The Book Club for Troublesome Women Audiobook By Marie Bostwick cover art

The Book Club for Troublesome Women

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The Book Club for Troublesome Women

By: Marie Bostwick
Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
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"This is a novel about ambitious women and the mentors that inspired them to excellence . . . Bostwick carves an unforgettable path for her characters."—Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The Good Left Undone

Margaret Ryan never really meant to start a book club . . . or a feminist revolution in her buttoned-up suburb.

By 1960s standards, Margaret Ryan is living the American woman's dream. She has a husband, three children, a station wagon, and a home in Concordia—one of Northern Virginia's most exclusive and picturesque suburbs. She has a standing invitation to the neighborhood coffee klatch, and now, thanks to her husband, a new subscription to A Woman's Place—a magazine that tells housewives like Margaret exactly who to be and what to buy. On paper, she has it all. So why doesn't that feel like enough?

Margaret is thrown for a loop when she first meets Charlotte Gustafson, Concordia's newest and most intriguing resident. As an excuse to be in the mysterious Charlotte's orbit, Margaret concocts a book club get-together and invites two other neighborhood women—Bitsy and Viv—to the inaugural meeting. As the women share secrets, cocktails, and their honest reactions to the controversial bestseller The Feminine Mystique, they begin to discover that the American dream they'd been sold isn't all roses and sunshine—and that their secret longing for more is something they share. Nicknaming themselves the Bettys, after Betty Friedan, these four friends have no idea their impromptu club and the books they read together will become the glue that helps them hold fast through tears, triumphs, angst, and arguments—and what will prove to be the most consequential and freeing year of their lives.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is a humorous, thought provoking, and nostalgic romp through one pivotal and tumultuous American year—as well as an ode to self-discovery, persistence, and the power of sisterhood.

©2025 Marie Bostwick (P)2025 Harper Muse
Friendship Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Women's Fiction Inspiring Witty Marriage Dream
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This is a story of unhappy women in the 1960's who become close friends and form a bookclub. the love and support given by these women direct their lives and the lives of women. I highly recommend this well written book with believable characters that you feel you could be friends with

This is a must read

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This book is one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time. Its themes and the road blocks the characters face are very current, despite it being set in the 1960’s. I found myself very emotional several times and incredibly connected to the characters. I could see myself and my friends in each of them at different times.
The writing is beautiful. The reader is fantastic. And I can’t recommend this book enough!

Thought Provoking Women!

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The historical pieces involving women in the 50’s and 60’s. The characters were interesting, diverse, and believable.

Interesting Characters

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Seems fitting in our current political climate for this book to become popular. As the rights these women fought for are continually getting stripped, this is a great reminder of what can be lost.

More Women Need to Read This

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I absolutely loved the is story of enduring friendships and the plights of being a woman in the 50’s/60’s. Beautiful story with remarkably relatable characters.

This one is special.

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I liked the idea of the book but somehow I was expecting a little more…. Something. Maybe it was the narrator too. Just seemed rushed and lacking something overall.

Skims the surface

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Cancel everything this weekend and read this book. Ms Bostwick is a treasure and her writing is simply spectacular. This book is special.

Loved. This. Book.

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I liked everything about this amazing book. It's brilliant. the historical significance of this book is wonderful.

History along the way

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The characters felt like people I wanted to meet. Looking back at this time in a woman’s journey to choice was done inspiring, maddening, strengthening, and encouraging! I’ll be recommending this book to my book club at our next meeting. 😁

The Betty’s

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Great job Marie, even for those of us that were born in the early 60s, we have seen so many many changes especially being a woman.
And I am so thankful for all of those that took a stand against really tough odds…
Thank you for putting it on paper, our granddaughters and great granddaughters really have no idea just how hard it was and how tough you had to be to make it in a man's world.
🎈

Outstanding....

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