Ellen Feldman

There is no doubt that much of what Ellen Feldman had her characters spewing was the absolute truth of the role of women in the 1950’s in the good old USA. It is also true that there was so much stereotypical depiction that it ruined the story for me. Yes, the quotes were factual and disturbing if not nauseating for their attributes. Ms. Feldman’s points were well taken, but the story could have been so much more. Some of the dialog was smart and snappy which held my interest but the constant I’ll think about it or handle it tomorrow” was just a lengthening device that put me off each time it was used.

There were several important topics that I thought were going to form the meat of the story but ultimately turned out to be more window dressing and back drop to a widow’s grief and prospective love interests. The story would have been stronger with a deeper dive into the damage the McCarthy era and his blacklisting created on a creative populace and the voices we lost.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for a copy.… (mere)

Ellen Feldman is definitely one of my favorite authors writing historical fiction and this book strikes in all the right notes for me. A smart heroine who comes into her own and a quick-witted hero who gets in over his head, but who each find a way to help each other as the challenges of McCarthyism and blacklists threaten. Also, I absolutely loved the character of Rose, the elderly aunt with a radical past and strong opinions about women making their own choices. I hope Feldman continues writing novels like this, as I'll be happy to continue reading them!… (mere)

3.75⭐

Set in New York in the aftermath of WWII, The Trouble with You by Ellen Feldman revolves around Fanny Fabricant, a young mother, whose life is upended after her husband Max suddenly dies after returning home from the War. Grieving for her husband and with a five-year-old daughter, Chloe- who is heartbroken and misses her father dearly - to care for, she is aware that her existing funds could only support them for a limited interval of time. Fanny. a college graduate, having married a doctor, had been satisfied with life as a homemaker. She had never imagined joining the workforce to support herself. Employment opportunities for women were hard to come by. The rise in employment for women during WWII was essentially a stopgap measure to temporarily fill positions left vacant by men fighting in the war. Once the men returned, female employees were let go and expected to revert to their traditional roles of homemakers. With the help of her Aunt Rose, an independent woman ahead of her time, Fanny eventually secures a position as a secretary to a woman who produced radio serials – an experience that motivates her to discover her true potential. The narrative follows Fanny as she navigates her way through her new life as an independent woman, balancing her responsibilities on both the home and work front. She also meets new people including a scriptwriter whose reputation as a troublemaker precedes him and a doctor friend of her late husband with whom she and Chloe could have a life similar to the one she had envisioned with Max.

I loved the premise of this novel and thought it was very well-written. In the changing political and social landscape of the 1950s, Fanny’s story is one of loss, courage, resilience, self-discovery and reinvention. The story is shared from the perspective of Fanny with segments from Chloe’s perspective interspersed throughout the narrative. All the characters were well thought out . I found Fanny to be an interesting protagonist and I felt invested in her journey. I have to say that Aunt Rose was my favorite character in the story. The author deftly weaves the gender politics of the era, the "Red Scare", the HUAC investigations and the subsequent blacklisting of writers/actors and other entertainment industry professionals into the plot. The pace is relatively slower in the first half of the novel but picks up as the narrative progresses. I did feel that the ending was a tad rushed and I would have liked to know more about how Fanny and Chloe fared in the gap years. However, I did like how the author chose to end the story.

Overall, this was definitely an engaging read that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to fans of character-driven historical fiction with strong female protagonists.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.… (mere)