Set in Ohio during the 1960s, this story follows a group of women from diverse backgrounds who begin to question their roles in society. They wonder why they are not allowed to stand up for themselves and make their own decisions.
This heartwarming and emotional narrative explores their desire for change and greater autonomy, challenging the notion of being just pretty, stay-at-home women.
It serves as a powerful reminder that it hasn't been long since women were treated as second-class citizens and had no right, to have their opinions dismissed and their voices unheard.

Excellent, thought provoking novel. Set in the 1960s in Ohio, it follows the Canasta playing housewives in suburbia.
Raising questions about pregnancy, abortion, domestic abuse, this is a timely story.
Enjoyment isn't really the correct word for a book about such serious topics, but it holds the attention all the way through. And though the ending is a little too coincidental for me, it does round out all the characters and their stories.
Recommended reading if only for a glimpse into women's lives in the 60s.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and especially the author for this ARC in return for my honest review

This book is a cracking read. Set in America in the mid 60’s and covers the plight of women at that time which brings home to you on just how much things have changed. A real thought provoking page turner read for me. I loved all the characters and the tale they had to tell.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

An emotional read. I really enjoyed it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC.

Given the very weird and scary situation going on in America now, you might question whether this book is set in the 1960s or now. Scary in many ways and throught provoking in every way. What do women do when they are not allowed to do anything at all? I wish we didn't have to read novels like this and I wish this had sci fi sticker on the side but sadly not...

Powerful

This powerful novel Set in 1965 deals with a group of housewives, who on the surface have nothing better to do than their housework and cook. “a woman’s work is never done”. Their sole purpose is to be perfect wives for their husbands, all the while taking no credit for their own sacrifices in contributing to their hard-working husbands' successes. Rose is different however; she graduated and although she is married, she doesn’t want children.

Lily, Rose’s sister takes in a fifteen-year-old pregnant girl, Betsy to help her with a small child Jo-Jo as she too is pregnant with her second child. Together they build a strong bond which lasts throughout. Through Betsy we gain a powerful insight of 1960’s where girls were secreted off to have their unwanted babies who they would later give up for adoption before returning to their homes as if nothing had happened,

While Sarah longs for a child, Becca cannot cope with another. It is Lily’s husband as a Gynaecologist however who lays out the true horrors and the lengths married women, and young girls go through to terminate their pregnancies. Told in graphic details the modern woman cannot comprehend.

Rose finds herself in a sexual and physically abusive relationship and as she proceeds to divorce and independence it is ironic that she needs a man’s signature to obtain it.

As the women begin to question their lives, they become involved in bringing about a change. Lily frequently questions “is that all there is” before finding her true purpose.

This is a poignant read especially today when there is still a debate surrounding a woman’s right to choose what happens to her body. There are other interesting criticisms highlighted in this novel such as the purpose of the Vietnam war and rape within a marriage.

I highly recommend this novel and thank Netgalley for the opportunity to have read it ahead of publication.

I enjoyed this book far more than I was expecting to. Definitely a book to make an impact and encourage the reader to think, especially how things have changed since the mid-60s. Written from several women's voices in the state of Ohio focusing on a group in very different circumstances but centring around a tight Jewish family. A lot of sensitive subjects covered pregnancy, fertility, abortion and abuse, but all with an undercurrent of naivety in a patriarchal society. Although set in America, it was similar this side of the Atlantic so easy to relate to. The writing flowed, even the American English didn't detract so I became totally immersed in the women's stories and problems.

In Ohio 1965, Betsy - fifteen and pregnant- arrives in the home of Lily, a married mother who also has a child on the way. Lily has a sister Rose, a teacher whose husband begins to show his true colours, and a friend called Becca who finds herself pregnant with a fourth child she does not want.

This novel has a lot of heart. You will want to hug all of the main characters. Betsy, a teenager who says 'groovy' to everything, particularly touched me. Pregnant via a lacklustre encounter with a boy from out of town and still painfully unaware of many biological realities, her friendship with the older Lily allows her to begin to understand what has happened to her and what her future will be like.

Thematically, this novel reminded me of 'Confessions' by Catherine Airey (set in Ireland) which I reviewed last year, in that it's about multiple generations of women and how they are affected by the state of reproductive rights in their respective countries. As a woman in the UK, it's easy to forget the rights that we have and often take for granted. This novel is a sobering reminder of that, whilst also being infused with hope, and having one of the loveliest and most life-affirming epilogue style endings I've ever read in a novel.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC!

Wow I did not expect this book to be so impactful but it really left me gobsmacked with the way women were treated in such recent history. Attitudes to abortions, pregnancy, marriage and womens rights are all covered in this book and I was shocked to see how the 50's & 60's housewife was treated. Told through the story of pregnant teenager Betsy and her care giver Lily and their surrounding friends and family, it is a great read and rather sad to see how womens rights have not changed that much particularly in the US. (Please make sure you read on after the final chapter to see the facts that Laney Katz Becker supplied as they are very interesting too.)

A very interesting and enjoyable read. Set in 1960s America this is the story of a 15 year old pregnant girl who lived with a family until it it is time for her to give birth. I'd never heard of this before. Definitely a book to recommend.

This book is nothing short of superlative. I laughed and cried as the book centred on the lives of four friends, 2 of whom were siblings. I found myself on a rollercoaster of emotions as the story followed their respective lives and childbirth experiences.
Set in the swinging sixties, it may have been the age of free love and anything goes but the truth was that the lives of women were slow to change.
Women were still expected to stay at home, do the housework and care for the children, essentially being at the beck and call of their husbands.

Abortion was not only frowned upon but was illegal with doctors who performed it or who gave recommendations to female patients being struck off.

This is a wonderful story and a microcosm of social history. Couldn't put the book down but at the same time, I loved it so much that I didn't want to finish it.

Written as a novel, this book illustrates the way women have been treated throughout history and portrays the very beginnings of women’s rights in the US just as some of those rights are now being revoked.

Told through a journal of one of the women we meet a 15 year old sent to a home for unmarried pregnant teenagers; a young mother who is starting to discover there is more than just being a homemaker; her sister who wants a career before becoming a mother; a woman struggling to get pregnant and an exhausted mother who just cannot cope with another pregnancy.

Both uplifting and terribly sad, this book is beautifully written and should act as a warning not to go back to the days before women had rights over their own bodies.

The U.S in the 1960s. A tale of a small community, of planned, unplanned and teenage pregnancies. Of love, friendship and support. The characters are realistic and their psychological struggles believable. Go back in time to see how women coped, and see their struggles.

I really enjoyed this book. Four neighbours become friends over their Tuesday afternoon Canasta club. All very different personalities. Lily the prim and proper one decides to get a pregnant 15yr old, from the unwed mothers home to help her with her toddler and some light housework as Lily is also pregnant. The book is set in the late 60's, so things are different. However circumstances force them all to change in quite remarkable ways.
Well worth a read.

Laney Katz Becker’s In the Family Way is an emotional and consuming read that captivates from the very first page.

Set in the mid-1960s, the novel introduces a cast of women whose lives, choices, and struggles feel deeply relatable.

Though their circumstances are shaped by the era, the dilemmas they face - moral, ethical, and deeply personal - resonate just as powerfully today.

Each woman's journey is unique, yet their shared experiences weave a powerful tapestry of connection, highlighting the profound bonds of female friendship and the challenges imposed by society’s expectations.

There are some deeply emotional topics covered in this book, including abortion, miscarriage, rape, and domestic violence.

Becker does not shy away from portraying the harsh realities of how women and girls are treated by society as a whole, both historically and in ways that still sadly persist today.

It is astonishing that the novel is set nearly 60 years ago, yet its themes remain so relevant.

The author’s decision to write this book after the overturning of Roe v. Wade adds a poignant urgency to its message.

The loss of federally protected reproductive rights makes this story even more significant now than it might have been had it been published just a few years earlier.

Becker skillfully underscores the pervasive inequalities faced by women through dialogue, character experiences, and even the chapter titles all of which serve as subtle but powerful reminders of how far we’ve come and how fragile progress can be.

Among the many memorable characters, Lily, Rose, Betsy, and Jo-Jo stand out the most.

Their individual heartbreaks and triumphs left a lasting impact, warming my heart even as they broke it.

The friendships in this novel are at its core, showcasing the kind of solidarity and understanding that only women can truly share.

The epilogue was particularly powerful - it shattered me and then somehow put me back together.

Some books stay with you long after the last page, and In the Family Way is undoubtedly one of them.

A special mention goes to the author’s inclusion of historical facts and dates at the end. It’s staggering to reflect on the progress made and how much of it is now under threat.

This novel is a five-star must-read, not just for its compelling storytelling but for its urgent and thought-provoking themes.

Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book gives an insight into attitudes towards women, marriage, pregnancy and choice from the 1960s that is worryingly similar to ongoing attitudes today with the recent overturning of Wade vs Roe.
The friendships described in the book are strong and supportive whilst the women still struggle with whether their opinions are valid and their choices moral. I found Lily difficult to like in the initial chapters of the book but she grew on me as she started to questions societal norms and got closer to Betsy, learning more about how upbringing rather than "moral fibre" can be the downfall of a young woman. I was particularly moved by the fact that Betsy has no idea how she ended up pregnant, highlighting the woeful lack of useful sex education both in the 1960s and for several decades following.
A fascinating read.

Set in the swinging sixties, we find ourselves in middle class suburbian neighbourhood in America.
A host family take on a young naive pregnant girl; the host mum is pregnant too.
Throughout the book we read about domestic abuse, illegal abortions, the early days of the Civil Rights movement, love, family and friendships.
The impact of the solid relationship between the host mum and young girl is evident.
The combination results in a great read.

Historical fiction? I WISH! It blows my mind that this book is set approximately 60 years ago but a lot of this still resonates. It's no surprise that the author was inspired to write this after Roe vs. Wade was overturned. Abortion is no longer a federally protected right. This makes this story even more important than it would have been if it'd been released in 2021.

I found this book heart-warming and heart-breaking. The friendships make this book and the bond that only females can understand. The inequality for women is both heart-breaking and too real. The author is clever in how this inequality is highlighted: from the chapter titles to the conversations, inequality is everywhere.

There were a number of characters in this novel but Lily, Rose, Betsy and Jo-Jo were the ones that I won't forget about. Each demonstrate heart-break but warmed my heart so deeply. Sometimes, books stay with you and this one definitely did. The EPILOGUE both broke me and saved me.

This needs to be a must-read!

The plight of women in the 1960s. This book had me enthralled - the characters were all troubled in different ways as they struggled with ignorance, pregnancy, childbirth, adoption, abortion, abuse, etc., supporting each other all the way. It is so sad that the hard-won freedom of abortion is now being retracted in the USA. The ending of the novel is very clever and satisfying.

In the Family Way by Laney Katz Becker is a poignant and powerful book set in 1965, capturing the lives of suburban housewives navigating their personal challenges, marriages and pregnancies, both wanted and unwanted.

At a time when women could not have their own bank accounts, credit cards or sign leases, and when abortion was illegal, a group of women gathered every week for their Tuesday canasta game. As they share advice and confidence, their lives intertwine in unexpected ways.

Lily Berg, a prim and proper doctor's wife, becomes unexpectedly pregnant with her second child. She opens her home to Betsy, a pregnant teenager from the local home for unwed mothers. What begins as a practical arrangement soon leads to an emotional bond, as Lily’s heart becomes involved in a way she never anticipated. Meanwhile, Betsy, Becca and Lily's sister, Rose, all face their dilemmas, from abortion to discovering unsettling truths about their marriages.

Moving and atmospheric, this book immerses readers in the emotional complexities of women on the cusp of liberation. The characters’ stories highlight the difficult moral and ethical decisions they must make, and their shared experiences underline the deep bonds of friendship and womanhood.

This is an emotional and consuming read that reminds us how far we’ve come in the fight for women’s rights—and how crucial it is to keep moving forward.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.