by Jennifer Weiner
Hardcover- $10.64
An instant New York Times bestseller
“A multigenerational narrative that’s nothing short of brilliant.” —People
“Simply ...
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i had mixed feelings reading this book. I do agree with the constructive criticism that is has every problem imaginable - - drugs, rape, pregnancy, racism, etc. which is a bit unrealistic maybe. And there are times where I don't like some of the characters, and then something happens and I like them again. So maybe that's indicative of a good story. Its and easy read and in the end enjoyable! well worth your time.
So disappointed after reading Jennifer Weiner’s previous books. All I could think about while reading this book is how Ms Weiner must have been under pressure by her publisher to produce more books fast. Don’t waste your time with this one
Great look into the lives of sisters and family dynamics over the course of a generation.
This was my least favorite book of this author. Some of the scenes were too graphic, and some of the events felt rushed.
Mrs Everything, A Novel: Jennifer Weiner, author, Ari Graynor, Beth Malone, narrators
The title of the book is a double entendre, since Misses and Mrs. are homophones. The use of one or the other of the words, changes the meaning of the title. “Misses Everything” drives home the trial and error aspect of the lives of the characters as they develop. The very essence of “Mrs. Everything” has another meaning altogether, one inferring that women are supposed to be the be-all, end-all of the home, able to juggle all family responsibility on their own, child rearing, entertaining, housekeeping, cooking, budgeting, etc.
Sarah and Ken Kaufman are the parents of Elizabeth and Josette. They are a Jewish family. The time is 1950 and they are upwardly mobil, moving out of Detroit into a modest house in the suburbs. Bethie is the goody, goody, the favorite child, who becomes a hippy, Jo is the rebel who cannot please her mother, who marches to the beat of her own drummer and is confused about her sexuality. Ken is the breadwinner and Sarah is the perfect homemaker. Uncle Mel is the rich uncle who is also a sexual predator. Mae is the housekeeper who is fired. When Jo and Mae’s daughter Frieda play together and grow to be close friends. Sarah finds it unacceptable. She believes “birds of a feather should flock together” and Frieda is black. Harold Jefferson is also black. These characters represents racial issues. Shelley Finklebein represents white privilege, Lynnette is a lesbian, Dave Braverman represents infidelity, Nonie represents betrayal, and on and on. The characters seemed typecast for their roles and they played them well.
For the next seven decades, the book focuses on the Kaufmans and their extended family as they move into their individual futures, as the children marry and grandchildren are born, in sickness and in health, as similar personality traits reappear in future generations with similar growing pains, as marriages flourish or collapse, as families prosper or fail, as individuals come of age or become dysfunctional.
The sisters, Jo and Bethie, are very close. Jo is often Bethie’s savior when she makes foolish decisions. Jo, in her frustration often has emotional outbursts. Sarah and Ken seem like an idyllic couple until tragedy strikes. The times were so different. Without Ken, money becomes an issue. Women had little opportunity. Women went to college to find a husband. Men went to become professionals. The roles of women and men were more clearly defined, presenting little opportunity for a woman to independently raise a family.
When the novel begins, racism is common, women have few rights, children are to be seen and not heard, religious discrimination and quotas exist, World War II has only been over for a few years, Israel is a new country, there are no cell phones, computers or space shuttles! In the following decades, new ideas and lifestyles are birthed, yet many of the same social problems and prejudices still exist today. The novel is a story about taking responsibility for one’s actions, living life to the fullest, reaching for the stars in order to obtain what one wants to achieve in spite of obstacles, having courage to do new things and to face one’s problems head on. It is a novel that will be very nostalgic for many of the readers who will have lived through many of the same experiences as they came of age.
I have very mixed feelings about this book. It covers about seven decades of the Kaufman family as it grows. While I thought the issues presented in the book were very relevant, depression, suicide, white privilege, male toxicity, loss, illness, antisemitism, sexism, racism, backroom abortion, emotional/mental problems, eating disorders, interracial marriage, lesbian life, homosexuality, infidelity, betrayal, divorce, drug addiction, rape, sexual abuse, white privilege and more, I felt that the overabundance of issues involving one family pushed its credibility. It felt more like a handbook put out by Progressives sometimes, than a novel. Still, even with that, I recommend the book. The issues were presented in authentic situations, even though the characters often seemed like stereotypes.
Warning: There is graphic sex between two women which although done well, I could have done without it. I was choosing to read a novel, not what was once considered borderline pornography
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