The Book Club for Troublesome Women

About the book

USA TODAY BESTSELLER · SOUTHERN INDIE BESTSELLER · A BRENDA NOVAK BOOK GROUP PICK · GLOSS BOOK CLUB PICK · THE GIRLFRIEND BOOK CLUB PICK · A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2025 (SheReads) · Margaret never really meant to start a book club... or a feminist revolution, for that matter in this bold and plucky novel from New York Times bestselling author Marie Bostwick.

"Ideal for fans of historical fiction and those who enjoyed Bonnie Garmus's Lessons in Chemistry." --Library Journal, starred review

"Readers will cheer." --Kirkus

"Perfect for those who love book club, nostalgia for the 1960s, and stories of female friendship." --Booklist

"A feel-good beach read with... elements that spark a revolution." --Southern Review of Books

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.

Praise for this book:

"No one writes female friendship like the luminous Marie Bostwick. When a group of friends decide to read Betty Friedan's blockbuster, THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE, the words on the page serve as a rally cry to action for Margaret, Viv, Bitsy, and Charlotte. Long before women were recognized for their contributions and talents, Bostwick carves an unforgettable path for her characters in THE BOOK CLUB FOR TROUBLESOME WOMEN. At its heart, this is a novel about ambitious women and the mentors that inspired them to excellence. This story is a time capsule of what was, which shows us who we are today." - Adriana Trigiani

"In THE BOOK CLUB FOR TROUBLESOME WOMEN, the talented Marie Bostwick says this, 'Acquaintances abound, but true friendships are rare and worth waiting for,' capturing the essence, and the heart, of this story. If you love stories about friendships, strong women, the 60s, and the power of the written word, this is the book for you." - Marybeth Mayhew Whalen