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Mrs. Everything: A Novel
Автор: Jennifer Weiner
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In this instant New York Times bestseller and “multigenerational narrative that’s nothing short of brilliant” (People), two sisters’ lives from the 1950s to the present are explored as they struggle to find their places—and be true to themselves—in a rapidly evolving world from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner.
Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise.
Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life.
But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies. As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie becomes an adventure-loving wild child who dives headlong into the counterculture and is up for anything (except settling down). Meanwhile, Jo becomes a proper young mother in Connecticut, a witness to the changing world instead of a participant. Neither woman inhabits the world she dreams of, nor has a life that feels authentic or brings her joy. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after?
In “her most sprawling and intensely personal novel to date” (Entertainment Weekly), Jennifer Weiner tells a “simply unputdownable” (Good Housekeeping) story of two sisters who, with their different dreams and different paths, offer answers to the question: How should a woman be in the world?
Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise.
Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life.
But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies. As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie becomes an adventure-loving wild child who dives headlong into the counterculture and is up for anything (except settling down). Meanwhile, Jo becomes a proper young mother in Connecticut, a witness to the changing world instead of a participant. Neither woman inhabits the world she dreams of, nor has a life that feels authentic or brings her joy. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after?
In “her most sprawling and intensely personal novel to date” (Entertainment Weekly), Jennifer Weiner tells a “simply unputdownable” (Good Housekeeping) story of two sisters who, with their different dreams and different paths, offer answers to the question: How should a woman be in the world?
Активность, связанная с книгой
Начать чтениеСведения о книге
Mrs. Everything: A Novel
Автор: Jennifer Weiner
Описание
In this instant New York Times bestseller and “multigenerational narrative that’s nothing short of brilliant” (People), two sisters’ lives from the 1950s to the present are explored as they struggle to find their places—and be true to themselves—in a rapidly evolving world from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner.
Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise.
Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life.
But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies. As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie becomes an adventure-loving wild child who dives headlong into the counterculture and is up for anything (except settling down). Meanwhile, Jo becomes a proper young mother in Connecticut, a witness to the changing world instead of a participant. Neither woman inhabits the world she dreams of, nor has a life that feels authentic or brings her joy. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after?
In “her most sprawling and intensely personal novel to date” (Entertainment Weekly), Jennifer Weiner tells a “simply unputdownable” (Good Housekeeping) story of two sisters who, with their different dreams and different paths, offer answers to the question: How should a woman be in the world?
Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise.
Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life.
But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies. As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie becomes an adventure-loving wild child who dives headlong into the counterculture and is up for anything (except settling down). Meanwhile, Jo becomes a proper young mother in Connecticut, a witness to the changing world instead of a participant. Neither woman inhabits the world she dreams of, nor has a life that feels authentic or brings her joy. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after?
In “her most sprawling and intensely personal novel to date” (Entertainment Weekly), Jennifer Weiner tells a “simply unputdownable” (Good Housekeeping) story of two sisters who, with their different dreams and different paths, offer answers to the question: How should a woman be in the world?
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Super book that is at the same time a great read, and so very insightful about mother daughter relationships and being a woman, for my mother’s generation, mine, and my daughters. Learnt a lot , loved it !
I say this every time I read another book by this beautiful author but this one was my favorite. She has a way of making you fall in love with all of the perfectly imperfect characters. I could relate to Jo and Bethie just like my older sister and me and in Jo’s daughters I could see my daughters and the ups and downs we’ve had as they’ve grown. This book really focused on ur female relationships and how very important they are to the women we grow up to be.
I know when my co-worker was a quarter of the way through with this book she wasn’t enjoying it much, but liked Jo as a character. At first I want sure where the book was going, but, by the end, I grew to love many of the characters and see a bigger picture painted by the author about women in the last few generations and the changes that have and haven’t happened. I didn’t always like her style of writing and sometimes felt certain descriptions or pains to give full names to characters who only appeared once made certain sections harder to get through. But, the overall story of these women was well worth the read. Even though most of the actions that the characters took or where acted upon them are not ones I’ve experienced, I still was able to relate to they types or emotions they experienced and the ups and downs that life can take you on. Though, I would be curious to hear if people of the demographics of the main characters could relate. Were the characters pretty typical American Jews for the generations they represented? How about people from that generation who are LGBTQ?
This novel was better than I thought it would be. It rather surprised me. The characters are very real. It's stories of lives of two sisters Jo and Bethie..They make wrong choices. they make lots of mistakes. They lose sight of who they are or who they want to be. But a strong sister bond rides talong with the strides women have made since the 1950s.
A look at all that has happened for women from the 50s to now, as seen by two very likeable sisters.
Liked it. Hated it. Cried. Liked it.
A story that had my attention from the beginning to the very end. You really get to grow with the characters, get in their skin. Great reading!
"We lose ourselves...but we find our way back." from Mrs. Everything by Jennifer WeinerMrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner is an emotional roller coaster about Baby Boomer sisters Jo and Bethie. Pop culture and political landmarks set the novel in specific times and places, beginning in 1950s Detroit. When their father suddenly dies, their mother Sarah struggles on her own, finding affordable housing and a job at Hudson's. Jo was the rebel, resisting girly dress and activities and early becoming involved in Civil Rights protests. She also falls in love with her best friend Lynnette. Lynnette buckles under social pressure unable to accept her sexual orientation. Younger sister Bethie was always the perfect Jewish middle-class girl, her mother's favorite. She becomes a victim of sexual abuse and begins to alternately binge eat and starve herself. She is in a school play with Harold, who is African American, but they do not act on their mutual attraction.Jo goes away to the University of Michigan, meeting the love of her life, Shelley. Bethie comes to visit where she is picked up by an older, drug-dealing, man who turns her onto drugs and sex, beginning a long spiral of bad choices. When Shelley elects to marry, Jo is devastated and allows a man to woo and marry her. She loves being a mom, but as the children grow so does the distance between Jo and her husband until he betrays and leaves her.Passivity allows bad choices to take the sisters further from their true selves while misunderstanding and anger drive a wedge between them. Meanwhile, Jo's three girls grow up and her youngest, Lila, makes her own series of bad choices.Their stories become a synopsis of women's history from 50s housewives to the women who juggle career and family to the last question of what kind of death to choose.As entertaining as the book was, for a long time I was not sure what its purpose was until near the end of the story when Jo summarizes a woman's struggle between expectations and self-fulfillment, how we find ourselves far from our deepest truths and struggle to come home again. I was offered a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.Note: The story takes place almost parallel to my own life and the cultural references were a trip down memory lane. We moved to the Detroit area in 1963 and I enjoyed all the references to the places and stores and radio stations mentioned. But...I take issue with one thing in the book--The sisters go to Suzy Q's for burgers. Burgers! It was known for its chicken! Why would they go there for burgers!
I've always enjoyed Weiner's novels and this one is no exception. It spans multiple decades following Beth and Jo, sisters with wildly diverging paths. Things were often fractious in the family but somehow it all works out. Well worth reading.
A special thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.Growing up in 1950s Detroit, sisters Jo and Bethie Kaufman lived in a picture-perfect house. Jo was a passionate tomboy, with a love of books; Bethie was the pretty, good girl, with aspirations of being a star. She enjoys the privilege that comes with beauty.Things rarely end up how you imagine them to be. The sisters survive unspeakable trauma and life's tragedies. Coming of age in the time of free love, Vietnam, and women's lib, Bethie embraces the more free, hippy lifestyle, balking traditional roles. Instead it is Jo that becomes a mother, stuck on the sidelines of her life. Neither sister has the future they envisioned, but is it too late for them to live an authentic and purposeful life?Jennifer Weiner's newest work is her most ambitious to date and it is a risk that pays off. When a novel spans decades—in this case from the 1950s to present—there is a risk of the author losing the plot and also getting swallowed up in pop culture references, but Weiner doesn't suffer these fates. What happens instead is a remarkable journey of self discovery through the ages. Her writing is rich and fluid with deeply developed, layered characters.What is so remarkable is that in our ever-changing society, decade after decade, women are still facing the same issues. Especially with how we decide to live our lives—women are constantly berated for their own life choices whether it be to get married, to have children, or work outside the home when they are a mother. These are things that women are consistently being judged for and they are nobody's business. Let me repeat that for those of you in the back...your choices are nobody's business.Told in dual narratives, Weiner explores the complexities of female relationships, the difficulties woman face, as well as the expectations placed on women. She tackles some heavy issues: sexuality, racism, abortion, religion, drug abuse, etc., and because of this, both Jo and Bethie's stories are engaging and important.Jennifer, I applaud you for telling stories that so many can relate to. I understand that this book was also personal in that there is a little bit of your mother in Jo. This novel is not only timely, but incredibly moving and poignant. Appropriately titled Mrs. Everything, this book is a bit of everything for every woman.
The blurb for this novel describes it as 'ambitious, richly textured journey through history—and herstory'. I would have called it overly ambitious. The story covers a woman's life from the 1950's to the present and touches on many of the major social changes during that tumultuous time period, including women's rights, abortion, interracial marriage, gay marriage, and the role of women in society. Although there were many scenes of this book that were well crafted and that I enjoyed, it seemed like the plot would take a twist to uncover the next social issue on a laundry list of topics. In the end it almost seemed predictable what hurdle would be encountered next. The premise of seeing how the role of women has changed from the 1950's to Hilary Clinton's nomination (yes, that's in the book), sounds like it would make an excellent novel, but the execution for this book felt forced and manipulated.
Sisters Jo and Bethie Kaufman grew up middle-class and Jewish in Detroit, raised by their mother after their father’s early death from a heart attack. While coming of age in the 1960s, Jo realizes she is gay, Bethie is the victim of sexual abuse, and their mother is emotionally unavailable, preferring to sweep such difficult matters under the metaphorical rug. Both girls can’t wait to escape their stifling home environment by going to college, where Jo enjoys the freedom to be herself and Bethie goes wild. Over the next forty years the sisters’ lives take some interesting turns, as both navigate life as a woman in an ever-changing society. Jo marries immediately after college, having come face-to-face with some of the realities of being an independent woman -- let alone a lesbian -- during that period in history. Bethie’s path through adulthood is more circuitous, but the long-term impact of abuse is obvious. Despite their differences, each sister is there for the other when she most needs it. Through Jo, Bethie, and the generations who follow them, we see the ways in which women’s lives and options have changed, and the ways they haven’t. Towards the end of the novel, the characters are watching televised coverage of the 2016 Democratic National Convention with such optimism and hope. Jennifer Weiner doesn’t need to tell us how that all worked out. It’s a brilliant way to show how progress can be so easily and quickly eroded.For me, this story began as “a novel about sisters, one of whom is gay,” and successfully reinforced the importance of sisterhood and family ties. But it was also a more sophisticated exploration of women’s roles in society, and a book with such well-developed characters that I was sad to say good-bye at the end. I loved this book and heartily recommend it to any woman who has experienced the growth of feminism, women’s empowerment, and LGBTQ rights since the 1960s.
This story follows the lives of Jo and Bethie as they grow up in the 1950s all the way to the present when they are in their seventies. The characterization and pacing of the novel made this a book full of ups and downs, humor, sadness and it had a powerful message. Jo and Bethie could not be more opposite, but as they age their lives are influenced by women's and civil rights, gender roles, and the people they meet along the way.I enjoyed this multigenerational novel. Loved how certain chapters are the point of view of each sister. I received a complimentary ebook from the publisher.
I'm a sucker for these multi-generational family sagas. There was one glaring Detroit error in the book. Some of the characters were taking a trip to Windsor and were said to be taking the tunnel under Lake Erie. The tunnel from Detroit to Windsor, of course, goes under the Detroit River.
If I was judging this book solely on the plot, I think I would have rated it much lower. If there was a way to make these characters suffer, Weiner seems to have used it. In one, not that long, novel we have: racism, homophobia, rape, molestation, death of a parent, drug use/abuse, abortion....and that's just what I can remember. While I totally get that tracing the life of two people from childhood to old age is going to include some hurts and tragedies, after a while the events in this one stopped packing an emotional punch because of how fast and furious they kept coming. But, I gave it three stars because I genuinely liked Bethie and Jo as people and wanted to see how their journey ended. I give Weiner all the props for creating warm, likable women who still have flaws...but could she have given them a break!
It is a long saga but covered some interesting themes. The characters were a bit bland but at least there were some surprises
I finished this book on Mother’s Day, which made me start wondering more about how the mother in the story must have felt throughout the years of raising her two daughters and on into their adulthood. I believe the daughters checked just about every box under the heading “things that make your mother worry.”It seems as if the author did not avoid any subject in telling the story. Drugs, rape, racial tensions, unplanned pregnancy, alternative lifestyles…it’s pretty much all included. If one sister didn’t do it, the other one did. In spite of their bad behavior, they were likable girls—good girls.It was interesting to see how their roles switched and evolved as they passed through the various stages of life. Just when I would think Jo was my favorite character, Bethie would come to the forefront and take the spotlight. By the end of the book the sisters had made their peace with the past and with how they failed each other at various times of their life. They were close and supportive—just what family is all about.I liked this story and the author kept me engaged throughout. As far as women’s issues go, readers will either see the glass as half full or half empty. I guess it’s all in your perspective.Thanks go to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.
Jennifer Weiner has written an amazing, intriguing, riveting, page-turning, emotional, intense, and thought-provoking novel. The Genres for this Novel are Women’s Fiction, Fiction, and Domestic Fiction. The timeline for this novel starts in the 1950s to the present in Detroit. I love the way the author describes her characters, events, and landscape in the story. The author describes her dramatic characters as complex, complicated and dysfunctional.Several questions and themes can be seen in this novel. What exactly is a woman’s role in society? As the timeline progresses, do women have more choices and decisions to make? Can one be a better mother than their mother was to them? Will women ever be considered equal to men, in education, salary, the workplace, and the family?I appreciate that Jennifer Weiner discusses the relationships between mothers and daughters, sisters, and domestic partnerships. Also discussed are the importance of family, love, emotional support, forgiveness, acceptance, second chances, and hope.Jo and Beth Kaufman are brought up in the 1950s and are very different. One is considered “different” and acting too “boyish” for a girl, and the other feels that being pretty is about power. One challenges the fairness in the world, and the other is more concerned with what other people think of her. Their mother shows her disappointment and favoritism. This is a traditional time when father’s work, mother’s stay at home, and everything seems to be in black and white, with little room for areas of gray.As the years pass, and things seem to get “more” modern, there are more confusing choices and decisions for women. That area that was black and white, has expanded with more gray. Do women have to get married and have children if they don’t want to? Can women work and have a family? I highly recommend and reflect on this amazing book. I still have a book-hangover and am deep in thought!! Kudos, Jennifer Weiner for such a well-written and descriptive book!
I have to say what a downer this book was. If there was a situation filled with angst, it was in this book. Considering that this book spanned seven decades and some of them the most tumultuous in history, it is no wonder that I found myself deeply depressed while reading it! However, because I lived through a lot of these historical events, I found myself unable to put this book down.This book, in my opinion, will be perfect for book clubs filled with people of a certain age, younger people who like to learn about modern history from the perspective of the generation who lived it, women (since this book was filled with women's issues) and the Lesbian community.This book dealt with issues such as -bigotry, racial matters, political unrest, Lesbian issues, rape, drug addiction, cancer, early death, teenage angst, and so much more. There was very little to make you smile in this book, but a lot that will make you think and remember what life was like back then and really, still is.*ARC supplied by publisher.
Jennifer Weiner is known for her stories of sibling relationships. With her newest book MRS. EVERYTHING she brings us siblings Jo and Bethie Kaufman. However, where this book differs from all her others is the time span of the story. She gives us three generations of women over a 60-year span. The Kaufmans are a Jewish Russian immigrant family who assimilate well into their community while maintaining their Jewish identity. So it was refreshing to have these characters be a “typical” Jewish family in America. As the book opens in 1951 Jo is six years old and Bethie is four; the story ends in 2016. Jo is the sister that doesn’t care what other people think of her, while Bethie cares too much. Weiner’s description of the simple life for children in the fifties made me nostalgic for my childhood (although I was a decade later). I enjoyed reading of the different directions life took them, but how sibling loyalty was still there. We travel with them through the sixties and the time of “free love” and drugs. We feel the conflict as their sexual identity is explored. I think there is something in this book that will strike home for everyone. While I cringed over drugs and “free love” portions it did remind me of hearing all this on the news. I was sheltered from that but knew it was out there. So to a degree I could relate. As the next two generations came along I could relate to the traits that carry on in the next generations and the frustration and dawning recognition of seeing yourself in your own children. (And blessing your parents for letting you live!) While this is overall a more serious read that we are used to from Weiner she still gives us her special touches of humor. Example: Around page 40 she gives us a truly unique take on the Purimspiel. I dare you not to laugh!This is a very realistic family saga that I highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reading copy. Opinions expressed are my own.
This could be anyone’s story. Anyone who has a sister or brother, who they love, dislike, hate, miss interminably depending on the moment, week, month, decade. I am sure many readers will relate to the family dynamics and dysfunction. It speaks to the issues of all times. As I was reading I kept thinking whether this was enough to sustain my interest, to care about the characters and their successes and failures. Probably not, but yet I continued reading and when I flipped the last page I sat back and thought it was definitely worth the time.Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy.
Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born in Detroit in the 1950's when America, fresh from winning World War II was at the top of the world and everything seemed to point to a promising future for a couple of middle class girls from the newly built suburbs. Jo is the tomboy and the child who questions everything. At an early age she is attending civil rights protests and also questioning her sexuality. Bethie, on the other hand, is the girly girl who is her mother's favorite and is seemingly only interested in party dresses and boys. But them their father dies from an early stroke and the world starts looking very different indeed, and the girls discover that even the most carefully planned lives can be reversed in ways they never contemplated.Bethie ends up being the adventurous one, while Jo lives her life in a more traditional path. But all through the years, from the drug-fueled sixties, to the up-worldly mobile eighties, to our current twenty-first century world, the two sisters love and support each other, This book will make you laugh and cry and want to talk about these women in your book group.
I had the pleasure of obtaining a copy of this through NetGalley. It was an enjoyable story of two sisters and how they lived their lives through trials, heartaches, joys, and love. There was a strong undercurrent of how the lives of women have changed throughout the years and how far we have come and the acceptance of differences. But the strongest theme was the love of family and how family will always be there no matter what. 4 ????