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A review by shonami
Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner
5.0
Mrs. Everything
By Jennifer Weiner
I loved this book. Everything about it. It is primarily character driven but there is a lot happening centering around many issues. The characters, all of them, but especially the two main characters, Jo and Bethie and Jo’s youngest daughter Lila have stuck with me and just do not seem to leave .
•
The story follows Jo and Bethie, two sisters as different as night and day, from their childhood growing up in Detroit in the 1950’s right up to 2016. Weiner covers many politically charged subjects while still speaking to our heart over a total of 65 years. Think feminism, racism, gay rights, civil rights, bi-racial marriages, “me-too” incidents, sexual assaults all those defining issues. They are all deftly covered throughout the entire span of this sweeping novel.
•
The story is told through alternating perspectives from each sister documenting the ups and downs of their relationship and the struggles faced by Jo and Beth (and their mother Sarah, as well as Jos daughters). One sister “misses everything” as she seems to have sacrificed to help her sister and continues to sacrifice. She sacrifices her identity because of the times and her career to be a wife and mom while her sister gets to spend 10 years travelling the world and finding herself. These sisters experience the same family traumas and unique family dynamics yet have far different life experiences.
•
These women could be any of us, I think we can all identify with at lease one aspect of their stories. A well written novel! Well defined and developed characters! A powerful message! A story of family, love, self-discovery, exploration, relationships, friendships and what it means to be yourself. A bittersweet ending yet still full of hope and promise.
By Jennifer Weiner
I loved this book. Everything about it. It is primarily character driven but there is a lot happening centering around many issues. The characters, all of them, but especially the two main characters, Jo and Bethie and Jo’s youngest daughter Lila have stuck with me and just do not seem to leave .
•
The story follows Jo and Bethie, two sisters as different as night and day, from their childhood growing up in Detroit in the 1950’s right up to 2016. Weiner covers many politically charged subjects while still speaking to our heart over a total of 65 years. Think feminism, racism, gay rights, civil rights, bi-racial marriages, “me-too” incidents, sexual assaults all those defining issues. They are all deftly covered throughout the entire span of this sweeping novel.
•
The story is told through alternating perspectives from each sister documenting the ups and downs of their relationship and the struggles faced by Jo and Beth (and their mother Sarah, as well as Jos daughters). One sister “misses everything” as she seems to have sacrificed to help her sister and continues to sacrifice. She sacrifices her identity because of the times and her career to be a wife and mom while her sister gets to spend 10 years travelling the world and finding herself. These sisters experience the same family traumas and unique family dynamics yet have far different life experiences.
•
These women could be any of us, I think we can all identify with at lease one aspect of their stories. A well written novel! Well defined and developed characters! A powerful message! A story of family, love, self-discovery, exploration, relationships, friendships and what it means to be yourself. A bittersweet ending yet still full of hope and promise.