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In the Family Way
- Author
- Laney Katz Becker
- Narrator
- various
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date
- 3 June 2025
- Run Time
- 8 hours 22 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Historical fiction, Family life fiction / Stories about family, Narrative theme: coming of age, Narrative theme: love / relationships, Narrative theme: health and illness, Narrative theme: identity / belonging, Narrative theme: politics / economics, Narrative theme: social issues / social problems
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What to expect
'Bursts with complexity, drama and warmth… A timely, timeless novel' Catherine Newman, author of Sandwich
‘Uplifting … A warm tale of friendship’ Platinum Book of the Month
'A powerful tale, well told… [with] a delightful cast of characters that you can't help but fall in love with' Fiona Davis, author of The Stolen Queen
*****
A warm, uplifting and empowering novel following a group of suburban housewives and the pregnant teenager they welcome into their fold as they find their place on the cusp of liberation. For fans of Lessons in Chemistry or The Help.
*****
Ohio, 1965. Every week a group of suburban housewives meet for their Tuesday card game, sharing gossip, advice and confidences.
Lily Berg has the perfect life. She’s married to a doctor, with an infant daughter and another on the way. She can’t let her husband know she’s struggling but she knows she can trust her friends.
Becca, Lily’s best friend and next-door neighbour, is everything Lily isn’t. She’s messy and brash and never on time for anything. When she falls pregnant with a fourth child she desperately can’t afford, she turns to Lily.
Although Lily’s little sister, Rose, got married last year, she’s not ready to give up her independence. Her modern marriage appears to be perfect, but behind closed doors things are very different.
And Betsy is fifteen, pregnant and frightened. When Lily takes her in, from the local home for unwed mothers, she has no idea how much it will shake up all of their lives.
Over six months, the group will be put to the test by secrets, forced to make impossible decisions and face up to a society that isn’t ready for women to have their own dreams and ambitions.
Set against the backdrop of 1960s America, In the Family Way is a timely novel that captures the experiences of women on the cusp of liberation as they grapple with timeless questions of womanhood and the role we play as wives, mothers, and people in our own right.
*****
Readers are loving In the Family Way:
'An emotional and consuming read. I read from start to finish in one sitting'
'Uplifting and beautifully written'
'Desperate Housewives meets Mad Men in this touching story of motherhood, girlhood, and what really happens behind closed doors in suburban America'
'An essential read'
'I love this book!'
Critics Review
-
'Bursts with complexity, drama, and warmth …This timely, timeless novel captures not only the reproductive horrors of that era but also political awakening and a kind of nostalgic hope' Catherine Newman, New York Times bestselling author of Sandwich
'Features a delightful cast of characters that you can’t help but fall in love with, and the book’s themes of female autonomy and reproductive freedom are just as potent today, if not more so' Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Queen
‘A poignant, rich, deeply textured tale of women, friendship, and struggles amid 1960s suburbia on the precipice of change’ Lisa Barr, New York Times bestselling author of Woman on Fire
‘Delightful and inspiring …Through its reminder of how limited women’s lives were, it sends an important warning shot about how easy restrictions on women’s lives might return, and indeed are’ Meg Waite Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Postmistress of Paris
'We need stories that illuminate the enduring power of that particular spirit of sisterhood, which is what In the Family Way accomplishes so beautifully and with such inspiration.' Christine Pride, co-author of We Are Not Like Them
'This warm tale of friendship has a wonderful cast of characters that you will root for. Uplifting' Platinum Book of the Month
'A moving read'Woman's Own
'Warm, uplifting and empowering' Belfast Telegraph
'A warm, uplifting story set in 1960s Ohio about a group of suburban housewives whose friendships are tested. As they begin to question the lives laid out for them, they find strength in one another' My Weekly
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Laney Katz Becker
- Narrator
- various
- Duration
- 8 hours 22 minutes
- Release Date
- 3 June 2025
- ISBN
- 9780008751418
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Genre
- Historical fiction, Family life fiction / Stories about family, Narrative theme: coming of age, Narrative theme: love / relationships, Narrative theme: health and illness, Narrative theme: identity / belonging, Narrative theme: politics / economics, Narrative theme: social issues / social problems
Synopsis
'Bursts with complexity, drama and warmth… A timely, timeless novel' Catherine Newman, author of Sandwich ‘Uplifting … A warm tale of friendship’ Platinum Book of the Month 'A powerful tale, well told… [with] a delightful cast of characters that you can't help but fall in love with' Fiona Davis, author of The Stolen Queen ***** A warm, uplifting and empowering novel following a group of suburban housewives and the pregnant teenager they welcome into their fold as they find their place on the cusp of liberation. For fans of Lessons in Chemistry or The Help. ***** Ohio, 1965. Every week a group of suburban housewives meet for their Tuesday card game, sharing gossip, advice and confidences. Lily Berg has the perfect life. She’s married to a doctor, with an infant daughter and another on the way. She can’t let her husband know she’s struggling but she knows she can trust her friends. Becca, Lily’s best friend and next-door neighbour, is everything Lily isn’t. She’s messy and brash and never on time for anything. When she falls pregnant with a fourth child she desperately can’t afford, she turns to Lily. Although Lily’s little sister, Rose, got married last year, she’s not ready to give up her independence. Her modern marriage appears to be perfect, but behind closed doors things are very different. And Betsy is fifteen, pregnant and frightened. When Lily takes her in, from the local home for unwed mothers, she has no idea how much it will shake up all of their lives. Over six months, the group will be put to the test by secrets, forced to make impossible decisions and face up to a society that isn’t ready for women to have their own dreams and ambitions. Set against the backdrop of 1960s America, In the Family Way is a timely novel that captures the experiences of women on the cusp of liberation as they grapple with timeless questions of womanhood and the role we play as wives, mothers, and people in our own right. ***** Readers are loving In the Family Way: 'An emotional and consuming read. I read from start to finish in one sitting' 'Uplifting and beautifully written' 'Desperate Housewives meets Mad Men in this touching story of motherhood, girlhood, and what really happens behind closed doors in suburban America' 'An essential read' 'I love this book!'
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