3.5 Stars
In 1963 in an exclusive suburb in Northern Virginia, four women (Margaret, Viv, Bitsy, and Charlotte) come together to form a book club. They name themselves The Bettys, after the author of the first book they read: The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. As they read and bond together, they embark on journeys of self-discovery and each emerges transformed.
The women are all married but their home lives differ. Nonetheless they all struggle with a feeling of dissatisfaction; they all want more from their lives, finding that the lives they are leading and have been told to strive for as American women are not fulfilling. The traditional roles imposed on them are limiting and do not take into account personal hopes and ambitions.
The novel is well-intentioned, but it lacks subtlety. Charlotte describes The Feminine Mystique as “’a treatise on the conditions and suffocating boundaries of American womanhood.’” At times this novel feels like that – a treatise. The author crams so much information: for instance, we learn about how women cannot open a bank account or be prescribed birth control pills without a husband’s permission, how women “are denied the chance to pursue certain professions because it’s assumed they’ll quit after marriage,’” and how men’s control of a family’s finances can leave women vulnerable should a husband die. We are told that certain traits in a woman are dangerous: “’intelligence, stubbornness, creativity, and drive – are really neuroses that make her sick and unfeminine, even unlovable.’” It feels as if the author felt compelled to mention every obstacle and judgment women faced.
It’s obvious that the author did considerable research and that is commendable. But, again, it seems as if she wanted to mention every detail: the food and drinks and clothing styles popular at the time. Is it necessary to mention that “Bitsy ordered a strawberry shake, Margaret a cherry cola, Viv a banana split,” that one woman wore “a cream-colored skirt of wool and silk and a matching jacket with navy-blue trim,” and that another woman wore “a green bouclé knit suit with a pencil skirt, asymmetrical collar, and oversized buttons aligned on the left side”? I get the desire to add local colour, but . . . On the other hand, I did like the appearance of actual historical people and the references to current events.
Besides detailing the obstacles faced by women, the book also examines the power and joy of female friendships. It is the support that the women give each other that helps them overcome their fears. “’Why do you think [men] join all those clubs – the Elks? The VFW? The Masons? Congress? . . . To support one another, that’s why. Why do you think they call them booster clubs? Because they’re trying to boost each other over the wall or bend the rules in their favor, help the group. If women stuck up for one another the way men do, this would be a very different world.’”
Generally men do not fare well. There are a couple of good guys, but many are sexists, hypocrites and manipulators. What is concerning is the lack of redeeming qualities in the men like Howard, Dr. Barry, and G.G. (How is it that Charlotte, a married woman in 1963, uses her maiden name?)
I found the plot predictable, and those who enjoy a warm and fuzzy ending will definitely find it here. The book brought to mind Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, another book with a positive message about female empowerment also delivered in a heavy-handed fashion. Though slow paced at times, the book is entertaining enough but its tone feels didactic and its style, forced.
Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
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