Be a Good Girl, Valerie

by Marcia van Zeller

When Valerie, now in her sixties, learns that her Gen Z co-worker, Anna, has effectively been fired for rejecting the boss’s advances, Valerie becomes her champion, and so ensures that justice will prevail. But it brings back traumatic memories of when Valerie herself was the victim of sexual assault when working as an aspiring TV reporter in 1970s London. Exposing the unfair consequences of saying ‘no’ in the workplace, the book vividly and with warm humour illustrates the power of standing up for another woman’s rights, and your own.

288 pages, Paperback

Published July 2, 2025

Reviews

[Sheree | Keeping Up With The Penguins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Be A Good Girl, Valerie is an easy read about a confronting subject, one that’s well-paced and evenly handled.

My full review is up on Keeping Up With The Penguins.

[Craig and Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big thanks to Ventura Press for sending us a copy to read and review.
Ageism, sexual assault and friendship are at the core of this story that revolves around two time lines and a case of the past and the present sharing similar traits.
The strong link between Australia and Canada is revealed as the time lines merge.
Valerie is an older woman that has experienced life and approaches it in a steadfast and practical way.
Unable to entirely relate to her Gen Z colleagues she isolates herself and does her work until young Anna appears at her desk.
Revelations lead to a friendship and a cause that evokes memories and trauma from Valerie’s own past.
The exploration of friendship that Valerie had with her lifelong friend and Gen Z Anna was fantastic.
The incidence of social issues that don’t seem to vanish as time and laws progress is an eye opener and puts the two time periods into perspective.
As a character it takes a bit to get more dimensions and an emotional backstory to Valerie but the hints allude the reader will get more as it culminates.

[Jan Mawdesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2018 the Harvey Weinstein court cases set off a train of events that have indirectly or directly to resulted in the creation of Be a good girl, Valerie from Marcia van Zeller, a woman who has spent her professional life in the hard-edged world of Journalism before moving to a freelance career in professional writing.
With a light touch and a lovely tempering of humour she uses the basis of her life story to create Valerie a woman heading for retirement, retrenched from the world of Journalism and now working for an upmarket firm in Perth creating and correcting copy for various requirements.
She is focused on her work, keeps to herself and while not set in her ways is comfortable with her lifestyle. When Grace, a young woman she has noticed commuting on the same train service appears to be stalked by an unknown man, she intervenes.
When an unfair dismissal occurs at Dawes, Bland and Armstrong over a sexual harassment complaint she decides to not only support the talented young woman Anna, she recruits a group of supporters, led by Grace who is in her last year of Law, to try to make sure justice is done.
Woven over the time frame of 1974 to 2020 van Zeller highlights the issues that women have faced and, in many instances, still do face in their professional lives, the power men can hold over women and their powerlessness to be able to do anything about the violations that are often committed under the guise of working relationships.
Valerie takes issue forty years after being abused, realising that it is never too late to act against the entitlement men seem to believe they have around women with whom they work.
Her long time Friend Jeanette, also retrenched from her position as a Dean of Research at a prestigious University in Canada decides in her retirement to carry our research into why men in the field of Media and Entertainment believe they are entitled to use women as they see fit and the economic cost associated with the calling out of sexual abuse within the industry.
Chilling and accurate Be a good girl, Valerie will resonate with women, particularly young women who have been subjected to a wide range of suggestive and abusive behaviours within the workplace and have felt powerless to act. It is also quirky, funny at times and perfectly captures the world that once was while paying tribute to the women who have been brave enough, angry enough and old enough to stand tall, act and begin to create change in a positive manner.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Valerie herself states ‘It resonates’.
This book most certainly resonates.
Reading through this story, there are moments and comments that just get under your skin. Spark visceral memories of those times you got the icks. Like those times you crossed the road. Or subtly exited a conversation.

When Anna, a younger coworker, is receiving unwanted sexual advances from her boss, Valerie is ready to offer her support.
Anna is encouraged to report these uncomfortable occurrences to HR and when she does she finds herself promptly unemployed.
Whilst Valerie is assisting her with her unfair dismissal claim, news breaks in the UK which inspires Valerie to seek retribution for her own sexual assault experience.
It was 1978. Valerie was young and ambitious, on a gap year and hoping to break into a highly competitive TV news industry. And he just had all the power.

I flew through this book. It helped explain why there can be such a gap between sexual assault occurring and being reported.
The #metoo movement has given us vernacular we didn’t have before. Words like grooming and gaslighting and even consent are now commonplace.
It’s interesting how so much can have changed over the past 50 years and still feel like we have so far to go.
This book has a clear agenda and I hope was quite cathartic for the author to pen.
A thought provoking read.

Oh and Valerie - agreed! Country driving at dusk is downright terrifying. The kamekaze roos! The concept of wood ducking sounds like a solid game plan for risk management 😂

Thank you to @vanzellerwriter @venturapress_ and @dmcprmedia for a gifted copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review and for including me in the #beagoodgirlvalerie book tour. 

[Rina · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Valerie, now in her sixties, learns that her Gen Z co-worker, Anna, has been fired for rejecting the boss’s advances, Valerie becomes her champion, and so ensures that justice will prevail. But it brings back traumatic memories of when Valerie herself was the victim of sexual assault when working as an aspiring TV reporter in 1970s London.

This story made my blood boil pretty much from the first chapter with the various degrees of harassments and discriminations the characters faced. The first few chapters read like a company’s compliance training materials 😄 (which are super important to ensure everyone knows the boundaries of what is acceptable and not), but I really enjoyed them.

Through Valerie, we got to follow the perspective of someone who had to make all the efforts and navigate through the process and procedures to report a sexual harassment. I loved the portrayal of sisterhood and male allies in this one - it enforced the message that it’d take a village to surface injustice and make things right. I also loved that Valerie was an older character who’d had vast life experiences and therefore could assess her choices objectively.

This was a strong debut fiction. I’m looking forward to reading more from the author!

(Thanks to DMCPR Media and Ventura Press for a gifted review copy)

See my bookstagram review.

[Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

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Thank you Ventura Press for this book in exchange for an honest review

Marcia van Zeller's Be a Good Girl, Valerie is a masterful exploration of the enduring power of female solidarity, resilience, and the quest for justice. Set against the backdrop of 2018 Perth, with poignant flashbacks to 1970s Toronto and London, the novel follows Valerie, a woman in her sixties, who confronts the trauma of her past while championing a younger colleague, Anna, who faces workplace injustice.

Van Zeller's narrative is both compelling and empathetic, weaving together themes of harassment, justice, and the strength found in intergenerational female friendships. Valerie's journey is a testament to the idea that it's never too late to find one's voice and stand up for what is right.

The author's rich storytelling is complemented by her sharp wit and keen observations, making this novel not only a powerful social commentary but also an engaging and enjoyable read. Be a Good Girl, Valerie is a must-read for anyone who believes in the transformative power of speaking out and supporting one another.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t be fooled by the pretty cover, Marcia van Zeller’s powerful and rage inducing new novel; Be a Good Girl, Valerie is no light and fluffy read, but a tale all too relatable and it packs a punch.

Valerie is heading towards retirement and is quite comfortable seeing out her working years in her current role. She has become somewhat invisible to those around her as an older woman, but she is not particularly concerned. That is until a younger co-worker, Anna, is dismissed after reporting her older boss’ unwelcome advances. Valerie is determined not to stay silent and instead becomes Anna’s champion, but in doing so she dredges up her own long buried traumatic memories. Has society advanced since 1978 and will Valerie’s story be believed?

This book absolutely filled me with rage! Firstly for the dismissive attitudes of leadership towards Anna’s claims and then for trying to justify her sacking. It was an all too familiar story, but I was thrilled to see Valerie standing with Anna and the friendship that was formed between them. In fact the theme of female friendship and solidarity, despite age or background, was my favourite part of this book. It was a testament to what women can achieve when we stand together and refuse to remain silent.

The scenes set in 1978 were incredibly uncomfortable and absolutely horrifying. The parallels between Anna and Valerie’s stories 46 years apart showed how far we still have to go in the fight against powerful men taking advantage and assaulting young women. Absolutely disgusting!

Although Be a Good Girl, Valerie deals with heavy themes, these are balanced out by humour and heart. I strongly urge everyone to read this novel, as although it is fiction, it’s an incredibly real and honest story that’s very true to life. As I was reading, I was thinking about all the people in my life that I will be recommending this book to.

[Nicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5. I was drawn to this by the stunning cover and Valerie being an older character. I appreciated the themes of female friendship too, both with Jeanette and the younger women she befriends and helps.
I was also delighted to see this is mostly set in Perth, but I have to say so much described was fictional or non specified that I struggled to recognize it.
This is a very light book for such a serious topic (me too). Potentially it makes it more accessible for those who like a chick lit type story, which could only be a good thing. Me, I’m closer to Valerie’s age (not quite there, but closer than to her younger friends) and I’m mostly past that style of story, and like a darker style, so this one didn’t quite hit for me, but I do think it might for others.

[Felicia Jamieson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed by this book. As a very passionate feminist, I thought I would devour this novel however I found it quite dull.

The writing relies very heavily on dialogue and there isn't really any emotional weight, at least not as there should be for a book about such a heavy topic.

SPOILER-
The ending felt too easy. The company just gave in, the court found the r*pist guilty- I appreciate that Zeller was optimistic and was maybe trying to give us hope, but this just felt unrealistic.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story and the characters. The pacing was excellent, the chosen details and story telling felt very realistic and engaging. One of those books that I was sad to finish as I enjoyed the world and the characters so much. It was nice to read a story like this that had a happy ending too.

[Merceiam · Rating 3 out of 5]

An accessible read for a serious theme.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was slow to start and seemed like it was going to be full of cliches related to the #MeToo movement but as it went on, it got stronger and had an enjoyable ending.

Easy and pleasant read

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Difficult to rate as DNF. I was interested in the subject and the characters but it didn't hold my attention. I may have finished it if I didn't have a massive TBR pile.

[Brooke Seychelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just LOVE Australian books. Particularly Australian books set around an industry I know so well.

This was a pleasure to read. Well, the themes are actually incredibly heavy, and there are some scenes and chapters that can be a bit confronting. But I found overall it was a realistic depiction of the Australian media industry. It is true, men like this do still exist, and they do try to get away with the things they do. Thankfully, we live in a world where there's been much more progress in justice, however there is still so much room for improvement (I speak from personal experience).

As a character, I really liked Valerie. She was interesting, nuanced and real. I loved her relationship with the two younger women in this book, it seemed like the kind of partnership that would happen in real life. That being said, there were a lot of holes in her friendship with her long term friend (like we never really find out what was every wrong with her??).

I think the way everything worked out in the end was sweet, but a little unrealistic. Valerie handled her court case well, but I just don't believe justice would be served that way.

Overall, I enjoyed this though, and really recommend it to any women working in the media landscape.

[Michele]

Author Talk: Marcia van Zeller
Marcia van Zeller discusses her new novel 'Be a good girl, Valerie' in a Q&A event with journalist Ali Colvin.

Wednesday 14 July
6pm to 7.30pm
Subiaco Library