Historical Fiction · Free kit
The Book Club for Troublesome Women
Concordia, Virginia, 1963: Margaret Ryan has the station wagon, the children, the picturesque suburb — and a nameless hunger she can't put on the grocery list. When intriguing new neighbor Charlotte Gustafson arrives, Margaret invents a book club and ropes in Viv Buschetti and Bitsy Cobb. They christen themselves the Bettys, open Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique, and discover that friendship, cocktails, and the right book can turn a "perfect" year into a free one.
“On paper, she has it all. So why doesn't that feel like enough?”
Complete free book club kit
BookClubee may earn a commission from Bookshop.org purchases, which supports independent bookshops.
Plan your meeting
The Book Club for Troublesome Women Hosting Guide
A free, printable-minded plan for hosting The Book Club for Troublesome Women.
Invite hook
“What if the most rebellious thing you did this year was start a book club?”
The question you’re arguing about: If your neighborhood had a "problem with no name," what book would you assign?
Shopping list
- □Coffee and sparkling water or lemonade (light and refreshing)
- □A casserole or nostalgic midcentury snack (keep it playful, not a stereotype pile-on)
- □Printed Feminine Mystique-era discussion prompt cards
- □Bingo sheets + pens
- □Name tags that say "Hello, I'm Troublesome"
- □Tea selection for variety
Day-of timeline
- 0–10 minIcebreakers + club origin stories
- 10–20 minTrivia
- 20–50 minMain discussion
- 50–65 minSpeed debate: hopeful tone vs sugarcoat
- 65–75 minBingo, ratings, next book
Surprise touch
Ask everyone to bring one sentence a woman in their family once said about "wanting more." Read them aloud anonymously before discussion — instant Betty energy.
Wrap-up
- □Group photo with "troublesome" name tags
- □One-word legacy: what this club gives you
- □Pick next month's book (and maybe a daring one)