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Atria Books
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Do we change or does the world change us?
Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise.
Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life.
But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies. As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie becomes an adventure-loving wild child who dives headlong into the counterculture and is up for anything (except settling down). Meanwhile, Jo becomes a proper young mother in Connecticut, a witness to the changing world instead of a participant. Neither woman inhabits the world she dreams of, nor has a life that feels authentic or brings her joy. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after?
Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise.
Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life.
But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies. As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie becomes an adventure-loving wild child who dives headlong into the counterculture and is up for anything (except settling down). Meanwhile, Jo becomes a proper young mother in Connecticut, a witness to the changing world instead of a participant. Neither woman inhabits the world she dreams of, nor has a life that feels authentic or brings her joy. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after?
Would the day ever come when simply doing your best would be enough?
We are all always changing.
This is a voyage of self-discovery and our relationship to others through it. It is masterfully written and for sisters everywhere.
It is a novel that takes you completely out of your own life and places you into the lives of others until in the end you find yourself analyzing and relating yourself in ways you would not have had you not been with Jo and Bethie.
In the true spirit of sisters throughout life together, they change roles and fill needs as life progresses. It does contain a bit of everything… as is life, just be aware before you start that this is not a quick read. And can seem a touch dull if you are looking for a fast paced drama.
One of the most intimately laced stories of the year for me and I enjoyed it immensely.
This is a voyage of self-discovery and our relationship to others through it. It is masterfully written and for sisters everywhere.
It is a novel that takes you completely out of your own life and places you into the lives of others until in the end you find yourself analyzing and relating yourself in ways you would not have had you not been with Jo and Bethie.
In the true spirit of sisters throughout life together, they change roles and fill needs as life progresses. It does contain a bit of everything… as is life, just be aware before you start that this is not a quick read. And can seem a touch dull if you are looking for a fast paced drama.
One of the most intimately laced stories of the year for me and I enjoyed it immensely.
