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?
Source: advance e-galley provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
When I started reading Mrs. Everything I had no proper idea what the premise was other than it was about sisters and I'm always interested in how family dynamics play out.
Jo has always felt different and apart from her mother and sister. Even as a child she felt uncomfortable in her own skin. She wasn't the traditional beauty and certainly didn't behave like a young lady was expected to. Her sister, Bethie fulfilled that role nicely being the more conventionally pretty girl who listened to their mother. The differences between the sisters are stark and set them up for their eventual stories as adults. It may not have been an idyllic life but it was a decent life with both parents who did love their children. Their lives are changed irrevocably when their father passes away suddenly and the three women are left to continue on their own. Their mother sort of checks out mentally and this where Jo, after o many years of rebellion, steps up to help around the house. By this time certain other events take place that impact them significantly, altering the trajectory of their lives.
You're seeing the sisters' entire lives unfold before your eyes and the toughest part about reading Mrs. Everything is that it's incredibly emotional with unsavory incidents that happen intermittently throughout. What's interesting is how initially it's kind of assumed that the girls are headed down a preordained path based on their personalities - Jo the stubborn and independent one, and Bethie the popular girl. However, by the time they're in their late teens, they flip-flop. Later on Jo, who had never had any interest in being married or being with a man for that matter, marries and raises a family. She plays house but once again isn't comfortable in her own skin knowing she has shut away all her true desires. Bethie, wants nothing to do with settling down and embraces her life of freedom and free love. Both sisters bear the consequences of their decisions and at times lack of action. Their separate journeys took them to places that they couldn't have imagined for themselves but then, every so often life throws them for a loop and certain things or people come along and turn things around. It's the changes and how they adapt, or don't, that make this story both heartbreaking and page-turning.
Mrs. Everything isn't a light read and traumatic things happen (content warning listed below). Though depressing at times it's also a story about resilience, reconciliation and faith. This is my first time reading Jennifer Weiner and boy, oh boy, is she a brilliant writer! She had me in tears by the time I was done, not only because of everything Jo and Beth had been through, but because they made it through all of the muck, eventually making it back to each other for a second chance at sisterhood and friendship. Mrs. Everything is a powerful and moving story that will spark fascinating conversations though I also recognize that it's not for everyone. If you're going to read it, pick a good spot and make sure you have a warm drink and tissues at the ready.
~ Bel
Jennifer Weiner is the #1 New York Times bestselling
author of over twenty books, including Good in Bed, The
Littlest Bigfoot, and her memoir Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life,
Love, and Writing. A graduate of Princeton University and contributor to
the New York Times Opinion section, Jennifer lives
with her family in Philadelphia. Visit her online at JenniferWeiner.com.
Follow Jennifer online
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Content Warning
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- death of a parent, homophobia, eating disorder, sexual assault, rape, unwanted pregnancy, abortion, cheating, drug use, cancer
