I'm 3 for 3 in the Perfect Summer Read category. My latest is The Book Club for Troublesome Women: A Novel by Marie Bostwick.

"Ideal for fans of historical fiction and those who enjoyed Bonnie Garmus' 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

I think Booklist comes the closest to describing the novel, albeit too briefly. It was definitely one I couldn't put down or stop signing its praises. I've already passed it on to someone who I believe will love it as much as I did.

The story begins with an introduction to a book I have not read. "In February 19, 1963, a troublesome, imperfect, controversial woman named Betty Friedan published a troublesome, imperfect, controversial book titled The Feminine Mystique. The book didn't solve the problems women faced. But it did put a name to it, shining a light that helped women who felt isolated and powerless find one another, and their voices. That has been the start of every revolution."

The author wrote about the reason for her writing this book, "Coming face-to-face with the rules, attitudes, and indignities that confined and constricted women of my mother's generation often moved me to anger- and deep admiration. The opportunities I take granted were paid for by the generation of fearless, dauntless, troublesome women who came before."

I agree when she said, "What really made me fall in love with this story was the characters - Margaret, Charlotte, Viv, and Bitsy -books they read, the sisterhood they discover, and the risks they take to transform their lives and sense of self. Chapter by chapter, book by book, secret by secret, four lives come together to illuminate a unique moment in history, a story crafted to sound a chord of truth with readers of every generation."

I have no idea if my own Mom shared the struggles these amazing women endured. I'd like to think that if she did she had a sisterhood to help her through. This is one well crafted story and I highly recommend it!

"Novels force you to think—to make your own conclusions about characters and themes, and decide if they’re valid or relevant or true or good, or the opposite, or maybe somewhere in between.”― Marie Bostwick, The Book Club for Troublesome Women