Six Weeks in Reno
By Lucy H Hendricks

Hendricks’ historical fiction debut takes the reader on the journey of married women in 1930s America. At this time Reno, Nevado was home to the six week divorce. Women went by train to live for six weeks (just long enough to show residency) in hotels or with local pioneers. Then, the judge granted their divorce.

Evelyn, the narrator of Six Weeks in Reno is in her late 30s, has two college kids and is fleeing a loveless marriage after her husband Dean did her dirty. Once you find out his secret life you’ll be rooting for the protagonist. She’s resilient and gains back her freedom in Reno. As a resident she is witness to countless transformations of ‘six-weekers’ and the devastation of swindlers, business schemers and unforeseen suicide.

What intrigued me about this historical fiction story was the idea of societal expectations of women to endure broken marriages. Thankfully, Reno was a safe (even though it had problems) landing for women to speak up and reclaim their forgotten life. My own grandmother stayed married for eight more years while separated and an ocean between them until she was granted a divorce in Canada. She too had to claim residency for three months in 1955.

Evelyn Henderson, defied the odds and befriended locals and other divorcees, while dancing her 40 nights away with a new beau. In her words, “Sundown is, without question, the highlight of my journey. From a sea of six-weekers, he chose me, and as our dancing evolved into lovemaking, he taught me the joy of letting go and trusting my heart.”

Please pick up this enjoyable read to find out of Evelyn pursues her life and a glimpse of new dreams after her divorce.

Rated this great read five stars and noted only one on page ‘open door’ romantic scene.

Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this book to review. My words are my own.

• arc review: six weeks in reno •
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This is an interesting book about a woman named Evelyn Henderson, who is spending six weeks in Reno to divorce her husband during the Great Depression. I was excited about this book and to learn about divorce ranches, but it fell a bit flat for me. I didn't fall in love with Evelyn, the fmc, which made for a pretty long read. She meets all these women who are seeking divorce for many reasons, but the character back stories could have been more developed. I wanted to know more!
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I respect, what I would assume was a lot of time researching this book, but I think there could have been more time unraveling the hardships of depression and the underlying "wild west" themes that was briefly touched on throughout the book. This would have been in addition to exploring the stigma around divorce and what happened to women who did seek divorce, which was told through Evelyn who came from wealth
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Page & Pour Rating: 3✨️
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This is available for you to give a read today (March 4), and if you have read and have a different opinion I would love to know your thoughts.
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Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this.
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#arcreview #netgalley #lakeunionpublishing #bookreview #booksbooksbooks

I like books that remind me of one of my favorite films, The Women. This is a book that shows a set of women that meet in Reno at a ranch. All of them are there to complete the required residence in order to be granted a divorce. The women have different reasons for divorce, but want the same outcome. This book mentions the girls going into town at night for fun, which reminded me of The Misfits movie. Evelyn is the main character and is easily my favorite character. She’s easy to like and determined to dump her deadbeat husband that hasn’t worked in years.

One thing I love about these ranch books and movies are that most of the girls seem to support each other all the way, maybe because they have the same goal, I’m not sure. In this one the way they and around one girl that is very depressed is just heart warming.

I very much enjoyed this one.

This was a very interesting read, what really drew me in was the fact that this actually happened! Women would move to Reno and live for six weeks in order to get a divorce in the 1940's and 1950's!

I enjoyed going on Evelyn's journey with her as she tries to find herself and escape marriage to her dead beat husband. I really saw a change in her over the course of her time at the "divorce ranch". This is a quick, informative read and it really sheds light on how little rights women had and what they endured during that time in our nations history. It was a tad slow at times but I think for many of these women they probably enjoyed a slower pace to escape from the hell they were coming from. I am interested to read more from Lucy Hendrick!

Thank you to Lucy H. Hendrick, Lake Union Publishing, and net galley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

New Jersey resident Evelyn wants a divorce from her husband. In 1931, during the Great Depression, the easiest way to get an uncontested one was to move to Nevada for six weeks.

During the four day train journey and her time in Reno, Evelyn meets plenty of other women who are leaving their marriages, all for their own reasons. Hosting and entertaining these women was a cottage industry, and the residents of Reno welcomed them and their money with open arms. Some of the women blossom and find themselves, others struggle mightily. For East Coast resident Evelyn, it was a chance to remind herself of who she really is and find her inner strength.

I really enjoyed this book. I’m a big fan of YA historical fiction author Stacey Lee, and this seemed like it could be a grown up version of one of her books. It was clearly very well researched, and the characters were varied and well-defined. There were a variety of outcomes for the women, and it clearly felt like the author was trying to represent many of the various outcomes that the actual women, or six weekers as they were called, experienced during that time. That wasn’t a drawback; it made the story feel more authentic.

I wish the author had spent just a bit more time on Evelyn’s reentry to society when she returned to the East Coast. I would have liked to see how her college-age children reacted—they are the two least developed characters in the book—and perhaps how she was received in society upon her return. But to delve into those aspects is almost a different book, so I understand the author’s choice. I do wish she had found a way to develop the characters of the two children through communications while she was in Reno. I would have like to have heard more from them.

If you’re a fan of historical fiction, you should definitely check this one out.

This is an honest review based on the book provided by NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing.

In the 1930s, Reno, Nevada made a name for itself in the divorce market. Women would travel there from all over the country, and after residing there for six weeks, often in one of the many ranches that specialised in the market, be granted a divorce. The concept of divorce ranches fascinated me. I read a couple of novels focused on this topic last year, but my interest wasn't sated.

Six Weeks in Reno follows Evelyn, a woman who was in a loveless marriage for more than 20 years. She thought long and hard about the implications and, despite her sister's vehement objections, decided to travel to Reno and get a divorce. For Evelyn, her stay is mostly filled with good times - shopping, visits to the hair salon, socialising, horseriding, and nights out dancing with cowboys. Evelyn is smart and wealthy; her marriage is not beset by violence or blatant infidelity. Not all women were so lucky. While Evelyn's is the main storyline we do get to see the experiences of other women - one who is working at the ranch to pay for her stay, one who is stalked by her abusive husband, one who can't fathom being single and is already searching for another husband, and one who becomes increasingly more distraught at the prospect of divorce even though her husband is objectively terrible. Hedrick also doesn't shy away from what all women risked by getting divorced, including financial hardship and becoming the topic of gossip, if not social rejection. And yet, for many, it was well worth it. The joy of groups of newly divorced women throwing their wedding rings into the river really sprang from the page. I thought the benefits of divorce as well as its costs for women were well represented and well balanced. The other aspect of this book that was especially well done was the setting. The cowboys, the dance halls, the gambling dens, as well as prostitution, a shoot out, and a group of swindlers all created a vivid picture of a Western town on the edge of lawlessness, one far outside the experiences of a woman like Evelyn. The change of energy in the town as new groups of divorce seeking women arrived, and the newly divorced departed came across well. It was clear the six weekers were contributing to an economic boom in Reno.

I did have a few quibbles. One was my desire to know what happened next for Evelyn? Did her children come to understand her decision? Did she manage to return to modelling? How did she cope with any social ostracism? Another was her husband's homosexulaity which is alluded to but never fully explored and thus felt an unnecessary inclusion. Overall though this was a solid, well-researched, and engaging story exploring an aspect of women's history in America that continues to fascinate me.
Many thanks to @netgalley and the publishers for the eARC. Six Weeks in Reno releases 4 March.

The premise had much promise! A divorce ranch is not something I had heard of before.

I loved the historical aspect and learning more about the divorce laws back in the 1930's.

But I struggled to connect with Evelyn (FMC) and unfortunately the book just didn't quite hit the spot for me.

I feel like this is one of those books I probably should have read after finishing another genre. As it was I had just finished a five star historical fiction read and was not as pulled in by this story as I could have been.
This book follows several women as they embark on a 6 week journey of living in 1930s Reno on “divorce ranches”. While I find the premise interesting, I couldn’t seem to connect with any of the characters.
Don’t get me wrong this is by no means a bad, it just wasn’t a knock my socks off read.
Overall I would say a solid 3.5:/5 stars.
I received an ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

BOOK: SIX WEEKS IN RENO
AUTHOR: LUCY H. HENDRICK
PUB DATE: 4TH MARCH 2024
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REVIEW- 2.5stars
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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First of all, I liked the book's setting of Reno and its unique divorce proceedings. I'm glad that women's rights have improved so much! I praise those women who were willing to move somewhere completely new just to get a divorce. Unfortunately, that was my favorite thing.
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Don't get me wrong, I liked the characters. They were okay. That was the problem. They were just 'Okay', especially the FMC, Evelyn. There was nothing special or exciting about her. I kept on reading expecting something, but I didn't get it. I'm disappointed because I thought this would be an amazing book in the women's fiction genre. In addition, this book would have been perfect with multiple POVs of the women from different walks of life.
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I didn't really enjoy this book, but I was able to finish it in record time
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It's 1931 and Evelyn is finally going to divorce her husband but first she must live in Reno for six weeks (thus the title). This skips lightly over the experience, with Evelyn interacting with other women living there and spreading her wings a bit. There's also a touch of romance (this disappointed me). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good storytelling.

This book gave me a fascinating insight into what it was like to get a divorce in the early 1930s. It also gave me a look into the different types of people who came to Reno for their divorces. Mostly, they were all monied women since this was at the height of the depression. I doubt that a less monied woman would be able to afford to become a "six-weeker."

Many things surprised me about this book, and some things that I could see from a mile off. I could see Evelyn's husband for what he was, even though she didn't speak of it until the very last chapter.
We saw the best and the worst of people, and we even had a bit of a romance going. It would have been interesting to have a couple more chapters that dealt with the consequences of Evelyns divorce once she got home. Did her kids forgive her? Did she resume modeling? How did she get along with her sister?

All in all, it is an excellent read and perfect for book clubs since it gives us a lot to chew over.

*ARC supplied by the publisher Lake Union Publishing, the author, and NetGalley.

A book of self exploration and the realities of women seeking divorce in the 1930s, how vast and unique each woman’s situation is. Night life in prohibition era. A retro read. I enjoyed seeing Evelyn shed all the expectations and rules everyone has placed on her and seeing her choose what she wants and how she wants to live.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Lucy H. Hedrick for giving me an ARC for this book!

It is 1931 and Evelyn Henderson is heading west to Reno to get divorced from her husband of twenty years. She will meet many new people and have many adventures both good and bad. I really enjoyed this book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Brilliance Publishing for the digital copy of this book and audiobook; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I’m not sure why I requested this book about a “divorce ranch” other than the title intrigued me, and I love reading historical fiction. I knew from a lot of previous reading that Reno was THE place to go for a “quickie” divorce. I had no idea that the six-week requirement used to be six months and that it changed in the early 1930s.

It is because of this loosening of requirements that the protagonist of the story, Evelyn, has decided to make the trip, divorce her husband, and start a new life. She has spent 20 years with her husband and was one of those women who stayed with him as long as she did because of their two children. Her husband lost his job some years prior (even before the Great Depression started), and their family has been living with Evelyn’s well-to-do parents the past ten years.

Evelyn meets some women at the divorce ranch who are leaving their husbands for various reasons: infidelity, domestic violence, and other reasons. These six-weekers become roommates and friends as they await their divorces. Many of the women are enjoying the freedom that they haven’t felt in years, just like Evelyn. The book proceeds with their stories, which are a bit repetitive and monotonous, interspersed with some of the excitement of being in the wild wild west of Nevada.

Overall, I enjoyed this book for the most part. From other reviews I’ve read, it’s apparent that the author did her research into the history of Reno with accurate details. I always appreciate it when I hear from locals who confirm the writer didn’t play fast and loose with details. Sarah Naughton is the narrator of the book, and I especially liked the tone of her voice. It made the listening experience enjoyable, even when dealing with some unsavory conduct by men in the novel. I would definitely listen to something narrated by Naughton again.

After twenty years in a loveless marriage, Evelyn Henderson will do anything to escape her stifling suburban life. She boards a train for Reno, Nevada, a former frontier town that’s booming thanks to “six-weekers”: women from all walks of life who take up residence there just long enough to secure an uncontested divorce—a right they don’t yet have in their home states.

I found this book well written but it didn’t progress at any speed. It’s a very sedate pace and I found myself getting bored and skipping pages here and there to push it forward. Sorry but it wasn’t for me.

Thank you Lake Union Publishing for this arc.

Sorry but this one is just not going to work for me. Within 3 pages I realized that the FMC is very, as another reviewer says, "snooty, snobby, prissy and judgmental." The writing was choppy as well. I think the FMC has an eating disorder which is randomly mentioned in a paragraph with no other context. Once everyone got to Reno, it was dull and boring. This is an interesting idea but poor execution of it. DNF

An historical fiction of women learning independency. The women stay for six weeks in a hotel in order to gain a divorce in Reno, Nevada. The women come together and form friendships and try to invest in new developments. With the relaxation of the Reno residence requirement for divorce going from 6 months to six weeks, Evelyn has finally decided to take the train to Reno. She seeks to file for divorce from her husband of 20 years who has all but given up on finding employment and is also harboring secrets within their marriage. Evelyn meets several other women on her journey who are all seeking divorce for different reasons- infidelity, domestic violence, etc. These women become roommates, friends, and companions as they navigate their first taste of freedom in Reno. Much of the story highlights the day to day life of the women which swings vastly between the monotony of living the same life just in a different place and the excitement of life out west. There was a repetitive emphasis on the classic east coast versus Wild West that I couldn’t shake. This portrayed the east coast women as high class, snobby, and fashionable. The women in Reno were salt of the earth, brothel owner with a heart of gold, or Native Americans. This was definitely an interesting book and educated me on the divorce aspect in older times. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity.

Spending six weeks in Reno, which qualifies as residency, gives a person the chance to get a “quicky” divorce without having grounds or having to pay huge legal bills. The story takes place in 1931 when divorces were still considered very scandalous. Most of the people going to Reno were women, all of them had their individual reasons.

Evelyn, from New Jersey, is the main character, backed up by several other women in the same position. They are all in Reno, spending six weeks, to get divorced. I have trouble connecting with Evelyn. She has been a runway model previously, a fact that she likes to repeat often. I couldn’t find any endearing characteristics.

Reno was just in the early development stages in the story. I found this interesting. There were brothels, casinos, dance halls. It was still a frontier town, full of cowboys. There were ranches to accommodate and feed the “six weekers”.

There were day-by-day accounts of the divorce seekers' activities. Mostly rather dull: shopping trips, visiting a hair salon, manicures, going to dance halls.

One of the things that really bugged me: one of the woman’s names was Thistlena. Seriously??? It shouldn't affect how I feel about the book but I cringed every time it was mentioned. It didn't even come up when I Googled.

The second half of the book was slightly better than the first. But it's a long way to go to find enjoyment in a book. The premise of the book sounded interesting. However, the delivery, lack of character development and simplistic writing style did not appeal.
Sadly, this book did not do it for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

What an absolute intrigue of a premise. I have never heard of divorce ranches in Reno until I came across this book!

We meet Evelyn, who after dealing with her husband Dean’s depression and lack of motivation for 10 years decides to divorce him. In 1931, a six month required period of separation turns into 6 weeks and Reno is the place to do so as discreetly as possible. While I found Evelyn insufferable at times, I’m assuming her judgements were pretty true to being a woman in that time.

I found the stories of the other women at the ranch to be more intriguing, even if at times it felt highly unrealistic. What happens to each woman was either amazing or devastating.

I do wish the writing could have been more cohesive and fluid because I do think this was a good story to tell but I found myself at times bored with the repetition of the dance halls and Virginia Street.

Trigger warnings of what sounds like an eating disorder, attempted rape and suicide.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

I was originally pulled in by the title of this book. I was unfamiliar with the concept of the divorce ranch which was surprising as a Nevada native.

With the relaxation of the Reno residence requirement for divorce going from 6 months to six weeks, Evelyn has finally decided to take the train to Reno. She seeks to file for divorce from her husband of 20 years who has all but given up on finding employment and is also harboring secrets within their marriage. Evelyn meets several other women on her journey who are all seeking divorce for different reasons- infidelity, domestic violence, etc.

These women become roommates, friends, and companions as they navigate their first taste of freedom in Reno. Much of the story highlights the day to day life of the women which swings vastly between the monotony of living the same life just in a different place and the excitement of life out west. There was a repetitive emphasis on the classic east coast versus Wild West that I couldn’t shake. This portrayed the east coast women as high class, snobby, and fashionable. The women in Reno were salt of the earth, brothel owner with a heart of gold, or Native Americans.

Overall, I enjoyed this book as this has given me a unique perspective of this subject. I have never read anything else featuring the divorce ranches or the “six weekers”. I also sincerely appreciate the attention to detail regarding the geographical locations and names. The street names, alleyways, towns, and the Native American tribes mentioned were used correctly. Even the mention of the wedding chapel across from the court house is a very important detail, as there are many wedding chapels to this day right across the street. A huge pet peeve of mine is to read a book featuring a place the author has not researched.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for the eARC via NetGalley.