Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Four 18-year-old girls spend a year at Radcliffe College in the autumn of 1955, exploring books as they plan for their futures. When Tess Collins arrives at Radcliffe for her first year of college on a scholarship, she is thrilled at the opportunity to make her own future and get away from her constantly arguing parents and fighting brothers in Ohio. She might not have much money, but she has plenty of plans about how she will be top of her class. Her roommate, Caroline Hanson, is her polar opposite: gorgeous, wealthy, fun-loving, and generous with her time and possessions. The pair become friends with the young women in the adjoining room: Evie Miller, a boy-crazy farmer’s daughter with a mostly steady boyfriend from back home in New York, and Merritt Weber, the artistically inclined daughter of an academic father in San Francisco whose mother died when she was 15. The story follows them as they join a book club run by Alice Campbell, a once-married woman from Chicago determined to find her own way in life by running a small bookstore in Cambridge. The women read a variety of books as Alice pushes them to think deeply about what it has meant to be a (White) woman across the centuries and how, while much might have changed when it came to (White) women’s rights, there was still much that hadn’t. Rather than being a book about nothing of importance—as Mark Twain said of Emma, a book from their book club—this is a book in which (after a slow start) the women experience joy and tragedy as they try to figure out who they are, what they stand for, and what their futures might hold. Themes of bullying, alcoholism, wealth disparity, (White) women’s rights, assault, and rape are all addressed. A story of female freedom and constraints that doesn’t shy away from the trauma—and joy—that faced U.S. women in the 1950s. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Library Journal
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In 1955, Tess, Caroline, Merritt, and Evie, four young women from very different backgrounds, are assigned to be roommates for their freshman year at Radcliffe College. When Tess, a bookish English major, stumbles on Alice Campbell's recently opened Cambridge Bookshop, she asks her roommates to join the store's monthly book club with her. Selecting books with challenging themes, Alice sparks introspection and a lively discussion of women's issues, and eventually becomes a trusted ally during difficult times. Each of the five main characters possesses a distinct personal history and viewpoint, realistically blending or clashing depending on the topic, and all struggle with the gender expectations of the era. Readers who enjoy character-driven narratives will appreciate the gradual but notable changes in the friendships and how the women relate to one another. They may also be inspired to pick up the classic novels discussed by the book club. VERDICT Thomas's (For Those Who Are Lost) novel is a great choice for book clubs and will include a reader's guide and interview with the author.—Stacey Hayman

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

After receiving an unexpected legacy, Alice Campbell opens a bookshop filled with her favorite titles in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Not long after she settles in, she invites Tess, a browsing Radcliffe student, to attend a book club and bring her friends. Tess shows up with her roommate, Caroline, plus their dormitory neighbors Evie and Merritt. Each month, Alice chooses another title for the group to challenge their assumptions and broaden their horizons. During the winter break, one of the students is assaulted, and Alice is the only person she trusts. Upon their return to campus for the new semester, things have changed among the group. They continue meeting each month until near the end of the term, when one of them decides to confront the situation, testing their friendships and strength. The book is set in the 1955–56 academic year, and many of the issues these women face coming-of-age outside the protection of their families, yet within the society of an elite institution, are still relevant now. A good fit for enthusiasts of historical fiction centering young women, New England settings, and college nostalgia.