Margaret Ryan is a housewife living in 1960s Virginia. She has a husband, a house, three kids, and excellent homemaking skills. The other women in her neighborhood, Vivian Buschetti and Bitsy Cobb, are living similar lifestyles. They are leading the epitome of what is expected of them as women. Yet they feel as if something is missing. Fulfilling their role seems like the end of the road with nothing else to strive for. Then one day, Margaret notices an outspoken and eccentric woman – Charlotte Gustafson. In trying to befriend Charlotte, Margaret forms a book club. And Charlotte suggests the newly published The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. Soon these dutiful housewives are starting to understand that they’re not alone, nor is something wrong with them for wanting more in life. The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick is a historical women’s fiction novel that explores the transformations of four women who find the courage to change their lives and form a sacred friendship.
Book
All four women are college educated and had dreams of fulfilling careers. But because they live in a time where employers expect them to quit once they get married and have children, their options were extremely limited. Mary wanted to be a writer. Bitsy wanted to be an equine veterinarian. Viv served as a nurse during the war but left her profession after becoming pregnant. And Charlotte hasn’t been able to produce any art worthy of a gallery in years.
Even so, these women find solace and strength in each other. As expected, book club discussions turn into chats of marital issues, self-doubt, ambitions, and more. The women bond over The Feminine Mystique and how it might apply to their own life satisfaction. They reflect on their constraints based on their gender and frustration with the men in their lives. And with the rapid changes in the world, they lean on each other to not only keep up, but to overcome significant obstacles along the way.
Review
Bostwick weaves an inspiring and heartfelt story with The Book Club for Troublesome Women. I didn’t expect this book to resonate with me the way that it did, Mary’s story in particular. The women endure discrimination, condescension, and pushback from every corner. But they form a true sisterhood where they confide with each other and life each other up. And the way that some of these women finally stick up for themselves and claim back their own life? I couldn’t help but feel emotional as I turned the last page.
