an interesting story; however, I would have liked to see and feel more of the impact of the blacklist and the panic going on with McCarthyism. It was talked about but I feel it didn’t quite come across as how much of an impact the Hollywood blacklist had spread. I enjoyed Fanny as she struggles with her choices. Overall, I enjoyed The Trouble With You and I look forward to reading more stories from Ms. Feldman. If you are interested in stories of life after the war, I recommend The Trouble With You.

The Trouble With You is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Thank you to the author Ellen Feldman, publishers St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of THE TROUBLE WITH YOU. All views are mine.

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. One of the most romantic scenes I've ever read, and beautifully written: loc.59.

2. Feldman uses foreshadowing masterfully. I cannot tear myself away from this story. Loc.232

3. I adore the McCarthy-era political intrigue subplot! Paranoia is such an effective driver of conflict in a story and Feldman uses it well in this one.

4. I like that this story addresses story politics, and how story politics can overshadow a story's purpose, keep it from reaching its audience.

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. This book, more specifically Aunt Rose, is very hard on the fmc. I realize these were the social conditions of the time, but a touch of empathy from the narrator would have made for a better read for me.

2. The narrator makes an aside about how unnecessary literary writing is, or literary analysis. That all that matters is whether or not the audience connects with the characters and story. She’s right about the importance of connection, at least. I remember connecting with this book in the beginning, in part, ironically, because the writing is clear and good. The creative form, the experperimental time line, the direct narrative voice. This book has clear literary characteristics and moments. It's admir work, and that matters.

3. I can't find the plot in all this activity. She doesn't stick with anything long enough. It's like a string of beads rather than a rope, but only rope pulls the weight of a novel length story.

4. The ending is anticlimactic, but fittingly focused on the story's female characters.

Rating: 🪒🪒🪒🪒 / 5 shaving kits
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: Feb 20 '24
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
⏳️ historical fiction
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 family stories, family drama
😭 loss and grief
💇‍♀️ women's coming of age
👩‍🏫 women's employment in the 20th century

I received a complimentary electronic copy of the Advanced Reader's Copy of this excellent novel from Netgalley, author Ellen Feldman, and publisher St. Martin's Press (Austin Adams). Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read The Trouble With You of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend Ellen Feldman to friends and family. She writes an intricate tale with personable characters and an intriguing storyline. I always seem to enjoy an Ellen Feldman book. She is on my list of favorite authors.

I hope you are going to appreciate this tale. We follow the trials and tribulations - and lots of good times, as well - in the lives and loves of Fanny and her daughter Chloe from 1941 through the end of World War II and until 1955 in New York City, with telling input of world affairs and politics and a firm touch of the red-scare that made the United States into a paranoid mockery of freedom. Viewed from our current time it's hard to imagine how McCarthyism affected life in America unless you can remember, and there are few of us left who can. We mustn't let this happen again. We old folks turn the watch over to you youngsters. It only takes one powerful person to make paranoia seem reasonable unless everyone makes the effort to stay aware of the true facts. We must keep it real.