3.5

After Virginia husband dies unexpectedly she is left rethinking the choices she has made as she tries to rebuild her life. She feels that she is the 'wrong kind of woman' according to her mother and the wives in the neighborhood because she works and almost has her PhD but she also feels like the wrong kind of woman with the female professors on campus because she never finished her dissertation and has a daughter. What type of woman does Virginia want to be? And what will it take to become her?

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an arc for my honest review.

When Professor Oliver Desmarais, a well respected college professor dies unexpectedly, his family is left to pick up the pieces. Behind he leaves a wife, Virginia, and a young daughter, Rebecca.

The year is 1970. Society was in the throes of the feminist movement. Virginia always considered herself a strong willed female, but she didn’t realize how much having Oliver to rely on made a difference in her life. Now that she is forced to find her way professionally and personally she is starting to see things differently.

One big difference is her reluctant involvement with four, outspoken and independent women on the college’s faculty. Known as the Gang of Four, Virginia always followed in Oliver’s distaste for the women. Little did she know that in the aftermath of loss, these women would become a crucial part of her rebirth. As we see Virginia struggle to find her way, we also follow Rebecca, their teenage daughter’s journey, as well as Sam, a lost student looking for connection who felt close to Oliver.

The Wrong Kind of Woman is a book about finding one’s voice amidst societal turmoil. Some would say it’s historical fiction. I would argue the issues broached in this story are still relevant today, some fifty years later.

Addressing coming of age in a new light, The Wrong Kind of Woman is a debut that will resonate with adult readers of all generations.

When Oliver Desmarais, a professor at a conservative New England college, drops dead of an aneurysm, the story follows his wife Virginia as she copes with being a single mother and widow.

I wanted to like this story, but it fell flat for me because I found very little in the story to hold my interest. The book lacked character development, and the plot was predictable.

The author gives readers a glimpse of sexism in the 1970’s New England academia, which is why I stuck with it.

The Wrong Kind of Woman is the perfect read for today’s female - it is full of feminism, equity and women’s health conversations.

Set in 1970’s, Virginia’s world is thrown upside down after the untimely death of her beloved husband. Her and her daughter navigate a new normal in tumultuous times around the college town they reside. The war is raging, protests are erupting and the little all male college is facing backlash for not accepting women.

Then there is Sam, a college student, who is trying to be seen at the school as he often goes unnoticed. He finally finds a group that sees him and wants to utilize his talents. Only this group is here to shake-up the patriarchy.

The two storylines intersect as Virginia finds a purpose helping woman’s causes and with Sam’s alignment with the radical group. The writing is excellent, and this novel goes to show we haven’t made nearly the advances in women’s equality as we like to believe. This character driven story will resonate with readers from all walks of life.

Thank you @getredprbooks @sarahmccrawcrowand @htpbooks @_mira_books @bookclubbish for #gifted copy.

Set in the late sixties but relevant to today, this novel explores various aspects of that period, specifically war protests and women's rights. But it's told through the eyes of three ordinary people - a college student, a professional woman, and her eighth-grade daughter. It gets at the inner turmoil of individuals trying to find their way. No Woodstock, no Kent State. Instead, we see a young man torn between activism and keeping his nose clean while blinded by what may or may not be love. We see the mother, newly widowed, torn between women's rights and losing her job. And the daughter, ah the daughter. It's a great read, well-crafted and superbly written.

Good, interesting, loads of potential.

This book takes us back to 1970 and the time before all male schools admitted women. Set at the fictitious Clarendon (Dartmouth), the author follows a young widow become aware of how her life has been limited by sexual discrimination.

This book follows 3 narrators living in New England in the 1970s. Virginia is a newly widowed mother of one, who let go of her career aspirations to take care of her family. After losing her husband, she needs to find a job and is drawn in by the successful women around her who want to take some sort of action against the gender discrimination that keeps them from thriving. Her daughter Rebecca, the next narrator is a young teenage girl trying to find her way, while not being embarrassed by her mother's actions. Sam, is a college student who gets caught up with the wrong crowd and is willing to do almost anything to be accepted.

I found this book quite slow. I found it hard to read and so was glad it wasn't too long. It is a book about life so there aren't many peaks and valleys and not much excitement. The characters were relatable, just trying to get through life, while being accepted by their peers.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about women's rights, the 70s. or enjoys reading about the human condition.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the eGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.