“Jennifer Weiner has created a novel for the ages in Mrs. Everything, which is as impressive as it is ambitious… a skillfully rendered and emotionally rich family saga… an unapologetic feminist novel, fully fleshing out the pernicious effects of patriarchy… Weiner shows that big, expansive social novels are not only still possible in our fragmented society but perhaps necessary. Mrs. Everything is a great American novel, full of heart and hope.” — SHELF AWARENESS
From Jennifer Weiner, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Who Do You Love and In Her Shoes comes a smart, thoughtful, and timely exploration of two sisters’ lives from the 1950s to the present as they struggle to find their places—and be true to themselves—in a rapidly evolving world. Mrs. Everything is an ambitious, richly textured journey through history—and herstory—as these two sisters navigate a changing America over the course of their lives.
Presented by Women Lit, a program of the Bay Area Book Festival. Jennifer Weiner will be interviewed by Lauren Schiller, host of Inflection Point.
Followed by book signing
GET TICKETS or join Women Lit for advance access
Saturday, June 22, 7:30 p.m.
David Brower Center
2150 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94704
About Mrs. Everything
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. (If you’ve noted that these are sisters’ names in Little Women too, you’re right on.)
As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie 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?
In her most ambitious novel yet, Jennifer Weiner tells a story of two sisters who, with their different dreams and different paths, offer answers to the question: How should a woman be in the world?
Still debating? Check out Jen on this one-minute video telling you about the book. (If you only have 5 seconds, try this.)
About the Author
Jennifer Weiner is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of sixteen books, including Good in Bed, In Her Shoes, and her memoir, Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing. A graduate of Princeton University and contributor to the New York Times Opinion section, Jennifer lives with her family in Philadelphia. Visit her online at JenniferWeiner.com.
