Mrs. Everything
From Jennifer Weiner, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Who Do You Love and In Her Shoes
comes a smart, thoughtful, and timely exploration of two sisters’ lives
from the 1950s to the present as they struggle to find their places—and
be true to themselves—in a rapidly evolving world. Mrs. Everything
is an ambitious, richly textured journey through history—and
herstory—as these two sisters navigate a changing America over the
course of their lives.
Do we change or does the world change us?
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 ambitious novel yet, Jennifer Weiner tells a 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?
Do we change or does the world change us?
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 ambitious novel yet, Jennifer Weiner tells a 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?
Reviews
"Readers will flock to this ambitious, nearly flawless novel." (Booklist (starred review))
"An ambitious look at how women's roles have changed--and stayed the same--over the last 70 years." (Kirkus Reviews)
"A heartfelt and super-relatable story." (Woman's Day)
"Simply unputdownable." (Good Housekeeping)
"What really makes this book a summer sensation is Weiner's female characters that capture your attention and make you feel lots of feels." (Women's Health)
"Mrs. Everything is like "Beaches" but with mothers and daughters and sisters. I may never recover." (Jill Grunenwald, author of RUNNING WITH A POLICE ESCORT and READING BEHIND BARS)
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