Margaret, Viv, and Bitsy are living a typical suburban life with their husbands in the early 1960’s. Their lives revolve around their spouses and their kids. One day, Margaret invites their new stylish and artsy neighbor, Charlotte, to join a book club. And that’s when things start to change for them.

Charlotte suggests they read a new controversial novel called “The Feminist Mystique” by Betty Friedan. As they read the book and bond together, they realize that perhaps they want more from their lives than just being a mother and a wife. As each of the women faces new challenges in their lives, they take it on with a new sense of purpose, confidence and the support of their friends.

I liked the premise of this novel but keep in mind this book tackles the challenges of privileged white women in the early 1960’s. While their struggles were real, they also don’t represent the obstacles that women of color or those in lower socioeconomic classes or even in abusive situations might face. This is a snapshot of one type of life experience and I appreciated it for what it is. I enjoyed the audiobook as I listened and read both versions interchangeably.

Thank you to @harpercollinsfocus @harpermusebooks for an advanced digital copy and @librofm for the #gifted audiobook of this novel.

It's books like this that remind me how much I enjoy historical fiction. I found this to be a captivating and original story with really well-written characters. I particularly enjoyed the perspective Bostwick adopted to represent women in the 1960s - giving them voice and autonomy while still reflecting the nuances of gender roles during this time.

I'm a fan of Botswick's writing style, and I thought that it lent itself well to an audiobook format. The diversity of relationships and personalities in this book was a large part of what made it so interesting, alongside strong feminist overtones that I always love reading about in a historical context.

I did feel that the ending of this one was a little long-winded and perhaps could have been a little more open-ended (this is personal preference). I also found a couple of the male characters a little inconsistent in their behaviour and at times perhaps too idyllic to be realistic.

Overall, I really enjoyed listening to this book and would absolutely recommend it to historical fiction readers or anyone looking for a female-centric read with feminist themes. Make sure to check TWs before reading. 3.5/5

📖 Book Review 📖

🎧 "The Book Club for Troublesome Women" by Marie Bostwick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
publication April 22, 2025

A northern Virginia book club started in the 1960s by 4 very different women. Margaret, Viv, Bitsy and Charlotte all lead very different lives but after reading Betty Friedan's book, The Feminine Mystique. a friendship is formed. This one book changed their lives forever helping them realize that they weren't alone in their dissatisfaction and longings, while seeing all the world has to offer. The 60s were a changing time- post war housewives wanting more out of life, and using Mother's Little Helper drug to cope with their reality. Wives were told household appliances would solve all their issues when they really wanted some independence. I enjoyed this book and am grateful @netgalley gave me the audio.

#somanybooks #readsomemore #audiobooks #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #readersofinstagram #readmorebooks #booklover #bookishlove #readersgonnaread #bookishaf

Book review: 4.25/5 ⭐️
Genre: womens/historical fiction
Themes: feminism, women in the 60s, changing attitudes
📖 Read if you like: Lessons in Chemistry, The Women

Thank you to HarperCollins Focus, Harper Muse and NetGalley for an eARC and audiobook for review.

This was both frustrating and insightful. It is easy to forget all the liberties and rights we as women take for granted today that even our mothers and especially our grandmothers didn’t have. This is a story about all the walls that existed to keep women confined to their place in the home as wives and mothers. Walls created by society through asinine rules like requiring a husband to open a bank account or get contraception, but also the ones held up by women themselves. A sort of conditioning or angry unfulfillment projected onto others, barriers existed on many fronts.

Within 1960s America, four women meet in suburbia for a life changing experience. Anyone who is part of a book club knows the bonds that can form within such groups and the power of finding like minded individuals who are keen to discuss ideas and philosophy. Sometimes just having one person reassure you that you are not crazy for wanting something more, something just for yourself is natural can be life changing. It can shatter the constructs created around your own existence and allow hope and possibility in. The Bettys found just that in each other and the book club they stumbled into. The ideas from Betty Friedan's controversial book, The Feminine Mystique launched an exploration in their own dissatisfaction and admittance for their true longings.

I enjoyed that all the women were imperfect. Most were happy to be mothers and homemakers, and so had some guilt about wanting more. Each was ambitious in their own ways, and yet forewent a possible career for their families. It was interesting to have women that wanted both and found a way to do so, as opposed to the outright rebels who would sacrifice a husband and family for their passions. It explored that area of transition and how ideas of change were taking root in quiet ways and the importance of sisterhood and literature in sparking these concepts. In truth, I found most of the husbands horrible and most of the women fairly ordinary, besides Charlotte, but money gives a woman options that society does not. This may be why I am not married, but I would have left three out of four of these men for appalling behaviour and treatment.

Charlotte was delightfully unhappy with her lot in life despite having the privilege of wealth, while Viv was her perfect balance. Each had a passion and loved their kids, but that is where the similarities stopped. I will always be drawn to the tortured artist and war nurses have an unimaginable strength that is aspirational. I liked both women and they were easy to imagine as real in all their complexities and hardships. Bitsy’s story was heartbreaking and I found her pandering to a petulant husband difficult to swallow, but I also understood her youthful attitude under the circumstances. I actually found Margaret to be the most bland. She was a little contrary with her judgment of Charlotte possibly breaking her vows against a philandering husband or of Bitsy forgiving her absent husband made her too much of a Pollyanna, especially given her alcoholic husband was absent in his own ways. The fact that he treated her so poorly and she continued in her undying affection was contradictory. Still this really highlighted the difference in the times and it all played out in the end.

I did wish Margaret was a little more enthused by her writing and would continue doing it whether or not she had a job. She seemed to lack the passion that others had in spades. Her trajectory just dropped this from a five star read given the ending seemed so unbelievable given all the practicalities of the previous chapters. It was a sweet imagining, but there is no way I believe two people with three kids that don’t come from money could afford that dreamlike lifestyle. And while I thought it was well rounded to include the male burden of hardship in this narrative to keep the story inclusive, I just didn’t want it. Feeling sorry for a man in the patriarchy is laughable in the face of constraints placed on women at the time. So my rating does not reflect the quality of writing or ideas presented in this book, which were both objectively excellent, merely my feelings towards certain characters and outcomes. It took something that was both hard to read and enjoyable, but oh so real into the land of dreams and it didn’t fit the narrative for me. That being said this is certainly a book I would recommend and it would be ideal for a book club!

🎧 I planned to do a tandem read with the audiobook and ebook, but I was liking the story so much I just ended up reading it twice in each format! The narration was spectacular with Lisa Flanagan providing the perfect voice for these four Bettys and their partners and children. I think I will enjoy anything read by this narrator!

While at first I didn’t really like any of the characters, except for maybe Charlotte, they definitely grew on me throughout the book. And maybe it’s because I saw a lot of relatable aspects in their stories. But it was a lovely story and I hope more people, and women especially, find their Betty’s.

I had the opportunity to hear Marie share her story through a virtual book pitch hosted by Adventures By Book. Marie shared that this story was inspired through conversations with her mother. Her pitch was so intriguing that I had to read it!

This book is a five-star read for me. I finished this story back in March and surprised myself I finished it so quickly! The sisterhood these women developed and the scenarios they encountered through their own self-discoveries kept me wanting to hear more. Bostwick nailed it in describing life for women in the 1960s, like I was walking side by side with Margaret, Vivian, Charlotte, and Bitsy.

: TOP FAVORITES ABOUT THIS BOOK :

➡️ THE EMOTIONS

I laughed. I cried. I felted pissed-off when the characters were. That's what I got me the most. Give me the feels, and I won't forget the story.

➡️ TALENTED NARRATION

Narrators can either make it or fail it through audio format. Lisa Flanagan, you're a gem! She did fantastic in narrating all the voices, and you could tell which of the four women were talking. It was so well done! 👏

➡️ SLIGHT SURPRISE

I won't give this way, but Marie Bostwick takes this story and makes a slight change in perspective. I wasn't expecting it, and it's still fresh in my mind because it's true. This made me enjoy the story even more, but I'm not going to spoil it! Read it yourself!!

THE BOOK CLUB FOR TROUBLESOME WOMEN by Marie Bostwick is the exact type of historical fiction that I’ve been waiting for! I read a lot of historical fiction and have noticed a shortage of novels with a 1950s-1960s timeline. There’s just not a lot out there! Well, I’m happy to report that Bostwick’s latest has filled that void.

A group of four irritated housewives decide to start a book club, and after reading Betty Friedan’s THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE together, something changes. A switch flips, and a little spark is lit under each one of them. They come to realize that life doesn’t have to be just diapers, cooking, and cleaning. That independence, freedom, a career, and a little something more is right there at their fingertips. I absolutely loved all of these characters. The four women: Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy, and Viv all stole a little piece of my heart. I found something in each of them to not only admire, but to relate to as well.

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:

- Historical fiction
- 1960s timeline
- Northern Virginia setting
- Female friendship
- Feminism and sisterhood
- Book clubs
- Reflections on marriage and motherhood
- Strong female protagonists

I especially love how this novel showcases how far we’ve come. For example, one of the women needed their husband’s signature in order for her to get a checking account, and another needed her husband’s approval to start birth control before her doctor would prescribe it! Yet weirdly enough, it’s 2025 and I fear that this backwards thinking might be making a comeback.

If you like your historical fiction a little edgy and with some grit to it, then THE BOOK CLUB FOR TROUBLESOME WOMEN is just for you! It’s out NOW! 4/5 stars!

Marie Bostwick's latest, THE BOOK CLUB FOR TROUBLESOME WOMEN, is a compelling and nostalgic novel about female friendship and empowerment, featuring four homemakers in the 1960s who form a book club that changes their lives.

Empowering women through history and literature!

About...

Early 1960s: Margaret Ryan, Viv Buschetti, and Bitsy Cobb are suburban housewives who have moved to a new planned community, Concordia, in northern Virginia, with their husbands.

However, they are unhappy in a world and time when they do not feel like a person, just a wife, a homemaker, and a shadow of their husband, with no voice. They are struggling with the societal expectations of being a perfect wife and mother, the lack of personal identity, and the feeling of being trapped in their roles.

Things change when they form a book club led by Charlotte Gustafson, the new neighbor from Manhattan, who is both eccentric and artsy. They start with the newly released book, The Feminine Mystique.

These women, realizing they are not alone in their dissatisfaction, form a bond of sisterhood. This bond gives them the courage to confront their past and take a stand in a changing world for women, inspiring readers with their bravery.

My thoughts...

Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, I adore books set in that era and can recall my working mother from that time. I probably did not appreciate the challenges she and other women faced at the time. Marie's research was spot on, and I immensely enjoyed all the fun, nostalgic references I am familiar with, which made me smile and reminisce.

It wasn't much better in the early 1970s when my husband and I built our first home. I had a full-time income, but the mortgage companies wouldn't count mine because I was in my childbearing years.

THE BOOK CLUB OF TROUBLESOME WOMEN is brilliantly written, thought-provoking, with vivid descriptions of time and place, and the rich characters come alive on the page.

At first, it just surfaces talk, but as we dive into the book and form a close friendship, the women share their secrets, cocktails, and honest reactions to the controversial bestseller.

The women soon discover that the American Dream isn't all it's cracked up to be, and they want more. They want a voice.

THE BOOK CLUB FOR TROUBLESOME WOMEN is a charming, humorous, and nostalgic tale of sisterhood and self-discovery. It explores the historical roles of women, the challenges they faced in society during this time, and the transformative power of books, leaving readers feeling empowered by the women's journey. 1963 was truly the beginning of the feminist movement. As modern women of today, we can thank this generation of courageous women.

Several novels from the 1960s explored themes of female empowerment and challenged traditional gender roles, contributing to the burgeoning feminist movement of the time. Key examples include Doris Lessing's "The Golden Notebook" (1962), Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar" (1963), and Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" (1963), which gave voice to the experiences of women feeling stifled by societal expectations.

Friedan's book exposed the limitations of the "cult of domesticity" and inspired women to challenge their traditional roles and seek fulfillment beyond the home. This non-fiction work is widely recognized as a catalyst for the second-wave feminist movement, exploring the widespread unhappiness experienced by American women in the post-war era.

"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett (2009):
Although published later, the book's setting in the 1960s and its focus on the struggles of African American women servants in the American South qualify it as a work of women's fiction, exploring themes of resilience, resistance, and female empowerment.

Audiobook...

As a reader, I had the privilege of experiencing both the book and the audiobook. The audiobook, narrated by the super-talented storyteller Lisa Flanagan, was a delight! Her voice, which has brought over 300 audiobooks to life and earned numerous awards, was the perfect fit for this group of ladies. Her excellent pacing draws you into the world of women in the 60s, making for an engaging and entertaining listening experience. I highly recommend the audio version to all readers.

Recs...

THE BOOK CLUB FOR TROUBLESOME WOMEN is for fans of the author and those who enjoy thought-provoking historical novels about women, book clubs, nostalgia, and female friendship. The story is also for fans of Kristin Hannah, Kate Quinn, Patti Callahan Henry, and Ellen Meister..

Special thanks to Harper Muse for a gifted digital ARC and ALC via Netgalley for my honest thoughts.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: April 22, 2025
My Rating: 4.5 Stars rounded to 5 Stars
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I liked The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick. I want all the feminism books always, even the historical fiction ones.
I loved the characters even when they were being ridiculous. I could relate with them even though it is a different era, all humans crave to be seen and valued and when that doesn't happen it's a horrible feeling. This book was very emotional, and I shed a few tears a few different times. I loved the friendships and getting to know each of the Betties.

I thought the audiobook narrator did a fabulous job bringing the listener into the book and helping the experience the story.

I have zero negative things to say about this book except I would have liked to see a few of the men get poisoned and suffer horrible painful deaths. This is where I remind myself, I wasn't reading a horror book. ;)

4.5 stars

This was my first time reading a Marie Boswick book, I was drawn to it by the time period and bookish title.

Set in the early 1960s three women Margaret, Viv and Bitsy invite their new neighbour Charlotte to their newly formed book club. Charlotte will only come if the book is the newly released The Feminist Mystique, which sets off a lot of discussion, soul searching and drama in this Virginia community.

I really enjoyed this book. I found the woman were relatable on one hand, and I felt their injustice and lack of opportunities as frustrating as they did. It was a well written story about four women with different personalities, goals and way of life. There was a lot of historical events that took place making it all the more authentic. It also gave a glimmer of hope for future women.

Don’t let the title fool you into thinking this is a typical book club, it is far from. It is a story of the power of female friendships that is heartwarming as they navigate life.

Thank you @uplitreads and @mariebostwick for the #gifted copy and @netgalley and @harpermuse for the alc 💖.

🗓️Out today April 22, 2025

✨What it is about:
Four dissatisfied sixties era housewives form a book club that sparks a deep bond, inspiring them to challenge societal roles and reshape their lives.✨

💭My thoughts:
This was such an interesting read, following four women who start a book club and begin to question whether fulfillment exists outside the home. Driven by their first read, The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan, they embark on a journey of self-discovery that transforms each of their lives in different ways.
I loved how the book centered on the women’s relationships—their ups and downs—and how it showed that their mutual support, shared experiences, and the bond they forged helped each of them understand they were not alone in their dreams and desires for more.
The story takes place in early 1960s suburban Virginia, and the author did a fantastic job of setting the ambiance of the time.
Many of the themes discussed such as equal rights, gender roles, and free speech are still incredibly relevant today.
Beneath the surface, these women were struggling—and it was books and real connection that helped them break through and grow.
🎧 I loved the narration by Lisa Flanagan. She brought each of the characters to life, gave them distinct voices, and was clear throughout. She did a great job smoothly transitioning between the mix of inner thoughts, narration, and dialogue in the story. The pacing was natural and engaging—it felt like a friend was reading to me.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
📖Compelling historical fiction novels
📖Female friendships
📖1960s
📖Books about books
📖Journeys of self discovery

⚠️CW: Sexism, misogyny, mentions of self harm, suicide, death.

Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio version of this title in exchange for my review.

This book is set in 1963, after the publication of Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" and centers on a group of suburban housewives in Virginia. They decide to start a book club and choose Friedan's book as their first book. The book is told from the POV of each woman - Margaret, Viv, Bitsy and Charlotte - and explores this highly specific time and place. The post-war housewife fixation, American propaganda, emerging consumerism in the middle class woman's life. While accurate, it is suffocating to read what the life of a woman in this time was.

This isn't a bad book. But I can't say I really liked it. Giving a star rating to a book like this is always tough for me. There were some slow points. And the only "troublesome women" points seem to just be their way of thinking & the reading of The Feminine Mystique. Those darned rebellious thinking, reading women! (I should note that I re-read The Feminine Mystique again earlier this year, and it almost hurt my head and heart to read what women's lives were like just before I was born.)

This was a decent book. 3 stars.

There is so much power in female friendship. And female friendships in literature? Wow.

I think I first realized this when I read Anne of Green Gables, reveling in the trials and triumphs Anne and Diana faced. It really hit home in high school when I first read Rebecca Wells’ Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and saw the lengths those women went to for each other. And it’s shown up so many times since then—from Sex and the City to Big Little Lies to Everything I Know About Love (and so many more in between).

It’s meaningful. It’s timeless. It’s so very important.

This book was not only wonderfully entertaining, but it was touching and enlightening. Centering around four housewives in the early 1960s, it looks at opportunity, femininity, power, prosperity, education, and what it means to be a woman in a changing world.

I’ve read Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, but now I want to go back and read it again, just to make The Bettys proud!

I appreciated the varied characters in this book (both male and female) and the different awakenings they have throughout the story. I listened to an ALC of this book, and the narration was truly enjoyable, adding to the story’s impact. Listening to it really felt like a night at book club with my best friends (and how could I not love a book that referenced both Pollyanna AND The Music Man?).

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is one of those books that you think about the characters long after finishing it. Set in the early 1960's, this story follows four women as they come together to form a book club. What starts out as just a book club becomes far more as the women become friends. I really enjoyed the different women's stories and experiences. The audio version was well done and I couldn't stop listening. Highly recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this wonderful historical fiction book by Marie Bostwick, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by Lisa Flanagan. All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 5 stars!

Set in the 1960s, we meet four women – Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy, and Viv – living in an exclusive Virginia suburb. Margaret starts a book club, and their first pick is The Feminine Mystique. As the women get closer, they realize that they all secretly share the feeling that they aren’t as happy and fulfilled in their lives as they should be. They seem to have it all, but it doesn’t feel like enough. They nickname themselves The Bettys, after author Betty Friedan, and begin forging a tight bond.

I adored this book! I started reading it digitally but quickly switched to the audiobook because Lisa Flanagan perfectly captured the different women’s voices and personalities. This book has it all – humor, nostalgia, sisterhood, self-discovery. It’s still jaw dropping to realize that in this time period, women couldn’t open bank accounts or get birth control without their husband’s permission. I admired how these women provided strength for each other when needed, and highlighted how important standing up for ourselves and others is. Plus, it isn’t total man bashing as I loved Walt! This is the absolute perfect book club pick, and I highly recommended it!

Synopsis: Four 1960s housewives form a book club to read The Feminine Mystique and begin to cause some good trouble amidst the changing social landscape of the time.

Thoughts: I really enjoyed getting to know the four women featured in this book! Each of them has a compelling story and relatable problems. Their powerful friendships are the highlight of this story - I love to see women building each other up and cheering one another on. The insight into the daily lives of women during this time in history made me very thankful for the freedoms I have today and made me feel even more strongly about fighting to protect those freedoms for my daughters. If you want to read a story about regular women making a difference in each other’s lives, this one is for you! The audio narration is enjoyable as is reading the physical copy - can’t go wrong either way!

Read this if you like:
👗 historical fiction
👗 female friendships
👗 strong fmcs
👗 1960s
👗 book clubs

I enjoyed this one more than I was expecting to! Each of the characters was likable in their own way, and they each grew in new directions as the book progressed. It was eye opening to see what life was like for these women because it made me think about my grandmothers who were also raising children during this time period. Read when you want to join a book club full of women who help each other find their way and support each other through it all.

Set in the 1960s, this book follows a group of housewives living in a small town who come together when they form a book club. I found this relatable with a lot of parallels to women's lives today who also struggle with trying to balance marriage, motherhood and their own dreams.

The first book the women choose is Betty Friedan's classic, The feminine mystique, which was a new release at the time and quite controversial. Okay on audio read by Lisa Flanagan, I did wish that there had been a full cast of narrators to help distinguish each of the main characters better for listeners.

Recommended for fans of books like The Martha's Vineyard beach and book club by Martha Hall Kelly. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

First and foremost, I want to express my sincere gratitude to Netgalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for this Audio ARC of "The Book Club for Troublesome Women" by Marie Bostwick @mariebostwick.

Audio Review ~
I give 5 stars to any narrator who takes on the challenge of voicing multiple characters. I truly appreciated her dedication and the depth she brought to each character, bringing them to life.

Thoughts ~
Marie Bostwick is a new author for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Set in the 1960s, it offers an enlightening perspective and serves as a reminder of the progress women and society have made. I appreciated the story of these women and how their friendships blossomed, showcasing their courage, strength, support, and mutual questioning, which ultimately led to significant personal growth and deep connections.

I wanted to love this book, but it felt like very introductory/surface-level feminism to me. None of the women were especially "troublesome," and they were all white and seemingly pretty well-off. I actually found some of the side characters more intriguing, like Charlotte's daughter Denise, and wish we had gotten more of their stories. It also felt pretty unrealistic at times (I know, it's fiction) with how quickly the women became friends, subscribed to Friedan's ideas, and began pushing back on the men in their lives. There were also passing mentions of several historical events like MLK's March on Washington and the JFK assassination that could have provided great context for the novel, but were not fleshed out enough to really add anything to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with the audio arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!