The Book Club for Troublesome Women is a heartfelt and inspiring ode to the strength of women and the bonds that hold them together. It introduces readers to a diverse group of women, each navigating life’s challenges—some more daunting than others. These women find solace, courage, and unexpected friendships through their shared love of books and their decision to form a book club. What makes this story so touching is its honesty about struggles: grief, fear, reinvention, and hope. Bostwick writes with warmth and sensitivity, creating characters that feel like people you’d want to know. Their individual journeys intertwine beautifully, showing how women supporting each other can create space for healing, growth, and transformation. It’s not just about the books they read—it’s about the conversations they have, the laughter they share, and the strength they lend one another as they face the messy, beautiful realities of life. By the end, you’re reminded of the power of community and the beauty of finding your tribe.

“‘What?’ He shouted. ‘What can you possibly want that we don’t already have? What?’ There was a pause, then the sound of a sob, choked with confusion and shame. ‘I don’t know. I don’t know. Just…more.’” - Ruth, Margaret’s mother, The Bookclub for Troublesome Women

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is the fascinating story of four women who form a book club based off the novel The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan which was an actual (and for some controversial) book published at the time this story takes place. The novel is set in the outskirts of the Georgetown/D.C. area. The bookclub members are Margaret, Charlotte, Viv, and Bitsy and the story explores the struggles and celebrations each woman confronts over the course of nine months in 1963.

All four women are married and three are mothers. Margaret begins a part-time job as a writer of lighthearted stories for a popular women’s magazine, Charlotte is striving to be an artist, Viv is a part-time nurse and Bitsy works as a stable hand. All four women face challenges with relationships, finances and careers. Friedan’s novel, a proclamation about being a woman and the unspoken feeling of wanting of more in their lives spurs these characters to reflect on what it means to themselves and, eventually, to the people around them.


I highly enjoyed this book. Marie Bostwick intertwines true historical events with the plot which emphasizes the importance of the challenges the women addressed.. The four women have very distinct personalities and compulsive narratives. I found myself very engaged and eager to find time to sit and read this book.


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

The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick is an inspiring novel set in the 1960s, where a group of women in a small American suburb of identical houses, form a book club to confront their personal challenges and the gender inequalities they face. In an era when women's voices were often silenced and their roles confined to traditional expectations, the characters struggle with issues like marital expectations, career limitations, and societal judgments.

As the women bond over literature, they begin to support one another in breaking free from these constraints, finding strength and empowerment through their shared experiences. Bostwick’s writing delves into the emotional impact of these gendered obstacles, while celebrating the transformative power of friendship, literature, and self-discovery. It’s a moving, heartwarming story that highlights how these women navigate and resist the social norms of the 1960s to create their own paths.

This was really good! Litfic isn't my typical genre but I am glad that I picked this one up. I thought this was incredibly well done, the characters and the plot kept me invested and I was honestly gripping my chair to see what happened next.

Winner: Marie Bostwick's The Book Club for Troublesome Women is the best book I've read this year. Four newly suburban women choose The Feminine Mystique as their first book, not knowing how life changing reading it will be. With humor and compassion, Bostwick portrays the challenges women faced trying to be more than housewives and mothers in post WW2, supporting each other through life crises, as well as celebrating each other. As a Baby Boomer, I benefitted from the convictions and commitments of women like these who fought for more.

a book about housewives in the sixties forming a book club and reading a book about women which in turn challenges their roles as such. obviously i had to pick this one up

set in the sixties, the book club for troublesome women follows four suburban women living the lives expected of them. but as they dive into "the feminine mystique", they start to challenge those roles and question everything. this was a good look at the limits placed on women at the time. i appreciated how the book tackled these themes while also acknowledging that friedan’s work mainly applied to a specific class of women.

that being said, i wanted more from the actual story. it felt one dimensional at times and the pacing wasn’t my favorite. i did love the themes of friendship and growth but i still found myself waiting for a bigger shift in the characters. overall though it’s still a solid read.

definitely a good pick for book clubs!

thanks netgalley for the ARC <3

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

I DNF this book, I just couldn’t get into the story. Too slow moving for me. I have tried to read it two different times. Therefore, I will let other reviewers who enjoy this book promote it, so I will not be posting on social media or reviews on retail sites. That way, this book gets much deserved attention from those reviewers who loved it!

The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick is an engaging and thought-provoking novel that beautifully captures the complexities of women's lives in 1963. This book doesn’t just skim the surface of history—it dives into the societal and familial challenges that women faced and how some found the strength to push back against the constraints placed upon them.

One of the things I loved most about this novel was how layered the women’s stories were. Each character had her own struggles, yet their journeys intertwined in a way that felt natural and real. Bostwick does an excellent job of showing how expectations were placed on women—not just by men, but sometimes by other women too.

Bostwick also does an incredible job of highlighting the small but significant obstacles women faced—things like opening a bank account or getting birth control without a husband's permission. These everyday struggles may seem shocking to modern readers, but they were very real in 1963, and in some ways, women are still fighting for true equality today.

What really made this book stand out for me was how much I recognized these women. We all know them—they are our mothers, our grandmothers, and for some readers, maybe even great-grandmothers. Their struggles, their resilience, their desire for more while still loving their families—it all felt so authentic. The book club and their reading of The Feminine Mystique weren’t just plot points; they were catalysts for reflection, making each woman reassess what she wanted for herself, not just what society dictated.

I have not read other books by Marie Bostwick, but I will be adding some of her other titles to my TBR List. I highly recommend The Book Club for Troublesome Women to historical fiction lovers, readers who enjoy books about books or book clubs, and those interested in feminism and women's rights. This is a great novel filled with rich, character-driven stories that explore how people navigate societal expectations. Lisa Flanagan, the audio version's narrator, was terrific. She did an excellent job with all the characters' voices, bringing their words to life. I truly loved this book, and I learned so much from it.

Thank you to HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse and NetGalley for the privilege of being able to listen and read along with the printed copy. The book is due to be released on April 22, 2025.

This book was such a great novel for women supporting women! These women are each others support system proving that you don't need anyone but your friends. It also shows that the American dream is not everything that people think it is but they learn to form strong bonds with others to be a strong support system!

Marie Bostwick’s The Bookclub for Troublesome Women is a heartfelt tribute to the quiet rebellions of women and the transformative power of friendship. Set in a 1960s suburb where conformity reigns, four seemingly "perfect" housewives—Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy, and Viv—find solace and strength in their clandestine book club. As they dissect The Feminine Mystique and share their own stifled dreams, their bond becomes a lifeline, pushing each to confront the gap between societal expectations and their hidden desires. Bostwick crafts these women with such warmth and authenticity that their struggles feel deeply personal, and their triumphs left me cheering.

What resonated most was the novel’s exploration of labels—how "troublesome" often just means "unwilling to settle." The Bettys’ journey—from polite discussion to bold self-discovery—is a testament to how books and sisterhood can ignite change. While the pacing slows slightly in the final act, the emotional payoff is deeply satisfying. For anyone who’s ever felt out of place in the role they’re expected to play, this story is a gentle nudge to keep turning the page toward the life you truly want.

Margaret, Viv, Charlotte and Bitsy form a book club. This was a book club that brought them together for more than just discussing books. They are friends but each gives the time together a different look on life. The story made me stop and think about what they were doing and saying. There were times while I was reading it slowed down a bit and I had to just keep reading.
This is a book that will be selected by many book clubs to read.
Thank you NetGalley, Marie Bostwick and HarperCollins Focus for the copy of The Book Club for Troublesome Women. This is my personal honest review.

I can’t wait to see this in future book clubs for troublesome (or not) women! Such a well done and engaging read throughout.

This book is about females in the 1960s era, it is greatly written and a very powerful story about how woman make their way and uplifting also emotional Would highly recommend.

As a woman, this book made me feel all the feelings - angry, sad, frustrated, amused, empowered, and hopeful. If you enjoyed “Lessons in Chemistry”, then this should be your next read!

✨Review - The Book Club For Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick

Set in early 1960s American suburbia, this book chronicles 4 wives and the way that reading Betty Friedan’s “The Feminine Mystique” together transformed their lives and friendships in ways they could never have imagined.

This is a beautiful and nuanced study of middle-class domesticity post WWII, exploring the birth of feminism and the awakening of women to the ways society shapes gender roles. I appreciated that it addressed not only women’s rights and roles, but also touched on the intersectionality of racial minority rights as well as the ways men can be as equally trapped by gender norms as women.

Each of the 4 ‘leading ladies’ are unique in personality and lived experience, so I felt like there was a good chance readers would resonate with at least one of them. That said, even though race is addressed as a secondary concern, the main characters are still all white.

I buddy-read this with my cousin, and toggled back and forth between print and audio. The audiobook narrator was excellent!! (And now we want to read “The Feminine Mystique” too!)

This book releases April 22, and would be an excellent book club read.

Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for the
ARC!

This was a read that went by quickly for me. I found each of the four Bettys likable and easy to root for, and I especially enjoyed the depiction of female friendship and how it transforms their lives. While the timing of the themes covered in this book is very apropos, I did feel like the author’s exploration of the patriarchy to be a little surface-level and on the nose. The author does also briefly acknowledge the limitations and lack of intersectionality of Friedan’s “The Feminine Mystique”, but it felt like a quick aside without any real attempts at further unpacking.

All in all, I think this was an easy read that allows you to start to drawing some parallels between the feminist movement of the 60s and today, especially for a reader that may not be familiar with second wave feminism!

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is set in 1963, shortly after the publication of The Feminine Mystique. It's historical fiction about a group of suburban housewives in Virginia that start a book club and their first pick is Friedan's new release: a decision that will change all of their lives.

It's hard to believe that only 80 years ago, women were treated as second-class citizens. Their opinions didn't matter, and if they voiced their opinions they were punished. Women couldn't have their own bank accounts without the signature of their husband.

I enjoyed reading about these women during that time. It was well-written and character-driven. Definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"The Book Club for Troublesome Women" by Marie Bostwick is a moving and thought-provoking novel that beautifully captures the power of female friendship.
Set in 1960s Virginia, the story follows four women who, dissatisfied with their lives, form a book club that soon becomes much more than just a reading group. As they delve into the bestseller "The Feminine Mystique", they begin questioning societal expectations, their roles as wives and mothers, and what it truly means to live a fulfilling life. One of the book’s biggest strengths is how it brings the time period to life. The struggles these women face feel real and relatable, even today. Bostwick does a fantastic job of weaving humor, heart, and historical context into the narrative, making it both entertaining and insightful.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, HarperCollins Focus, and Marie Bostwick for the ARC!

Sweet, fun, and heartwarming. Definitely liked this more than I thought I would. Nothing earthshattering, but a nice light read.

Marie Bostwick gives a glimpse into the lives of 4 women in 1963. They all live in a very cookie-cutter community where women really don't have a say in any part of their lives. Men rule everything around them and they honestly can't do anything without a man's permission.

I really enjoyed this glimpse into the women's lives and how they worked to create new lives for themselves after starting their book club. This was a good read and I always know when I feel connected to characters when I get emotional at the end of the book. I enjoyed the camaraderie of womanhood that is often so hard to find as an adult. The different characters' stories were a little hard to follow at points as the chapters switch back and forth but in the end it all came together.