Like so many stories set during the 1950s and 60s this one was frustrating due to being so well written — I really felt like I was a part of this group of housewives, so I couldn’t help but feel frustrated and angry with the way they were treated by their husbands and the world. It was engrossing to see the women step into a sense of self and independence in different ways, and how books and writing helped to bring them there. There was four women at the center of the story but each felt unique, with their own struggles and joys of womanhood, making it easy to keep them distinguished.