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The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club
For readers of Martha Hall Kelly and Beatriz Williams comes poignant historical fiction that reminds us that literature has the power to speaks to everyone uniquely — but also to draw us together.
Massachusetts, 1954. With bags packed alongside her heavy heart, Alice Campbell escaped halfway across the country and found herself in front of a derelict building tucked among the cobblestone streets of Cambridge. She turns it into the enchanting bookshop of her dreams, knowing firsthand the power of books to comfort the brokenhearted.
The Cambridge Bookshop soon becomes a haven for Tess, Caroline, Evie, and Merritt, who are all navigating the struggles of being newly independent college women in a world that seems to want to keep them in the kitchen. But when a member of the group finds herself shattered, everything they know about themselves will be called into question.
From the author of For Those Who Are Lost comes an extraordinary love letter to books and friendship, a story that is at once heart-wrenching, strengthening, and inspiring.
Massachusetts, 1954. With bags packed alongside her heavy heart, Alice Campbell escaped halfway across the country and found herself in front of a derelict building tucked among the cobblestone streets of Cambridge. She turns it into the enchanting bookshop of her dreams, knowing firsthand the power of books to comfort the brokenhearted.
The Cambridge Bookshop soon becomes a haven for Tess, Caroline, Evie, and Merritt, who are all navigating the struggles of being newly independent college women in a world that seems to want to keep them in the kitchen. But when a member of the group finds herself shattered, everything they know about themselves will be called into question.
From the author of For Those Who Are Lost comes an extraordinary love letter to books and friendship, a story that is at once heart-wrenching, strengthening, and inspiring.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 6, 2023
471 people are currently reading
11142 people want to read
About the author
Julia Bryan Thomas
3 books205 followersJulia Bryan Thomas is a graduate of Northeastern State University and the Yale Writers’ Workshop. She is married to mystery novelist Will Thomas.
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June 8, 2023
4.5⭐️
“After all, she believed that challenging one’s ideals was the purpose of studying books, not necessarily to change behavior but to inform one’s thought. Let them be housewives if that was their greatest desire, but let them be mathematicians and scientists and professors if they so wished. Women deserved the right to dream as well as men.”
In the 1950s, a failed marriage brought Alice Campbell to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she opened her own bookshop. Her love for literature motivates her to begin a reading club where she meets four young women, Tess, Caroline, Evie, and Merritt, navigating their way through their first year as students at Radcliffe College. Alice carefully curates selections for her reading club, sharing books that she feels will stimulate their young minds, encourage discussion and in the process inspire them to look at life and all the opportunities open to them from a fresh perspective.
“Women weren’t china dolls for men to pamper and care for with the caveat that they never speak their minds. They were living, breathing human beings with thoughts and feelings and emotions that were meant to be expressed however they chose to do it.”
The girls are from different socio-economic backgrounds, but each of them is struggling - torn between familial and societal expectations and their own dreams, in what was predominantly a paternalistic society. They become friends and the bookshop proves to be a safe space for them, with Alice motivating them to share their hopes, fears and beliefs. Between attending classes and reading, the girls spend time watching movies, attending dances and socializing with the male students at Harvard. While there are moments of friendship and empathy, not all of their experiences are pleasant ones and there are also moments of friction and disagreements. When one of them experiences traumatic event, the episode and its aftermath irrevocably impact their lives and the plans they had chalked out for themselves.
.
“One couldn’t prevent all pain and suffering. It happens in spite of the best of intentions. Nevertheless, life goes on. It proceeds in spite of the breaking of human hearts.”
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas. This is a relatively slow-paced novel, but I loved getting to know these ladies and following them as they took their first steps as college students. The author does a wonderful job of painting a picture of college life for women in that era, societal expectations and how young women perceived education, relationships, marriage and ambition. I found the discussions on the books (I loved the reading club selections!) fascinating in that they reflected how the same book can evoke different reactions between readers often based on their personal experiences. I loved how the author developed these characters, giving us a glimpse into their motivations, convictions and beliefs in the course of these literary discussions addressing topics ranging from education, ambition, love, marriage, divorce, morality and what it meant to be a woman in an evolving, yet male-dominated society. The characterizations are superbly done and though there are several characters and their backstories woven into the narrative, at no point did I lose interest or find it difficult to follow the different threads of the story. I was invested in their stories and would have loved it if we could have spent more time with the characters. This is one of those stories that I feel could have been even more enjoyable had it been longer. The author addresses sensitive issues such as misogyny, domestic abuse and sexual violence realistically but with much sensitivity and compassion. The fluid narrative, the elegant prose, the literary references and the underlying message about how books impact not only our understanding of others but also ourselves rendered this novel a joy to read.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
“Spend a little time every week discovering new books. Read them; discuss them; let them inform you about life; let them seep into your spirit. Women from the past and even the present have so much to teach us about life and living and about what it means to be a woman.”
“After all, she believed that challenging one’s ideals was the purpose of studying books, not necessarily to change behavior but to inform one’s thought. Let them be housewives if that was their greatest desire, but let them be mathematicians and scientists and professors if they so wished. Women deserved the right to dream as well as men.”
In the 1950s, a failed marriage brought Alice Campbell to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she opened her own bookshop. Her love for literature motivates her to begin a reading club where she meets four young women, Tess, Caroline, Evie, and Merritt, navigating their way through their first year as students at Radcliffe College. Alice carefully curates selections for her reading club, sharing books that she feels will stimulate their young minds, encourage discussion and in the process inspire them to look at life and all the opportunities open to them from a fresh perspective.
“Women weren’t china dolls for men to pamper and care for with the caveat that they never speak their minds. They were living, breathing human beings with thoughts and feelings and emotions that were meant to be expressed however they chose to do it.”
The girls are from different socio-economic backgrounds, but each of them is struggling - torn between familial and societal expectations and their own dreams, in what was predominantly a paternalistic society. They become friends and the bookshop proves to be a safe space for them, with Alice motivating them to share their hopes, fears and beliefs. Between attending classes and reading, the girls spend time watching movies, attending dances and socializing with the male students at Harvard. While there are moments of friendship and empathy, not all of their experiences are pleasant ones and there are also moments of friction and disagreements. When one of them experiences traumatic event, the episode and its aftermath irrevocably impact their lives and the plans they had chalked out for themselves.
.
“One couldn’t prevent all pain and suffering. It happens in spite of the best of intentions. Nevertheless, life goes on. It proceeds in spite of the breaking of human hearts.”
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas. This is a relatively slow-paced novel, but I loved getting to know these ladies and following them as they took their first steps as college students. The author does a wonderful job of painting a picture of college life for women in that era, societal expectations and how young women perceived education, relationships, marriage and ambition. I found the discussions on the books (I loved the reading club selections!) fascinating in that they reflected how the same book can evoke different reactions between readers often based on their personal experiences. I loved how the author developed these characters, giving us a glimpse into their motivations, convictions and beliefs in the course of these literary discussions addressing topics ranging from education, ambition, love, marriage, divorce, morality and what it meant to be a woman in an evolving, yet male-dominated society. The characterizations are superbly done and though there are several characters and their backstories woven into the narrative, at no point did I lose interest or find it difficult to follow the different threads of the story. I was invested in their stories and would have loved it if we could have spent more time with the characters. This is one of those stories that I feel could have been even more enjoyable had it been longer. The author addresses sensitive issues such as misogyny, domestic abuse and sexual violence realistically but with much sensitivity and compassion. The fluid narrative, the elegant prose, the literary references and the underlying message about how books impact not only our understanding of others but also ourselves rendered this novel a joy to read.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
“Spend a little time every week discovering new books. Read them; discuss them; let them inform you about life; let them seep into your spirit. Women from the past and even the present have so much to teach us about life and living and about what it means to be a woman.”
June 21, 2023
At a time when few women went on to college and those that did enrolled solely to obtain their MRS degree, Radcliffe College in Cambridge was considered one of the prestigious Seven Sisters schools.
Set in the 1950s, The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club by Julia Bryan follows a local shop’s monthly book group comprised of four Radcliffe freshman and the bookstore’s owner as they read and discuss books about and/or written by women.
As someone who loves to read books about books, I quickly became immersed in the novel’s narrative and the characters’ discussions of such classics as Jane Eyre, The Age of Innocence, and Anna Karenina.
A quick summer read, The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club explores themes of independence, self-identity, sisterhood, and women’s rights that are still as relevant today as they were 70 years ago.
Readers and book clubs who enjoyed Reading Lolita in Tehran and Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows should consider adding this new release to their reading lists.
“They were peculiar creatures, college girls. They could seem so grownup at times and like adolescents at others, trapped between the constrictive rules of their childhoods and the freedom of being an adult.”
Set in the 1950s, The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club by Julia Bryan follows a local shop’s monthly book group comprised of four Radcliffe freshman and the bookstore’s owner as they read and discuss books about and/or written by women.
As someone who loves to read books about books, I quickly became immersed in the novel’s narrative and the characters’ discussions of such classics as Jane Eyre, The Age of Innocence, and Anna Karenina.
A quick summer read, The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club explores themes of independence, self-identity, sisterhood, and women’s rights that are still as relevant today as they were 70 years ago.
Readers and book clubs who enjoyed Reading Lolita in Tehran and Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows should consider adding this new release to their reading lists.
“They were peculiar creatures, college girls. They could seem so grownup at times and like adolescents at others, trapped between the constrictive rules of their childhoods and the freedom of being an adult.”
July 9, 2023
The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas was a very compelling historical fiction novel. This character driven novel took place in Cambridge, Massachusetts on both Radcliffe’s and Harvard’s campuses and in a bookstore that was built around one woman’s dream. College life and college education for women during the 1950’s was very different from the one that exists today. Although women attended colleges and universities in the 1950’s, many aspired to earning their MRS. degrees. Society norms dictated that women attended colleges or universities to secure a husband. The expectations for women, despite their college education, was to keep house and take care of their family. There was definitely a double standard for women in those times. What happened when a woman took her education to another level and went against the norms? Could any of those women rise above the standards that were expected and improve their lives and fulfill their dreams and desires?
In 1954, Alice Campbell escaped her life in Chicago and arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts with the goal of opening a bookstore. Alice saw books as a bridge between real life and escape into new possibilities. After her bookstore was up and running, Alice decided to organize a book club. She had flyers printed to advertise the book club and hoped she would attract serious readers that would be open to discuss the books they chose to read.
At about this time, a new batch of incoming freshman women were beginning their college education at Radcliffe. One of the women, Tess Collins, was handed a flyer. Tess urged her roommate, Caroline Hanson and two others, Evie Miller and Meritt Weber, to attend. These women became the best of friends. They spent their freshman year going to book club meetings. Alice was very good at selecting just the right books to read. Her goal was to select books that would lead to lively discussions and that allowed the women to express their feelings and thoughts about the book that they had all read. Alice and her bookstore became friends to the group of freshmen women over the course of the year. Beside the book club, Tess, Caroline, Evie and Meritt experienced all the things freshmen students were meant to do. They studied hard, at least some did, attended dances and social events that were held on Harvard’s campus and kept their eyes peeled for good looking men who could become potential husbands. Caroline was different from the other three friends. She had grown up leading a privileged life.
Then one night something terrible happened to one of the women. One of the four friend’s life was upended in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, the other three failed to act upon the changes they recognized in their friend’s behavior and lifestyle. They expected the changes were the result of the most obvious causes but it was far from what they expected. The circumstances would end up generating serious consequences and repercussions for all.
Julia Bryan Thomas skillfully captured the realistic expectations for women during this time period. I am so thankful that the lives and opportunities for women have evolved so dramatically since then. There is still room for improvement and progress but I am thankful that the roles of women are no longer one dimensional as they were back then. I really enjoyed the parts in The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club that centered around the book club. It was nice that Alice became an influential figure in the women’s lives. Overall, I enjoyed reading The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club and recommend it.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read The Radcliffe Ladies’ Readiing Club by Julia Bryan Thomas through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
In 1954, Alice Campbell escaped her life in Chicago and arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts with the goal of opening a bookstore. Alice saw books as a bridge between real life and escape into new possibilities. After her bookstore was up and running, Alice decided to organize a book club. She had flyers printed to advertise the book club and hoped she would attract serious readers that would be open to discuss the books they chose to read.
At about this time, a new batch of incoming freshman women were beginning their college education at Radcliffe. One of the women, Tess Collins, was handed a flyer. Tess urged her roommate, Caroline Hanson and two others, Evie Miller and Meritt Weber, to attend. These women became the best of friends. They spent their freshman year going to book club meetings. Alice was very good at selecting just the right books to read. Her goal was to select books that would lead to lively discussions and that allowed the women to express their feelings and thoughts about the book that they had all read. Alice and her bookstore became friends to the group of freshmen women over the course of the year. Beside the book club, Tess, Caroline, Evie and Meritt experienced all the things freshmen students were meant to do. They studied hard, at least some did, attended dances and social events that were held on Harvard’s campus and kept their eyes peeled for good looking men who could become potential husbands. Caroline was different from the other three friends. She had grown up leading a privileged life.
Then one night something terrible happened to one of the women. One of the four friend’s life was upended in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, the other three failed to act upon the changes they recognized in their friend’s behavior and lifestyle. They expected the changes were the result of the most obvious causes but it was far from what they expected. The circumstances would end up generating serious consequences and repercussions for all.
Julia Bryan Thomas skillfully captured the realistic expectations for women during this time period. I am so thankful that the lives and opportunities for women have evolved so dramatically since then. There is still room for improvement and progress but I am thankful that the roles of women are no longer one dimensional as they were back then. I really enjoyed the parts in The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club that centered around the book club. It was nice that Alice became an influential figure in the women’s lives. Overall, I enjoyed reading The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club and recommend it.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read The Radcliffe Ladies’ Readiing Club by Julia Bryan Thomas through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
June 25, 2023
4.25 stars for this 1950’s women’s college domestic tale about 4 “Cliffee’s” first year & their bookseller older friend. The beginning is VERY slow & I nearly DNF’d it, when "BANG" it picked up so fast that I finished it all in one go! This book deals very realistically with the social issues and need to conform & get your “MRS” degree that young women of the times were subjected to. And I really loved the ending.
May 29, 2023
Alice Campbell has taken the biggest risk of her life, she left Chicago and moved to Cambridge in Massachusetts. Here she finds an old building, the perfect place for her bookshop and she lives in a little flat upstairs.
Opening the Cambridge Bookshop for Alice is fulfilling a lifelong dream, she’s created her own refuge, it’s her calling and she’s finally gained her independence. Alice is an avid reader, she knows the power of books, and reading brings her comfort, knowledge and she wants to share this with others. Alice comes up with the idea of holding a book club, she’s has flyers printed up and gives one to a young lady who’s just started attending Radcliffe College.
In September 1954, Tess Collins, Caroline Hanson, Evie Miller and Merritt Weber are all eighteen, they move out of home for the first time and to attend Radcliffe College. Tess and Caroline are roommates and so are Evie and Merritt. Tess, Evie and Merritt all come from similar backgrounds and Caroline’s family are rich. The four young ladies become friends, Tess comes up with the idea of attending the first book club and it's held once a month. With Alice guiding the way, they discuss a wide range of topics and issues, share what they think about each book and how it makes them feel.
Their first year of college should be about studying hard and passing, and in their free time having fun, the girls go to the book club, movies and dances. One of the group has a life changing experience, the others notice she isn’t right, they don’t know what to do and it has series consequences for all of them.
I received a copy of The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. The book explores societies expectations of young women at the time, people presumed they only attended college to look for a husband or to fill in the time before they marry a nice man and settled down and have children.
The engaging and thought provoking narrative is centered around how books and reading draws people together, everyone's perception of the stories chosen can be vastly different and it leads to some rather heated discussions. Five stars from me, I enjoyed reading about the college sisterhood, friendship, career aspirations and Alice's kind and mature influence, I highly recommend The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club and Ms. Bryan Thomas's previous historical fiction novel, For Those Who Are Lost.
Opening the Cambridge Bookshop for Alice is fulfilling a lifelong dream, she’s created her own refuge, it’s her calling and she’s finally gained her independence. Alice is an avid reader, she knows the power of books, and reading brings her comfort, knowledge and she wants to share this with others. Alice comes up with the idea of holding a book club, she’s has flyers printed up and gives one to a young lady who’s just started attending Radcliffe College.
In September 1954, Tess Collins, Caroline Hanson, Evie Miller and Merritt Weber are all eighteen, they move out of home for the first time and to attend Radcliffe College. Tess and Caroline are roommates and so are Evie and Merritt. Tess, Evie and Merritt all come from similar backgrounds and Caroline’s family are rich. The four young ladies become friends, Tess comes up with the idea of attending the first book club and it's held once a month. With Alice guiding the way, they discuss a wide range of topics and issues, share what they think about each book and how it makes them feel.
Their first year of college should be about studying hard and passing, and in their free time having fun, the girls go to the book club, movies and dances. One of the group has a life changing experience, the others notice she isn’t right, they don’t know what to do and it has series consequences for all of them.
I received a copy of The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. The book explores societies expectations of young women at the time, people presumed they only attended college to look for a husband or to fill in the time before they marry a nice man and settled down and have children.
The engaging and thought provoking narrative is centered around how books and reading draws people together, everyone's perception of the stories chosen can be vastly different and it leads to some rather heated discussions. Five stars from me, I enjoyed reading about the college sisterhood, friendship, career aspirations and Alice's kind and mature influence, I highly recommend The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club and Ms. Bryan Thomas's previous historical fiction novel, For Those Who Are Lost.
May 15, 2023
College is an education for young people in more ways than one. Learning takes place in the classroom, extracurricular activities, sports, social gatherings and living situations. This book touches on all of these while also exploring the roles of women in education, marriage and society in the 1950s.
Going to college is like being dropped into a microcosm of society. It is a whirlpool of people that have been raised in different parts of the country, with different mores, values and opinions. In this story, the guys are mostly carefree and narcissistic, and the girls endeavor to "fit in" or "belong". Everyone tries so hard to be someone else or a newer version of themselves; some feeling on top of the world with their newfound freedom and others feeling lost or bullied or left out.
This story, set in 1954, follows the friendship of four girls from different socioeconomic backgrounds who are in their first year of college at Radcliffe. This was during the time when available careers for women were much less than they are today. The issues that these young women face are different for each of them, but they each learn how to resolve their conflicts and determine who they can turn to for help. The owner of a small bookstore in town plays a pivotal role in mentoring the girls while engaging them in a Book Club, reading the works of popular female authors, such as Bronte, Edith Wharton, Virginia Woolf and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. A tragedy presents itself which threatens to either unite these freshmen or tear them apart.
The story initially intrigued me. Unfortunately, I found that, for the most part, the characters lacked depth and the storyline was somewhat fragmented, as if too many storylines were attempting to be covered within a limited amount of space. And, at other times, the dialogue and actions didn't seem to fit the characters. Overall, I liked this book, but it did not meet with my expectations.
My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Going to college is like being dropped into a microcosm of society. It is a whirlpool of people that have been raised in different parts of the country, with different mores, values and opinions. In this story, the guys are mostly carefree and narcissistic, and the girls endeavor to "fit in" or "belong". Everyone tries so hard to be someone else or a newer version of themselves; some feeling on top of the world with their newfound freedom and others feeling lost or bullied or left out.
This story, set in 1954, follows the friendship of four girls from different socioeconomic backgrounds who are in their first year of college at Radcliffe. This was during the time when available careers for women were much less than they are today. The issues that these young women face are different for each of them, but they each learn how to resolve their conflicts and determine who they can turn to for help. The owner of a small bookstore in town plays a pivotal role in mentoring the girls while engaging them in a Book Club, reading the works of popular female authors, such as Bronte, Edith Wharton, Virginia Woolf and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. A tragedy presents itself which threatens to either unite these freshmen or tear them apart.
The story initially intrigued me. Unfortunately, I found that, for the most part, the characters lacked depth and the storyline was somewhat fragmented, as if too many storylines were attempting to be covered within a limited amount of space. And, at other times, the dialogue and actions didn't seem to fit the characters. Overall, I liked this book, but it did not meet with my expectations.
My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 21, 2024
Amateur writing.
May 23, 2023
I was intrigued from the second I saw this cover and even more so as I read the blurb on the back. Overall I was pleased with it and thought it was well done. I will say that I didn’t think any of the characters were as fully developed as I would have liked and at times that made the story feel like it wasn’t fully flowing well. This story is about 4 girls who start Radcliffe College at the same time and become fast friends. They are all different and want different things from their education, but they form a quick friendship and join a Cambridge bookshop owner for a book club. The book is set in the 1950’s and while women are slowly gaining some momentum but women still lack a variety of options as the girls discover. I loved the glimpses of the book club meetings and questions about various books which added something additional to the story.
July 27, 2023
What an excellent book by Julia Bryan Thomas. Unlike so many other books that use the word books, or book club, etc in the title, this book is not really about the books that are mentioned, but rather the Reading Club is the background for a look at 4 freshmen girls at Radcliffe College in the mid-1950's. Four so very unique and mismatched girls are dorm neighbors at Radcliffe and this book takes a look at the formative friendships and then the ups and downs that they all experience during their first year at Radcliffe. We first meet Tess as she wanders into a book store and eventually the owner discusses a reading club with Tess. Eventually all 4 of the girls join this group which meets once a month and the books read deal with various examples of women and how they deal with growth, their future, the place of women in society, etc. It is an extremely well written and thoughtful book. I read one chapter each day to my wife and after that we probably talked about the book, the characters and the plotting for at least 30 minutes every day. Julia Bryan Thomas is a wonderful writer, and this newest book is a true gem. We get immersed in all the girls, their lives, their sorrows and their experiences. It is filled with numerous realistic twists in these girls lives that the characters are truly believable. Just an outstanding work by Julia and a real joy to read. 4.5****
May 18, 2023
The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club
by Julia Bryan Thomas
Pub Date: 06 Jun 2023
SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, Sourcebooks Landmark
Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
As Alice Campbell escapes her past, she opens a bookstore. The Radcliffe College students Tess, Caroline, Evie, and Merritt form a book club after Alice opens the business. As the group holds monthly book club meetings, Alice realizes how similar the girls are despite their differences. One of the girls, however, suffers a tragedy that threatens to forever alter their lives and friendships.
I really enjoyed this book about Alice and four young women at Radcliffe College, set in 1954. Each woman has a unique background, experience, and future expectations. The book follows their story as they navigate college life's changes and challenges. The characters are all deeply flawed but ultimately sympathetic, making for a captivating read. The story provides a fascinating look at college life in the 1950s.
While Alice tries to broaden their perspectives, the book club provides them with a safe space to express frustrations. The tragedy forces the girls to confront their differences and come to terms with the consequences of their actions. The novel explores friendship, loss, and identity. Ultimately, it shows how these five women came together and support each other in times of hardship. There is a tragic and serious theme in this sweet, cozy story.
Thank you Julia Bryan Thomas and Sourcebooks Landmark @Bookmarked for this gorgeous complimentary book. I highly recommend it to historical fiction readers. This novel will make for some interesting book group discussions.
#TheRadcliffeLadiesReadingClub #SourcebooksLandmark @advancedreaderscopy #gifted #tbrbooks #tbrpile #bookaddict #bookreviewer #bookishcommunity #bookstagramcommunity #readingcommunity #Books #bookfriends #booksbooksbooks #booksta #bookstagram #newtobookstagram #bookreview #bookreviews #instabookstagram #bookish #bookishielife #newtobookstagram #newtoinsta #newtoinstagra
by Julia Bryan Thomas
Pub Date: 06 Jun 2023
SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, Sourcebooks Landmark
Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
As Alice Campbell escapes her past, she opens a bookstore. The Radcliffe College students Tess, Caroline, Evie, and Merritt form a book club after Alice opens the business. As the group holds monthly book club meetings, Alice realizes how similar the girls are despite their differences. One of the girls, however, suffers a tragedy that threatens to forever alter their lives and friendships.
I really enjoyed this book about Alice and four young women at Radcliffe College, set in 1954. Each woman has a unique background, experience, and future expectations. The book follows their story as they navigate college life's changes and challenges. The characters are all deeply flawed but ultimately sympathetic, making for a captivating read. The story provides a fascinating look at college life in the 1950s.
While Alice tries to broaden their perspectives, the book club provides them with a safe space to express frustrations. The tragedy forces the girls to confront their differences and come to terms with the consequences of their actions. The novel explores friendship, loss, and identity. Ultimately, it shows how these five women came together and support each other in times of hardship. There is a tragic and serious theme in this sweet, cozy story.
Thank you Julia Bryan Thomas and Sourcebooks Landmark @Bookmarked for this gorgeous complimentary book. I highly recommend it to historical fiction readers. This novel will make for some interesting book group discussions.
#TheRadcliffeLadiesReadingClub #SourcebooksLandmark @advancedreaderscopy #gifted #tbrbooks #tbrpile #bookaddict #bookreviewer #bookishcommunity #bookstagramcommunity #readingcommunity #Books #bookfriends #booksbooksbooks #booksta #bookstagram #newtobookstagram #bookreview #bookreviews #instabookstagram #bookish #bookishielife #newtobookstagram #newtoinsta #newtoinstagra
February 12, 2023
I had high expectations with this book. I love books about books, libraries, book clubs, anything. This was more the struggle of a group of friends to find their place in life. Trigger warning, rape. I found I could not connect with the characters, I liked them, hated them, all at the same time. I may have liked it more if it was more focussed on their school, that rape came out of no where. That was the part I struggled with the most. I did like that it was a shorter book.
Thanks to NetGalley, sourcebooks, and the author for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley, sourcebooks, and the author for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.
December 20, 2022
They say that a book is a dream you hold in your hand and this couldn’t be truer for Caroline, Merritt, Evie and Tess. These four young women are embarking on a dream of studying at Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the mid-1950s - a pivotal time in American history. The Radcliffe Ladies experience the push and pull of societal expectations placed on them and seek to understand their feelings by joining a book club. It’s here they can examine their experiences through the lens of classic literature.
While much of the discussion at book club was over my head because I hadn’t read some of the classics, I could appreciate their need for a safe space to vent and discuss their dreams and hopes for their future. The fact that this place was a bookstore run by Alice, a wonderful character, was a bonus. As the Radcliffe Ladies struggled with loss and heartache, the bond between them and the bookstore grew. Just as the books were there for them when they needed them, their friends, too, were there for support through thick and thin. I found it interesting to see the grassroots of the movement and the frustration at being held back by expectations. It was good to be reminded of the things we take for granted and realize that they came at a price through women such as these four.
Those of us who understand the power of a book will love the message shared by this very capable author, Julia Bryan Thomas and those of us who see parallels between this book and recent news, will be shocked. I hope we haven’t taken strides forward in women’s equality, only to be losing foot now, decades later. Only time will tell.
I was gifted this thought-provoking book by Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
While much of the discussion at book club was over my head because I hadn’t read some of the classics, I could appreciate their need for a safe space to vent and discuss their dreams and hopes for their future. The fact that this place was a bookstore run by Alice, a wonderful character, was a bonus. As the Radcliffe Ladies struggled with loss and heartache, the bond between them and the bookstore grew. Just as the books were there for them when they needed them, their friends, too, were there for support through thick and thin. I found it interesting to see the grassroots of the movement and the frustration at being held back by expectations. It was good to be reminded of the things we take for granted and realize that they came at a price through women such as these four.
Those of us who understand the power of a book will love the message shared by this very capable author, Julia Bryan Thomas and those of us who see parallels between this book and recent news, will be shocked. I hope we haven’t taken strides forward in women’s equality, only to be losing foot now, decades later. Only time will tell.
I was gifted this thought-provoking book by Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
May 16, 2023
Following my natural instinct to grab books set in bookstores, I had to pick this one up. This is a new author for me too. This book succeeded in projecting society's view of women in the 1950s and their roles: college is a place to find a husband and make a good marriage - not for a career. We have certainly come a long way since then, thank goodness!
Description:
Massachusetts, 1954. With bags packed alongside her heavy heart, Alice Campbell escaped halfway across the country and found herself in front of a derelict building tucked among the cobblestone streets of Cambridge. She turns it into the enchanting bookshop of her dreams, knowing firsthand the power of books to comfort the brokenhearted.
The Cambridge Bookshop soon becomes a haven for Tess, Caroline, Evie, and Merritt, who are all navigating the struggles of being newly independent college women in a world that seems to want to keep them in the kitchen. But when a member of the group finds herself shattered, everything they know about themselves will be called into question.
My Thoughts:
This was a good story, though a little slow in places. This portrays four women and their interactions as they come from different backgrounds and have somewhat different views. They don't always agree. The bookstore owner befriends the women during their reading club and provides them with a sounding board as they face various issues. I enjoyed the book discussions and the interesting points they prompted. Alice, the bookstore owner, has her own issues and I wished more of her story was revealed. I found her to be an interesting character and liked the way she mentored the girls.
Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on June 6, 2023.
Description:
Massachusetts, 1954. With bags packed alongside her heavy heart, Alice Campbell escaped halfway across the country and found herself in front of a derelict building tucked among the cobblestone streets of Cambridge. She turns it into the enchanting bookshop of her dreams, knowing firsthand the power of books to comfort the brokenhearted.
The Cambridge Bookshop soon becomes a haven for Tess, Caroline, Evie, and Merritt, who are all navigating the struggles of being newly independent college women in a world that seems to want to keep them in the kitchen. But when a member of the group finds herself shattered, everything they know about themselves will be called into question.
My Thoughts:
This was a good story, though a little slow in places. This portrays four women and their interactions as they come from different backgrounds and have somewhat different views. They don't always agree. The bookstore owner befriends the women during their reading club and provides them with a sounding board as they face various issues. I enjoyed the book discussions and the interesting points they prompted. Alice, the bookstore owner, has her own issues and I wished more of her story was revealed. I found her to be an interesting character and liked the way she mentored the girls.
Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on June 6, 2023.
August 8, 2023
Besides my love for bookish books, the other best thing about The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas is probably that it feels so dang realistic. I love historical fiction, and I knew absolutely nothing about the Radcliffe College part of Harvard. This is set in the mid to late 1950s, but so much of the time and place still felt like it could be a contemporary storyline. My favorite character was definitely our bookshop owner Alice, but this wouldn't have been much of a book without Tess, Caroline, Evie, and Merritt. Tess was by far the most frustrating character for me to read, and that girl could jump to conclusions like nobody's business.
The book club led by Alice is at the heart of the story but revolving around that is the girls and their college life. Each of them is so different, and it was really something to see them become friends almost immediately. At times I was slightly confused about who was who, but that could be down to the audiobook which is narrated by only one person - Tanya Eby. The character viewpoints really flow together as opposed to being broken into chapters, and at times that was a little messy for me. I was also really surprised that I wasn't more emotional while reading The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club, but it sure did make me mad at times. I really enjoyed the conclusion and the different themes the author explored, and while this wasn’t a total win for me, I would still recommend it to historical fiction fans looking for a book that would make for a wonderful discussion.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The book club led by Alice is at the heart of the story but revolving around that is the girls and their college life. Each of them is so different, and it was really something to see them become friends almost immediately. At times I was slightly confused about who was who, but that could be down to the audiobook which is narrated by only one person - Tanya Eby. The character viewpoints really flow together as opposed to being broken into chapters, and at times that was a little messy for me. I was also really surprised that I wasn't more emotional while reading The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club, but it sure did make me mad at times. I really enjoyed the conclusion and the different themes the author explored, and while this wasn’t a total win for me, I would still recommend it to historical fiction fans looking for a book that would make for a wonderful discussion.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
May 18, 2023
2.5⭐️ - Firstly, thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for this digital advance copy The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club, in exchange for my honest review. This #historicalfiction book comes out June 6, 2023.
When I read the description of this book, so many elements jumped out to me: an “enchanting bookshop,” coming-of-age themes, independent female protagonists, and an academic setting in 1950s New England. It gave Mona Lisa Smile vibes. Also: who doesn’t love a book about books?
Perhaps my expectations were too high. Shortly into the book, I felt disconnected from the characters, as they each felt so underdeveloped and superficial; it was hard to distinguish them from one another. I also felt that the bookshop owner, potentially the most interesting character of them all, was left in the wings with little to no depth at all. She had the most captivating storyline, as a woman who left her husband to start her own business in the 1950s, but in the end, we learned very little at all about her. I felt like I was left hanging.
I did enjoy how the author tried to weave lessons and themes from classic literature into her characters’ narratives, but overall, the plot just lacked depth. At the worst of times, it felt like pandering to the reader.
I encourage readers to look up content warnings, as there are some serious triggers in this book, which I, personally, was not expecting.
When I read the description of this book, so many elements jumped out to me: an “enchanting bookshop,” coming-of-age themes, independent female protagonists, and an academic setting in 1950s New England. It gave Mona Lisa Smile vibes. Also: who doesn’t love a book about books?
Perhaps my expectations were too high. Shortly into the book, I felt disconnected from the characters, as they each felt so underdeveloped and superficial; it was hard to distinguish them from one another. I also felt that the bookshop owner, potentially the most interesting character of them all, was left in the wings with little to no depth at all. She had the most captivating storyline, as a woman who left her husband to start her own business in the 1950s, but in the end, we learned very little at all about her. I felt like I was left hanging.
I did enjoy how the author tried to weave lessons and themes from classic literature into her characters’ narratives, but overall, the plot just lacked depth. At the worst of times, it felt like pandering to the reader.
I encourage readers to look up content warnings, as there are some serious triggers in this book, which I, personally, was not expecting.
May 16, 2023
I really wanted to love this because I love books about books or book clubs and things along that line. Although It was slow moving at times, there were parts that I enjoyed just as much. It's about a group of four college women who come of age throughout the book. They join a book club at a bookshop in Cambridge MA, In the 1950s. They talk about their problems and experiences of growing up in that time period.
Out June 6.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. My review will be posted on Instagram, Bookbub, Goodreads, and Amazon once it publishes.
Out June 6.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. My review will be posted on Instagram, Bookbub, Goodreads, and Amazon once it publishes.
January 11, 2025
Trigger alert:
Rape, sexual assault and abortion
The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas is a historical novel set in Cambridge, Massachusetts, during the 1954-1955 year. The story centers on four freshmen at Radcliffe College—Tess, Caroline, Evie, and Merritt—each from different backgrounds. They form a book club at the Cambridge Bookshop, owned by Alice Campbell. Through their monthly discussions of classic literature, the women explore bonds around independence, societies expectations, and personal identity. This is important during a time when women’s roles were largely confined to domestic spheres. I loved the strong female characters. The raw look at societies low expectations of women but high expectation of virginity and biblical standards to become good wives. The novel grapples with modern themes of independence, self-identity, and the struggle for equality. At times the story lags. It quickly picks up again. I feel it shows a fair example of the unrealistic expectations of women in the 50s, but the continued low expectations of men and the lack of responsibility of social issues they face.
Rape, sexual assault and abortion
The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas is a historical novel set in Cambridge, Massachusetts, during the 1954-1955 year. The story centers on four freshmen at Radcliffe College—Tess, Caroline, Evie, and Merritt—each from different backgrounds. They form a book club at the Cambridge Bookshop, owned by Alice Campbell. Through their monthly discussions of classic literature, the women explore bonds around independence, societies expectations, and personal identity. This is important during a time when women’s roles were largely confined to domestic spheres. I loved the strong female characters. The raw look at societies low expectations of women but high expectation of virginity and biblical standards to become good wives. The novel grapples with modern themes of independence, self-identity, and the struggle for equality. At times the story lags. It quickly picks up again. I feel it shows a fair example of the unrealistic expectations of women in the 50s, but the continued low expectations of men and the lack of responsibility of social issues they face.
March 24, 2023
When Alice Campbell advertises for a book club to meet in her Cambridge book shop, she is joined by four freshman girls studying at Radcliffe: Caroline, Tess, Evie, and Merritt. The roommates all have different backgrounds but have quickly become fast friends and are learning a lot, not only from classes and the books Ms. Campbell places in their hands, but from their busy social lives and one another. Everything changes when one of them experiences a traumatic event.
This book was…not good. The characters were woefully underdeveloped. It took a third of the book before I could tell the four girls apart. We get little shadow references to their lives before college, sprinkled into the story in such a way that the reader is always expecting big reveals that will explain why the characters act the way they do, especially Tess, the up-tight, conservative work-a-holic of the crew. Caroline is the beautiful, rich one that everyone adores, Evie is the farm girl whose boy-crazy but has a fellow at home, and Merritt is the steadfast friend with an open mind. None of them feel real. We get even less about Alice Campbell, whose only personality trait is that she was brave enough to leave her husband in the 1950s and she likes feminist literature. She also seems overly interested in molding these young minds in her book club and trying to “figure out” each of the girls.
Question…why did no one else ever join the book club? Did she just stop advertising it when the four girls joined? In all of Cambridge there was no one else interested? The book club meetings themselves seem to just be a vehicle for the girls learning clichéd lessons about the struggles of being a woman in a man’s world.
The tragedy that strikes one of the characters is absolutely awful…and then becomes more and more awful. Not to say it’s never happened to anyone before, but did the author really have to pile it on like that? And then as we near the end something completely ridiculous happens that just really makes the whole situation implausible and far-fetched.
I’m sorry to write such a negative review. I did enjoy the atmosphere of Cambridge, Harvard, and Radcliffe throughout a year. It brought me back to my college days to read about the girls wandering in and out of one another’s dorm rooms. Over all, this book struggled in its pacing, lacked in character development, and had a plot that made me alternately roll my eyes and and want to throw the book across the room.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.
This book was…not good. The characters were woefully underdeveloped. It took a third of the book before I could tell the four girls apart. We get little shadow references to their lives before college, sprinkled into the story in such a way that the reader is always expecting big reveals that will explain why the characters act the way they do, especially Tess, the up-tight, conservative work-a-holic of the crew. Caroline is the beautiful, rich one that everyone adores, Evie is the farm girl whose boy-crazy but has a fellow at home, and Merritt is the steadfast friend with an open mind. None of them feel real. We get even less about Alice Campbell, whose only personality trait is that she was brave enough to leave her husband in the 1950s and she likes feminist literature. She also seems overly interested in molding these young minds in her book club and trying to “figure out” each of the girls.
Question…why did no one else ever join the book club? Did she just stop advertising it when the four girls joined? In all of Cambridge there was no one else interested? The book club meetings themselves seem to just be a vehicle for the girls learning clichéd lessons about the struggles of being a woman in a man’s world.
The tragedy that strikes one of the characters is absolutely awful…and then becomes more and more awful. Not to say it’s never happened to anyone before, but did the author really have to pile it on like that? And then as we near the end something completely ridiculous happens that just really makes the whole situation implausible and far-fetched.
I’m sorry to write such a negative review. I did enjoy the atmosphere of Cambridge, Harvard, and Radcliffe throughout a year. It brought me back to my college days to read about the girls wandering in and out of one another’s dorm rooms. Over all, this book struggled in its pacing, lacked in character development, and had a plot that made me alternately roll my eyes and and want to throw the book across the room.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.
July 14, 2023
Не си е лесна работа, докато съм на почивка сред чудните гледки на Пирин и Балкана, да чета книга като The Radcliffe Ladie's Reading Club. Вмесно да си избера леко четиво тип ром - ком, аз бях започнала тази новела за въздействието на книгите върху младите, впетлителни читатели. Четирите студентки от Radcliffe College попадат на малката книжарница на Алис Кемпбъл в района на Университета. Момичетата идват от различни социални среди и от различна семейна обстановка. Отношението, което са получили от родителите си и примера, който са виждали, изгражда в тях приоритети и цели. Лъскавия богат свят на Каролайн крие студенина. Липсата на топло отношение у бащата на Мерит я кара да изпитва съмнения. Отчуждеността и грубостта между членове на семейството на Тес я отблъскват от желанието да има връзка, да излиза а срещи и да мисли за брак. Умът й е в уроците, за да завърши успешно образованието си и да зависи само от себе си. А Иви мечтае за по - стабилна връзка с приятеля си, но е объркана в желанията си за след края на обучението. Събитията в живота на четирите момичета следват едно след друго, очаквани, шокиращи, оформящи и разочароващи. Класическите четива, които Алис избира да разглежат в читателките си клуб дават поглед върху мястото на жената в обществото и ролята й в една връзка. Властта, която мъжете имат върху съпругите си, върху семейния бюджет и върху мечтите на жените си , през 50 - те години на 20 - ти век е била деспотична. Алис Кемпбъл се опитва да промени ъгъла на внимание у четящите студентки. Ако искат да бъдат съпруги, ще спечелят одобрение и сигурност - според писаните и неписани правила на обществените порядки. Но ще останат завоалирани свободите, които ще загубят, а също и ограниченията и задълженията, с които ще бъдат затрупани. Ако решат да имат професия и да градят кариера, ще имат власт над себе си и своите желания, но завистливите погледи ще предизвикват злословия. Накъдето и да се насочи една жена, тя ще плати за избора си. И онова, което ще остане далечно и ефимерно, ще бъде щастието й.
" Джейн Еър", "Великият Гетсби", " Ана Каренина" , " Епохата на невинността", " Ема " или " Собствена стая" - всяка една книга предизвиква размисли и полемики и разкрива пътя, по който тръгва умът на всяко момиче.
Беше доста напрегнато да следя личните преживявания на героините. Но страшно ми харесаха беседите в книжния им клуб. Виждаше се светогледа, отразен в описанията на героите и постъпките им. Оправдаваха и критикуваха. Спореха и доказваха тезите си. Едни бяха моралисти, други искаха напредък в общественото мислене, а трети търсеха още пътя си.
Моите собствени възгледи за мястото на жената получиха удовлетворение и задоволство в образа на Алис Кемпбъл. Дали ще реши да бъде майка, съпруга, домакиня или професионалист, жената дължи сама на себе си правото да бъде щастлива. И ако вземе погрешно решение или обстоятелствата около нея се променят, тя трябва да защити правото си да бъде свободна да промени положението си и да гони желанията си. Другото е равно на присъда затвор!
* " Както Вирджиния Улф толкова уместно беше казала, ако човек има малко пари и собствена стая, в това се крие свободата. Но дори в съвременната епоха от 1956 г., почти сто и петдесет години след написването на „Ема“, за една жена все още е трудно да получи пари и да има живот, определен от самата нея."
* " Имам един съвет за вас двете , ако искате да го чуете. Намерете книжарница близо до вас. Всъщност намерете няколко, както и добра библиотека. Прекарвайте малко време всяка седмица в откриване на нови книги. Прочетете ги; обсъдете ги; нека ви информират за живота; нека проникнат в духа ви."
* " - Вероятно никой от нас няма представа как бихме реагирали на дадена ситуация, докато тя не ни връхлети. Всички сме невинни, преди да трябва да се справим с някои от по-суровите аспекти на живота. И какво изобщо е невинност?
- Може да се определи като свободен от вина, или свободен от грях или морални грешки. Но мисля, че обикновено смятаме, че невинността е сравнима с наивността. "
" Джейн Еър", "Великият Гетсби", " Ана Каренина" , " Епохата на невинността", " Ема " или " Собствена стая" - всяка една книга предизвиква размисли и полемики и разкрива пътя, по който тръгва умът на всяко момиче.
Беше доста напрегнато да следя личните преживявания на героините. Но страшно ми харесаха беседите в книжния им клуб. Виждаше се светогледа, отразен в описанията на героите и постъпките им. Оправдаваха и критикуваха. Спореха и доказваха тезите си. Едни бяха моралисти, други искаха напредък в общественото мислене, а трети търсеха още пътя си.
Моите собствени възгледи за мястото на жената получиха удовлетворение и задоволство в образа на Алис Кемпбъл. Дали ще реши да бъде майка, съпруга, домакиня или професионалист, жената дължи сама на себе си правото да бъде щастлива. И ако вземе погрешно решение или обстоятелствата около нея се променят, тя трябва да защити правото си да бъде свободна да промени положението си и да гони желанията си. Другото е равно на присъда затвор!
* " Както Вирджиния Улф толкова уместно беше казала, ако човек има малко пари и собствена стая, в това се крие свободата. Но дори в съвременната епоха от 1956 г., почти сто и петдесет години след написването на „Ема“, за една жена все още е трудно да получи пари и да има живот, определен от самата нея."
* " Имам един съвет за вас двете , ако искате да го чуете. Намерете книжарница близо до вас. Всъщност намерете няколко, както и добра библиотека. Прекарвайте малко време всяка седмица в откриване на нови книги. Прочетете ги; обсъдете ги; нека ви информират за живота; нека проникнат в духа ви."
* " - Вероятно никой от нас няма представа как бихме реагирали на дадена ситуация, докато тя не ни връхлети. Всички сме невинни, преди да трябва да се справим с някои от по-суровите аспекти на живота. И какво изобщо е невинност?
- Може да се определи като свободен от вина, или свободен от грях или морални грешки. Но мисля, че обикновено смятаме, че невинността е сравнима с наивността. "
December 8, 2022
Books about books are my favorites. The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas tells the story of Alice Campbell and her newly-founded bookstore in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her bookstore becomes a safe place for founding fierce, female friendships in a society that would much rather see women in the kitchen. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance e-galley.
June 6, 2023
The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas is a book about books, sisterhood, college life, and friendship.
It’s 1954 and broken-hearted Alice Campbell turns a rundown building on a cobblestone street in Cambridge into a charming bookshop. She loves books and knows their power and ability to comfort. She invites a few nearby young college students to form a book club. Alice, Tess, Caroline, Evie, and Merritt form a deep friendship and support system as they discuss books and life issues.
Each young woman has a unique background and life expectations. It required some time for me to find them all likable. I applaud the author for changing my mind. The story focuses on the four members of the book club and I would have liked more character development for Alice, bookstore owner and mentor. Although a small group is lovely, I keep wondering why the book club didn’t grow and why the owner stopped promoting it after acquiring four members. It seems like there might be more interest in this academic environment. However, there is a concern about overwhelming the story with too many characters and issues. I would have loved a few upstanding and supportive male side characters as well.
One of the most powerful themes in the story is sisterhood. We don’t all have to come from the same background or have the same experiences or think the same way to form a bond. I always love a women-supporting-women trope.
I appreciate the book club as a safe place for these young adult women. If you are in a book club, do you enjoy a sense of safety there?
Despite the sisterhood, supportive and welcoming environment, and cozy atmosphere of the bookshop, there are tragic and serious themes in the story.
If you love books about books, you might love the bookish discussions around specific classic books throughout the story! Alice curates her book list carefully and with a purpose in mind for this book club. This is especially meaningful if you’ve also read these books (but not necessary).
If you you are OK with some dfficult content and love women’s fiction, books about books, and themes of sisterhood and friendship, you might enjoy The Radcliffe Ladies’ Book Club. It’s also highly discussable for book clubs.
Content Consideration: Rape, unplanned pregnancy, miscarriage, suicidal thoughts
Thanks #NetGalley @BerkleyPub @SourceBooks #SourceBooksLandmark for a complimentary e ARC of #TheRadcliffeLadiesReadingClub upon my request. All opinions are my own.
For more reviews visit my blog www.ReadingLadies.com where this review was first published.
It’s 1954 and broken-hearted Alice Campbell turns a rundown building on a cobblestone street in Cambridge into a charming bookshop. She loves books and knows their power and ability to comfort. She invites a few nearby young college students to form a book club. Alice, Tess, Caroline, Evie, and Merritt form a deep friendship and support system as they discuss books and life issues.
Each young woman has a unique background and life expectations. It required some time for me to find them all likable. I applaud the author for changing my mind. The story focuses on the four members of the book club and I would have liked more character development for Alice, bookstore owner and mentor. Although a small group is lovely, I keep wondering why the book club didn’t grow and why the owner stopped promoting it after acquiring four members. It seems like there might be more interest in this academic environment. However, there is a concern about overwhelming the story with too many characters and issues. I would have loved a few upstanding and supportive male side characters as well.
One of the most powerful themes in the story is sisterhood. We don’t all have to come from the same background or have the same experiences or think the same way to form a bond. I always love a women-supporting-women trope.
I appreciate the book club as a safe place for these young adult women. If you are in a book club, do you enjoy a sense of safety there?
Despite the sisterhood, supportive and welcoming environment, and cozy atmosphere of the bookshop, there are tragic and serious themes in the story.
If you love books about books, you might love the bookish discussions around specific classic books throughout the story! Alice curates her book list carefully and with a purpose in mind for this book club. This is especially meaningful if you’ve also read these books (but not necessary).
If you you are OK with some dfficult content and love women’s fiction, books about books, and themes of sisterhood and friendship, you might enjoy The Radcliffe Ladies’ Book Club. It’s also highly discussable for book clubs.
Content Consideration: Rape, unplanned pregnancy, miscarriage, suicidal thoughts
Thanks #NetGalley @BerkleyPub @SourceBooks #SourceBooksLandmark for a complimentary e ARC of #TheRadcliffeLadiesReadingClub upon my request. All opinions are my own.
For more reviews visit my blog www.ReadingLadies.com where this review was first published.
December 4, 2023
Really disliked this book. The 4 women are caricatures and never step out of their assigned roles. The book shop is an after thought that really has nothing to do with the plot other than to introduce books the women are supposed to learn lessons from. Don’t bother
January 24, 2024
This book would have been vastly improved if the author had spoken to someone who attended Radcliffe in the 50s like my mother! The institution she created had little resemblance to the one my mother and I attended, and I did not care for her depiction of Harvard men as rude and violent.
July 19, 2023
It's the mid-1950s. Four young women arrive at prestigious Radcliffe College in Cambridge Massachusetts.The young women are all excited by the opportunites the school presents.
-Wealthy Caroline is there to get her education then expects to marry some wealthy young man her parents picked out for her. She's interested in the freedom the school and its extracurricular activities (movies, football games, dances, etc.) offer.
-Farm girl Evie is there hoping to widen her circle of acquaintances, but ultimately, she aspires to marry her childhood sweetheart and keep house for him.
-Tess is there to get outstanding marks so she can get gainful employment, and hopefully never have to return to her Midwest home and family, as her angry, dismissive father is a bully and thinks education is not to be wasted on a woman.
-Merritt is artistic, but does not think she can make a go of it as an artist. Her entomologist father is a solitary person, and doesn't really seem to have a place for Merritt in his life, and wants to do research outside of the United States.
At the same time, Alice Campbell, recently divorced, has arrived in Cambridge and set up her bookshop. After her escape from her controlling husband, this is an adventure, and she hopes to share a love of reading and critical analysis of literature amongst young women, so she creates a weekly book club. Her first participants are the four women, and Alice quickly realizes that there are tensions amongst the four, splitting down the middle, with Evie and Tess frequently advocating for conservative, conventional, misogynistic and judgmental views, while Caroline and Merritt often take a more openminded approach to the ideas Alice is exposing them to.
When something terrible happens, the tensions are heightened, with each girl bearing down on her existing worldviews, and eventually chaos breaking their lives apart.
I enjoyed this book much more than I expected to. I thought the author did a good job creating the atmosphere of freedom and possibilities the girls all feel when they arrive at the college. The author also includes heavier things such as identity, divorce, marital discord, abuse, rape, the stifling misogynistic expectations placed on women by society (knowing fully well that all of these characters would have had many more opportunities available to them than people of marginalized communities would have had in this time period, or really, still).
I will say that I think the book veered into unrealistic territory in one respect: a young, wealthy white man is accused of rape and is even charged by police. Even today it's rare for police to bother pursuing a case of rape.
Other than that, this was an diverting story, especially as the author used books and sharing narratives as a way to build relationships, question norms, and open one's mind.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC in exchange for my review.
-Wealthy Caroline is there to get her education then expects to marry some wealthy young man her parents picked out for her. She's interested in the freedom the school and its extracurricular activities (movies, football games, dances, etc.) offer.
-Farm girl Evie is there hoping to widen her circle of acquaintances, but ultimately, she aspires to marry her childhood sweetheart and keep house for him.
-Tess is there to get outstanding marks so she can get gainful employment, and hopefully never have to return to her Midwest home and family, as her angry, dismissive father is a bully and thinks education is not to be wasted on a woman.
-Merritt is artistic, but does not think she can make a go of it as an artist. Her entomologist father is a solitary person, and doesn't really seem to have a place for Merritt in his life, and wants to do research outside of the United States.
At the same time, Alice Campbell, recently divorced, has arrived in Cambridge and set up her bookshop. After her escape from her controlling husband, this is an adventure, and she hopes to share a love of reading and critical analysis of literature amongst young women, so she creates a weekly book club. Her first participants are the four women, and Alice quickly realizes that there are tensions amongst the four, splitting down the middle, with Evie and Tess frequently advocating for conservative, conventional, misogynistic and judgmental views, while Caroline and Merritt often take a more openminded approach to the ideas Alice is exposing them to.
When something terrible happens, the tensions are heightened, with each girl bearing down on her existing worldviews, and eventually chaos breaking their lives apart.
I enjoyed this book much more than I expected to. I thought the author did a good job creating the atmosphere of freedom and possibilities the girls all feel when they arrive at the college. The author also includes heavier things such as identity, divorce, marital discord, abuse, rape, the stifling misogynistic expectations placed on women by society (knowing fully well that all of these characters would have had many more opportunities available to them than people of marginalized communities would have had in this time period, or really, still).
I will say that I think the book veered into unrealistic territory in one respect: a young, wealthy white man is accused of rape and is even charged by police. Even today it's rare for police to bother pursuing a case of rape.
Other than that, this was an diverting story, especially as the author used books and sharing narratives as a way to build relationships, question norms, and open one's mind.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC in exchange for my review.
August 2, 2023
Perfect for fans of Mona Lisa Smile, this story revolves around the friendship of four Radcliffe College students and the book club they form at a local bookstore. Set in 1954, this book was full of young women from very different backgrounds trying to assert their independence in a world that wants them to be wives and mothers.
Parts are tragic but the overall feeling is one of hope and a true love letter to books and reading. This was also good on audio narrated by Tina Eby. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy. I read and reviewed this voluntarily, all opinions are my own.
CW: rape/sexual assault, depression
Parts are tragic but the overall feeling is one of hope and a true love letter to books and reading. This was also good on audio narrated by Tina Eby. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy. I read and reviewed this voluntarily, all opinions are my own.
CW: rape/sexual assault, depression
October 6, 2023
This took me back to reruns of the movies which scandalized 1960’s viewers- Where the Boys Are, A Summer Place- where sexual attitudes and female roles were on the brink of shifting, opportunities and choice for young women changing but North American morés certainly conservative and quite constrained. (These were my mother’s reruns and I watched,10 years old, mostly overcome by star screen presence - and the written in the sand law that UMARRIED PREGNANT GIRLS are in BIG trouble. - and so: Don’t ever become big trouble. )
In 1955, four young women from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds meet at Radcliffe University; a chance connection leads them to the bookstore and Alice, it’s owner, for a guided reading club. Conflicting values and unforeseen personal experiences lead to dramatic cracks in their plans, perceptions and trust with lives earlier carefully mapped out.
The novels- Jane Eyre, The Age of Innocence and Anna Karenina- are cursorily touched on; hopes of great ideas gained or maturity broadened seem to miss Alice’s hoped for mark although the bookstore has become a bit of a sanctuary.
College life meets them halfway; their peers’ goals are as difficult to comprehend as learning new languages. Some adapt while others batten down their hatches, mystified by the behaviour of unrelatable groups or individuals.
I was born during the 1950s; I remember my mother’s clothing styles as well as her frustration over being unable to use the skills of her hard fought for profession. She’d agreed to follow his job, and there wasn’t always a place for her.
This novel does have historical inaccuracies- not sure if the author simply didn’t care to research more closely or the details which were glaring to me, 70 years after the fact just didn’t matter in the scope to the writer. At one point, the girls removed their “boots” on a wet day, coming inside the bookstore. To be accurate, those would have been galoshes OVER TOP of their shoes. Games Day at Caroline’s was RISK, a high stakes world domination board game. The novel takes place in 1955; Risk was INVENTED in France in 1955. The game was licensed for sale and manufactured by Hasbro in 1959. Small things, but they niggled at me…
Bless the plot and place, though - not the theatre of WWI or WWII- and although a very soap opera treatment, I didn’t mind time travelling for this change of scene.
Three stars.
In 1955, four young women from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds meet at Radcliffe University; a chance connection leads them to the bookstore and Alice, it’s owner, for a guided reading club. Conflicting values and unforeseen personal experiences lead to dramatic cracks in their plans, perceptions and trust with lives earlier carefully mapped out.
The novels- Jane Eyre, The Age of Innocence and Anna Karenina- are cursorily touched on; hopes of great ideas gained or maturity broadened seem to miss Alice’s hoped for mark although the bookstore has become a bit of a sanctuary.
College life meets them halfway; their peers’ goals are as difficult to comprehend as learning new languages. Some adapt while others batten down their hatches, mystified by the behaviour of unrelatable groups or individuals.
I was born during the 1950s; I remember my mother’s clothing styles as well as her frustration over being unable to use the skills of her hard fought for profession. She’d agreed to follow his job, and there wasn’t always a place for her.
This novel does have historical inaccuracies- not sure if the author simply didn’t care to research more closely or the details which were glaring to me, 70 years after the fact just didn’t matter in the scope to the writer. At one point, the girls removed their “boots” on a wet day, coming inside the bookstore. To be accurate, those would have been galoshes OVER TOP of their shoes. Games Day at Caroline’s was RISK, a high stakes world domination board game. The novel takes place in 1955; Risk was INVENTED in France in 1955. The game was licensed for sale and manufactured by Hasbro in 1959. Small things, but they niggled at me…
Bless the plot and place, though - not the theatre of WWI or WWII- and although a very soap opera treatment, I didn’t mind time travelling for this change of scene.
Three stars.
December 3, 2022
The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas is a great post WWII historical fiction that I really enjoyed.
This gem takes place mainly during the academic year of 1954-55 in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Radcliffe College. Here four young women, unique in their personalities, life circumstances, pasts, walks of life, hopes, and dreams, are brought together as roommates, classmates, dorm mates, and potential friends. Their ideas of duty to family, society, each other, and themselves are tested for the first time in a world unknown and also after joining a small book club by a woman starting afresh from her own past.
It was interesting to read each young women’s thoughts as they navigated this uncharted territory and how they decided to what degree they would accept or reject the different facets of the expectations, societal roles, and constraints that were placed upon women during this time.
We also see a glimpse of the bookshop owner, Alice, as well, but the four young women: Caroline, Merritt (my personal favorite), Evie, and Tess were the stars of the show. I would have welcomed even more of Miss Campbell and her story as well, to be honest, but it was still great nevertheless.
There were a few surprises along the way, but mostly it was a coming of age story involving the pivotal time period of America in the 1950s before the true revolution of the 1960s really took off. The ending was promising and satisfying. I really enjoyed this.
4.5/5 stars
Thank you NG and Sourcebooks Landmark for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 6/6/23.
This gem takes place mainly during the academic year of 1954-55 in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Radcliffe College. Here four young women, unique in their personalities, life circumstances, pasts, walks of life, hopes, and dreams, are brought together as roommates, classmates, dorm mates, and potential friends. Their ideas of duty to family, society, each other, and themselves are tested for the first time in a world unknown and also after joining a small book club by a woman starting afresh from her own past.
It was interesting to read each young women’s thoughts as they navigated this uncharted territory and how they decided to what degree they would accept or reject the different facets of the expectations, societal roles, and constraints that were placed upon women during this time.
We also see a glimpse of the bookshop owner, Alice, as well, but the four young women: Caroline, Merritt (my personal favorite), Evie, and Tess were the stars of the show. I would have welcomed even more of Miss Campbell and her story as well, to be honest, but it was still great nevertheless.
There were a few surprises along the way, but mostly it was a coming of age story involving the pivotal time period of America in the 1950s before the true revolution of the 1960s really took off. The ending was promising and satisfying. I really enjoyed this.
4.5/5 stars
Thank you NG and Sourcebooks Landmark for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 6/6/23.
August 19, 2023
This book couldn't figure out what it wanted to be. It started out as a book about a woman starting over, running a bookshop, starting a book club. But then it became weird. The book club was 4 freshmen from Radcliffe. Never anyone else. Alice runs the book club but it also feels like she's trying to mold the girls in her club. The discussions are fine, tending toward the feminist. And the 4 girls. First of all I really hated Tess. I feel the author went out of her way to try to differentiate their characters and by doing so made them caricatures. Tess is the close-minded, conservative meddlesome. Caroline the beautiful, weakthy, carefree society girl. Merritt the daughter of a widower professor who studies art history, and Evie, the farmer's daughter who just wants to get married.
This idea of exploring the potential of women's lives in the 1950s via books would have been fine if it had stayed there.
But about halfway through the author started turning the girls into victims, and it just became cliche. She threw in one bad thing after another, all for the purpose of making her characters grow. It's lazy writing. I stopped at the moment Tess broke trust with Caroline and just kept justifying her actions. Jesus she was insufferable. I skipped to the epilogue where I discovered I didn't miss that much.
This could have been a good book. Instead it read as a book trying too hard to be a good book.
This idea of exploring the potential of women's lives in the 1950s via books would have been fine if it had stayed there.
But about halfway through the author started turning the girls into victims, and it just became cliche. She threw in one bad thing after another, all for the purpose of making her characters grow. It's lazy writing. I stopped at the moment Tess broke trust with Caroline and just kept justifying her actions. Jesus she was insufferable. I skipped to the epilogue where I discovered I didn't miss that much.
This could have been a good book. Instead it read as a book trying too hard to be a good book.
November 29, 2024
Alice Campbell has just reopened an old bookshop in 1955 Cambridge, MA, home of Harvard and Radcliffe. Alice has apparently left her marriage behind in Chicago, a radical act in 1955.
Four very different girls enter Radcliffe with high hopes: Caroline, the beautiful society girl; her roommate, Tess, on scholarship, happy to escape her bullying male family members; Evie, a farm girl from small-town Ohio; and Merritt, a West Coast girl. Alice, Caroline, and Tess are total stereotypes at this point in the book.
Alice starts a bookclub, which Tess suggests to her three new friends after she finds a flyer in the bookshop. Alice picks books that will stimulate conversation, yet not be too controversial for the times. They begin with "Jane Eyre;" move on to Virginia Woolf; then Edith Wharton; and "Anna Karenina," which nearly causes a serious argument. Does duty to one's unhappy marriage matter more than finding unexpected love? What does a woman owe herself? By this time, something terrible has happened to one of the girls, and another one has jumped to a totally-wrong conclusion about it. This ends in near-tragedy, and changes the girls' lives forever.
I thought this book had such promise, as it was addressing the fundamental question from "Anna Karenina" - what does a woman owe herself - only placed in 1955. Was Radcliffe supposed to simply be a stepping stone to marriage to a wealthy man? Could Caroline or Tess break out of their rigid stereotypes to forge their own lives? Evie? Merritt?
Lots to think about from reading this, but just SO repetitive in the stereotypes. 4 stars.
Four very different girls enter Radcliffe with high hopes: Caroline, the beautiful society girl; her roommate, Tess, on scholarship, happy to escape her bullying male family members; Evie, a farm girl from small-town Ohio; and Merritt, a West Coast girl. Alice, Caroline, and Tess are total stereotypes at this point in the book.
Alice starts a bookclub, which Tess suggests to her three new friends after she finds a flyer in the bookshop. Alice picks books that will stimulate conversation, yet not be too controversial for the times. They begin with "Jane Eyre;" move on to Virginia Woolf; then Edith Wharton; and "Anna Karenina," which nearly causes a serious argument. Does duty to one's unhappy marriage matter more than finding unexpected love? What does a woman owe herself? By this time, something terrible has happened to one of the girls, and another one has jumped to a totally-wrong conclusion about it. This ends in near-tragedy, and changes the girls' lives forever.
I thought this book had such promise, as it was addressing the fundamental question from "Anna Karenina" - what does a woman owe herself - only placed in 1955. Was Radcliffe supposed to simply be a stepping stone to marriage to a wealthy man? Could Caroline or Tess break out of their rigid stereotypes to forge their own lives? Evie? Merritt?
Lots to think about from reading this, but just SO repetitive in the stereotypes. 4 stars.
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