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.

Mid 1960’s America. Times, they are a changing, but for women those changes are going at a snail’s pace. The chief ambition for any young woman is to get married, become a full time housewife and have children as soon as possible. Working married women are frowned upon, and as for young, unmarried, pregnant girls, well, they are the lowest of the low.

Fitting the housewife mould perfectly is Lily. Married to David, mother of JoJo and another on the way. Then we have best friend Becca, who along with her high school sweetheart husband Bradley, has three boisterous boys, with another unplanned baby on the way. Sarah lives next door to Lily, with her husband Joel. She is another stay at home housewife, but no children. Of course, Lily is desperate to find out why the couple are childless, but it would be rude to ask, wouldn’t it? Lastly there is Robin and her husband. Their house backs onto Lily’s and their children use the play equipment in Lily’s garden. Robin is more interested in world affairs than the others, though the others have no idea just how she manages to find the time to read newspapers when housework is such a full time job. These are the regular Canasta game members. Cards and gossip, the highlights of their very busy lives. A regular visitor is Lily’s younger sister Rose. Married to Marty, their marriage isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, but she puts on a good show.

To help Lily cope with all her wifely duties, she and David have opened their home to a ‘mother’s aid’. This comes in the form of the naive and innocent fifteen years old Betsy, whose mother has delivered her to Raven House, a home for pregnant teens. Completely ashamed and disappointed in Betsy, her parents have told everyone that Betsy is looking after an aged relative who is ill (that old chestnut!), and will return home once auntie is up and about again. Raven House, after they have checked that Betsy is fit to be allowed out into the community, have placed her with Lily until it’s time for her to give birth. She will then return to Raven House, so that the birth does not have any undue impact on the host family!

I read this book at record pace and haven’t stopped thinking about it. As a child of the 50’s, and a teenager in the 60’s, the memories it evoked are amazing! Although born a continent away from this setting, life for the women in my life was very similar.

Wonderfully written, with a deep insight into the life and times of the women of that era. An empowering and brave book.

We may roll our eyes at the lifestyle of these women, but for them it was the norm. But all it took was a borrowed book, a nudge from a friend or a guilty conscience to change their lives.

So far from my usual read I thought this was excellent, a 100% recommendation.

Thank you NetGalley and HQ.

I’ve never read a book quite like this before, it isn’t the sort of title I think I’d choose. But I’m so glad I was sent it to read as an ARC, it’s a wonderful book that stayed with me. I’ve taken a star off because it doesn’t have a good title or beginning, so I don’t think I’d ever have picked it up normally.

This focuses on some women in Minnesota in 1965. Betsy, an unwed mother, pregnant at 15, is sent to live with a family so that she can keep the whole pregnancy a secret. She becomes very fond of the woman of the house, Lily, and she gets to know Lily’s sister Rose, and Lily’s friends.

This book features several strong and admirable women. Betsy herself is remarkable at only 15, and Lily becomes socially aware in the course of the novel. Rose has a terrible time, but she is brave and strong and deals with her situation extremely well. Her husband, Marty, is awful, but we see a fabulous man in Lily’s husband, David. He supports the women without judging them and is a real help to some of the friends.

This book really opened my eyes to how difficult it was for my mother’s generation. From a prudish mother whose teenage daughter never learned about any of the facts of life before ending up pregnant, to the simple fact of a woman not being able to rent a flat without a man co-signing.. We have come such a long way in the west, we still have a long way to go, but ir is so interesting to read about women from that time and how they felt about it, how they woke up to it.

The most emotionally poignant thing is the fact that abortion was illegal at the time this book is set. It’s so awful, and it is beyond comprehension why some people want to make it a criminal offence again.. I would quite like every pro-life person to be made to read this book.

In the Family Way is a empowering tale of women and what goes on behind closed doors. I felt bravery and compassion for these courageous characters who develop further throughout the plot. It's also lighthearted and funny with some wise wording.

Wow. This is a real corker of a book and one I’ll be thinking of for many weeks to come. All the characters in this were absolutely brilliantly written- it would be impossible to choose a favourite. Lily and Rose were amazing- totally inspirational and with a beautiful sister bond. Betsy was so likeable too and the bond she developed with Lily was lovely to read. The canesta girls were just as interesting and I thought the whole plot was brilliant- well written, so interesting and really thought provoking too. Highly highly recommended.

I was intrigued by the blurb for the book and what an emotional read that gave a lot of insight into what was not an easy time to be a woman where you had little control over what we now take for granted. It was also a journey of self discovery for Lily who would have been the same age as my mum and while they were born in different countries, I guess the struggles and restrictions were similar. I really enjoyed the book and as the author is a new one for me, I'd have no hesitation in checking out her other books read that gave a lot of insight into what was not an easy time to be a woman where you had little control over what we now take for granted. It was also a journey of self discovery for Lily who would have been the same age as my mum and while they were born in different countries, I guess the struggles and restrictions were similar. I really enjoyed the book and as the author is a new one for me, I'd have no hesitation in checking out her other books

Thought provoking excellent read.

Young girls in America who had very little choice if they found themselves pregnant, how they were sent away from the family home so as not to disgrace the family name. The relationship between these girls and their short term foster family. The story shows how innocent some of the girls were, and looks into developing relationships throughout their lives.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book.

This book was not the genre I normally read and it’s so good that I might even try more like it. I loved it. So well written and left me thinking about it days after I read it. I have recommended to a friend it two and thought it was superb.