After multiple tries, I'm giving up. Despite initially enjoying the overall "yesteryears" atmosphere and the head-strong heroine, I just couldn't get into the story. A miss for me. But I'm sure it'll find its audience!

I am a member of the American Library Association Sophie Brody Medal Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2025 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners, honorable mentions and noteworthy titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2025/01/jozsef-debreczeni-named-winner-of-2025-sophie-brody-medal/">

Bea Abramovitz is a smart, determined woman in a time when she is overlooked simply because she is a woman. Her story is loaded with characters so real it feels like I could join them for Shabbat. The events that unfold are ones I had known of, but not experienced until reading this book.

Samantha Greene Woodruff is the author of The Lobotomist’s Wife, which I have not read. However, her style reminds me of Emily Bleeker’s When We Were Enemies. Woodruff took a historical event and gave it life; Bea’s experiences leading to the tragedy of the stock market crash helped me see it as if I were living through it myself. Several details and nuances I had never considered came to life as I read.

With that in mind, it was a difficult start to push through. The prologue hooked me in, but the first half dozen chapters were full of exposition and character backstory. I felt frustrated with the repetition of the unfairness of gender inequality in the 1920s - it sucked, we get it - and I think that the weaving of Bea’s journey more than illustrated what we as readers need to take away in regards to that. I would have loved to dive in around chapter 8 or so. After that, I was pulled in - I needed to know what would happen; I could see the disaster approaching and I braced for the impact. I was quite impressed with the ability Woodruff had to take a (somewhat dry) tragedy of American history and give it the spotlight it deserves. I found myself questioning my own security with banking and investments, simply from living in the world of Bea Abramovitz.

All in all, reading this ARC (thank you NetGalley!) had me adding her first novel to my TBR. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Wow I just loved this book, set in Wall Street during the boom and crash in the 1920s with the most inspirational characters. Bea is smart but due to her gender and background cannot get the job in the city she deserves….such an amazing book with incredibly written characters that I could visualise. Highly recommend

I love this author's writing style and the way she captures your attention and draws you into the narrative. The timeline leading up to the stock market crash was a great way to tell this story. Bea is a fascinating character that has so much to offer, but limited options in the financial world of the 1920's and using her brother as the face of their endeavor comes with it's own problems. I learned so much while reading this book and I'm inspired to investigate my own foray into the stock market.

Taking place during the 1920s in New York City. Bea, is a young Jewish woman who is a math whiz and works her way into the stock market. While her twin brother may be the golden boy, Bea was the smart one, and didn't let society, race, gender or her religion hold her back. If you like historical fiction with a strong female lead this one is for you. A beautifully written and inspiring story. I loved it.

this book was very exciting and full of emotions! Inspired by a true story, it was easy to put myself in this family's shoes as they experienced the ups and downs of the stock market. Bea was so smart and had such a mind for numbers. I could feel her frustration at being held back simply because she was a woman. I'm so grateful that times have changed (though far from perfect) and this is not something I would have to experience you're looking for an exciting and gripping historical fiction novel, add this one to your TBR!

The Trade Off by Samantha Greene Woodruff was not only an interesting and absorbing story about the 1929 stock market crash, but it was also an ode to feminism.

Unabashedly, I can share that I know very little about the stock market. I loved that I learned so much through this historical fiction novel and the many Instagram posts that the author shared to help educate the newbies, like me. Have I heard the terms bull and bear market? Absolutely, and yes, I know what they meant, but she taught me WHY they were called bull or bear markets.

Bea was a fabulous character whose smarts were unparalleled. She was brazen in her determination to be a stock broker and it was heartbreaking to see the blatant misogyny at play. Her blind loyalty to her brother showed that she was numbers smart but didn’t necessarily see the small stuff happening under her nose. Bea and Jake really relied on each other as they were under the strict watch and keep of their immigrant parents. Their brains worked quite differently as Bea was cautious and studious, while Jake was all charm and risk.

The friends Bea made along with their significant others made for a good and loyal group of friends. I loved the relationships between them all. Portraying Jewish characters from the “wrong” side of town was an important thread to explore in the novel. I loved Bea’s mother as she doted on Jake, while not knowing his get-rich-quick schemes would be their potential downfall.

I am certain there will be plenty of good fodder for book clubs to dig into with this one. Knowing that the story is based on a real person adds even more depth to the story. Note: I also really liked the author’s first novel, The Lobotomist’s Wife, another one in which I learned quite a lot. Check it out!

The stock market crash of 1929 as seen through the eyes of a young woman who has parlayed her love of mathematics and keen memory into a Wall Street role, back when the only women who broke into the industry were the wealthy and well-connected. Historical fiction featuring a Jewish family from the Lower East Side, a young woman with talent and ambition to spare, and an introduction to "leverage" and 'short sales," both of which came into play as the markets crashed.

Thank you to the author Samantha Greene Woodruff, publishers Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of THE TRADE OFF. All views are mine.

<b>Partial Reading Notes </b>

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. A really wonderful description of the 1929 market crash, from the trading floor. She humanizes the chaos through the thoughts of the narrating character.

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. <i>["...What] drives the rises and falls? Why do prices land where they do? And how do they continue to soar and <b>make our economy the greatest in the world?”</i></b> p22 I don't think I will get along with this book's politics. One more dog whistle and I will close the book.

2. And, again.<i> She, Bea Abramovitz, was about to become a real professional broker. She had never been so happy to be alive<b> in the 1920s, when a woman could do anything.</i> </b>p29 A woman couldn't have a checking account or line of credit in her name in the 1920's. I can't tell if this is sarcasm or a jab at feminism, but I don't want to wonder through 300 pages of story.

3. It's fine for the author to express her own  politics in her own book. But I don't have to like it or finish the book. DNF @ 10%

Rating: DNF @ 10%
Finished: Nov 21 '24
Format: Digital arc, NetGalley

I didn't know brothers and sisters could get along... and Jake and Bea have their ups and downs. Money and greed tend to come between family members often and this is no exception. Bea might be the brains, but Jake has the reputation and the contacts. It's a historical clash that I genuinely enjoyed reading!

This novel is an interesting mix of historical fiction along with an education on the stock market. I was glad to read this thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and of course the author! As the main character fights in the late 1920’s to become a woman stock broker the market changes and as we all know eventually what happens with the market crash of 1929. The author meticulously covers the details and all the main characters actions during those times.

This was a very interesting book and definitely kept me reading the whole way. It’s not the most sophisticated historical fiction writing, but the creativity in the story and the character development make up for it. This is a subject I have not read about before and found it fascinating. Bea is a dynamic main character who you always want to root for.

This is an interesting look at the Wall Street crash from the point of view of a woman, who is an amazing mathematician and wants to be a broker herself.

The book starts with a tragic scene from the crash, then the reader goes back to the path that led Bea Abramovitz and her Wall Street family to that moment. After she graduates from school, she knows she wants to work in the market. She finds a professor who will teach her a little, which she uses to get a job at the House of Morgan. She hopes it will eventually help her have the ability to buy and sell shares herself, but she finds that women are not ever given that position. She has a twin brother who has his own ups and downs, and this is the story of the way they work together, with her family during those times.

“…that, to work in the investment arm of a bank, it doesn’t matter what you know,” ch 17

“Life is about compromise, trade-offs. We all have to make them. We give up some things, we get others.” Ch 43

“Jesse Livermore, a Wall Street legend who famously shorted the Crash of ’29 and made a fortune. And the seed of The Trade Off was planted.” Epilogue

Historical fiction can be hit or miss for me but this was a home run. Bea is a strong woman in a time when women were part of the background. She’s smart, forward thinking and determined to get ahead. She devices a plan to be the brains with her twin while he is the front man. What could possibly go wrong?

I have a minor in finance so her plan intrigued me. I cheered Bea on from start to finish even when I hoped she’d make a few different decisions.

I love that this smart historical fiction read has nothing to do with war. Even so it’s about a fascinating era with likable characters.

I give it all the stars.

Set in the Roaring 20s, this story left me wanting to come of age during this decade. The glitz, the glamour, the razzle-dazzle – all of the highs building to the bust of the Great Depression of 1929 (where I lost the desire to live in the 20s).

Our female main character has guts and grit; I couldn’t help but love her. At a time of high stakes, Bea goes all in to pursue her dream. When she notices signs of problems to come, no one will listen to her. With a cast of complex and realistic characters, they represent people of the era. This story inserted me into the 1920s seamlessly and immersed me in a decade that will live in infamy. The adrenaline built with each page and crashed along with people’s dreams. Based on exquisite research, this historical fiction is one for the books.

THE TRADE OFF takes place during my favorite time period the roaring 1920's. Not only are there flapper girls and Speakeasy's but it is the start of the depression and the Wall Street Crash.

Bea Abramovitz excels in math and an uncanny understanding of the stock market. Her dream is to become a Wall Street Stock Broker. The problem is she is a poor Jewish immigrant and a woman trying to break into a man's world with no connections. She cannot even get a job in the woman's division.

Bea gets a job as a secretary in the Wire Dept where she amazes everyone with her memory of the ups and downs of the stocks. We follow her journey as she works with her twin brother to help him rise up the Wall Street ladder. Bea sees troubling signs of a crash coming but no one will believe her. It is up to her to save her family.

I love everything about this fast paced story. Bea's determination and perseverance to make it in a man's world and help her family is inspiring. I learned so much about the workings of the stock market and what women went through during this time period. Bea also has a romance that suffers because of her giving more attention to her brother and the stock market. I liked how Bea's friends rallied around her. In the end they become more like a family. This book was well researched and the characters well developed. I think anyone who enjoys a story with a strong female lead will enjoy this book.

Thank you @samgwoodruffauthor Lake Union Publishing, Netgalley and @suzyapprovedbooktours for the #gifted book.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don't typically read a lot of historial novels, I was glad to pick up this captivating story that tells the struggles and triumphs of a brilliant woman fighting for her place in the male dominanted Wall street in 1920s. Despite being brilliant with an extraordinary understanding of the stock market, Bea faces an uphill struggle as she faces limitation and restrictions the society sets for women. The book is based on a true story, documents the complex morality that money brings, and inspring courage it takes to pursuit a dream.

I really enjoyed the Trade Off! It is a fun historical fiction with an inspiring female character working in finance leading up to the Great Depression. It offers a little of everything - love, family relationships, historical fiction and suspense! An easy book to recommend.

This novel captures the grit, glamor, and nail-biting tension of Wall Street in the 1920s. For context, I'm reading and reviewing this book during the 2024 USA federal election season. It feels like the terrifying tension of our current historic moment may be somewhat parallel to the forces leading up to the October 1929 Wall Street stock market crash. Young Bea Abramovitz is a woman in business (despite her immigrant parents' expectations that she assume a traditional role as a housewife). Bea is also in love, and faces tough choices. Can she achieve her career ambitions in a world dominated by men? Can she also marry the man of her dreams? Can she save her family from financial ruin by strategic stock market trading?

The book will likely appeal to those interested in historic women's roles in the business world, and in novels set in 1920s NYC. The style is straightforward and almost journalistic at times.