Mrs. Everything

Starred review from April 15, 2019
Bestseller Weiner brilliantly crafts this heartwrenching multigenerational tale of love, loss, and family, which is partly inspired by Little Women. As sisters Jo and Bethie Kaufman move into a new home in Detroit in 1951, they are excited by all of the possibilities it offers—then their beloved father dies. Bethie, the “perfect” child, is repeatedly molested by her father’s younger brother, which drives her into an eating disorder and later into drug use. Jo, a daddy’s girl who epically clashes with her mother, realizes early on that she prefers to date women, but after her girlfriend marries a man, Jo likewise finds a husband and bears three daughters. Eventually, both sisters follow their hearts, even when it’s tremendously difficult. Weiner’s talent for characterization, tight pacing, and detail will thrill her fans and easily draw new ones into her orbit. Her expert handling of difficult subjects—abortion, rape, and racism among them—will force readers to examine their own beliefs and consider unexpected nuances. Weiner tugs every heartstring with this vivid tale. Agent: Joanna Pulcini, Joanna Pulcini Literary.

Listeners hear about the lives of two sisters through a whimsical performance by Ari Graynor and Beth Malone. Jo, an athlete and aspiring writer, and Bethie, an elegant socialite, grew up in a Jewish household in Detroit during the 1950s. However, their lives drastically changed after they experienced traumatic events, including sexual assault and issues relating to sexual identity. Jo becomes a young mother living in Connecticut, and Bethie turns to the hippie free-love movement of the '60s. Malone and Graynor put the listener in a dreamlike trance during the story's long flashbacks. The sisters' reflections are engaging, with clear expression of the emotions they felt during disappointing situations. Although both narrators sound quite similar, Jo and Bethie's perspectives and experiences are unique and easily distinguishable. G.M. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine