Sign in with Facebook
50th out of 297 books
—
494 voters
The Wednesday Sisters (Wednesday #1)
by
Meg Waite Clayton (Goodreads Author)
BONUS: This edition contains excerpts from Meg Waite Clayton's The Four Ms. Bradwells and The Language of Light.
Friendship, loyalty, and love lie at the heart of Meg Waite Clayton’s beautifully written, poignant, and sweeping novel of five women who, over the course of four decades, come to redefine what it means to be family.
For thirty-five years, Frankie, Linda, Kath,...more
Friendship, loyalty, and love lie at the heart of Meg Waite Clayton’s beautifully written, poignant, and sweeping novel of five women who, over the course of four decades, come to redefine what it means to be family.
For thirty-five years, Frankie, Linda, Kath,...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
June 17th 2008
by Ballantine Books
(first published June 1st 2008)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
I came away from this book missing my friends....my great group of girlfriends I left behind in California. The ones who support me and encourage me....the ones I used to meet for coffee so we could discuss everything we needed to without the "guys" around. This book showed how easy it is for women to find some kind of common ground to bind them together. The women in this novel hadn't known each other forever when they met for the first time but by the end of the book they had become sisters in...more
What drew me to this book was that I had read it was set in Palo Alto, California, my old stomping grounds. It was fun to read about familiar places: Stanford University, Stanford Mall, University Avenue, Winchester Mystery House, the Linear Accelerator, etc., and even Menlo Park, my home town...
The story is about 5 young mothers who meet in a park in the late sixties. They discover their shared love for reading and writing. They decide to meet once a week in the park to read and critique each o...more
The story is about 5 young mothers who meet in a park in the late sixties. They discover their shared love for reading and writing. They decide to meet once a week in the park to read and critique each o...more
Here's what I believe: we need The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton.
Clayton's stories will help third- and fourth-wave feminists avoid political matricide. The pungent stench of fear and powerlessness that Clayton's characters face at critical junctures in their lives are--in a large part--history because of the work of second wave feminists.
I offer the following in a desperate attempt to convince high-school and college-aged women to read this scandalous book.* With their mothers. And the...more
Clayton's stories will help third- and fourth-wave feminists avoid political matricide. The pungent stench of fear and powerlessness that Clayton's characters face at critical junctures in their lives are--in a large part--history because of the work of second wave feminists.
I offer the following in a desperate attempt to convince high-school and college-aged women to read this scandalous book.* With their mothers. And the...more
They're not sisters and they don't meet on Wednesdays,; not anymore. The Wednesday Sisters...Frankie, Allie, Linda, Kath and Brett...are five women who meet in the park in 1968. Strong, smart and talented, they grew up in the 1950s when women became wives and mothers, not realizing it was possible to do anything else. In the following decades, the women continue to meet and realize that they each have an interest in writing. They become a writing group, reading, critiquing and supporting each ot...more
3 likes · like · see review
I really liked this book. It made me think of my best friends and the bond of friendship among women. Meg captures all of that beautifully. The other thing I really appreciated about this book is it wasn't a male bashing - woman's power sort of book. There are good men in it, great men and a crappy man. I am so sick of books that make women perfect and men the root of all evil. Loved that.
I hated that the author spanned nearly 10 years -- presumably to fit in more historically-significant events? Unfortunately, I read The Help before reading this and loved how that author treated some of the same theme in a more compelling way. I struggled to find a theme I could latch on to and rally for in The Wednesday Sisters, and I suppose it's supposed to be feminism and sisterhood. I just wasn't feeling it. I might have loved the story if it wasn't written solely from Frannie's point of vi...more
6 likes · like · see review
The Perfect Gift…
For anyone who’s ever dreamed of becoming a writer, The Wednesday Sisters is a book you must read. I loved it! It beautifully captured both the possibilities and pitfalls of writing groups – often in laugh-out-loud moments that I wanted to immediately share. Above all, I love this book for its uplifting story of the redemptive and healing power of women’s friendships, particularly those friendships forged by mothers when their children are young. Go and get a copy right away –...more
Aug 05, 2011
Connie
added it
I wouldn't have picked this novel up on my own. It was a book club selection, so I started it with rather low expectations. (Not that my book club chooses bad books, but I get more enthused about some than others.) I'm happy to say that it pleasantly surprised me. The novel is set in the early 1970s, when I was a little girl, and is about a group of young mothers, so the characters would be about my own mother's age now. I enjoyed some of the cultural references to that time: the "new" show, "Se...more
This book, the story of five women friends living "conventional" lives while much of the U.S. is engaged in radical debates and history-changing activities, touched me deeply for two specific reasons. The first is that my mother was one of those women. My brother was born in 1967, me in 1971. I always used to press her on how she never ended up caught up in the "free love/hippie/women's & civil rights movements." She always said something to the effect of, "Well I was already married and had...more
The Wednesday Sisters, by Meg Waite Clayton, narrated by Julie Bretzin, produced by Recorded Books, downloaded from audible.com.
Five women come together in a small park in Palo Alto across the street from the houses where they live. Frankie, the main narrator, is married to an engineer who is involved in a new company, eventually the beginning of Intel Corporation. Linda is married to a resident in internal medicine. Kath is married to another resident doctor, an obstetrician. Brett is married t...more
Five women come together in a small park in Palo Alto across the street from the houses where they live. Frankie, the main narrator, is married to an engineer who is involved in a new company, eventually the beginning of Intel Corporation. Linda is married to a resident in internal medicine. Kath is married to another resident doctor, an obstetrician. Brett is married t...more
This book was a little different than I thought it would be. It actually started out a little slow and then about 1/3 of the way through I was really into the story.
The Wednesday Sisters are a group of 5 Palo Alto women – Frankie, Kath, Linda, Brett and Ally who meet in the park when their kids are small. They all like to read and start discussing books and then try their hand at writing. They critique each other’s work.
The story takes place apx. 1967 – 1973 and it’s the women’s issues (employ...more
The Wednesday Sisters are a group of 5 Palo Alto women – Frankie, Kath, Linda, Brett and Ally who meet in the park when their kids are small. They all like to read and start discussing books and then try their hand at writing. They critique each other’s work.
The story takes place apx. 1967 – 1973 and it’s the women’s issues (employ...more
The Wednesday Sisters recounts a friendship among five women who live in California during a pivotal time in American history. Their common bond is a love of books, which eventually turns them in the direction of becoming writers themselves. I loved the references to books that I also found enthralling. The novel traces their individual challenges that include infidelity, inter-racial marriage, cancer, infertility issues and assorted insecurities. The sense of the women's movement is strongly re...more
Reading The Wednesday Sisters was like eavesdropping on a group of friends; I felt an instant connection to this intriguing and diverse group of women who start a writing club. Even more compelling for me was the setting--the 1960's, when women were still expected to stay home with the kids, put up with straying husbands, and dream small. My mother would have been the same age as these women, so The Wednesday Sisters gave me the chance to look back and see what life was like through a mother's e...more
First of all, this was such a great book idea that I couldn't wait to begin reading. This was a selection in my book club, and I'd recommend it to all women's book clubs. It's a great book for discussion, and I have to give it credit.
However, as an enjoyable read, I found it lacking. The characters are a bit stereotyped, and although I love the time period, it didn't truly come alive for me. I think everything just fell a little flat for me--setting, characters, plot, etc. Some of the ideas were...more
However, as an enjoyable read, I found it lacking. The characters are a bit stereotyped, and although I love the time period, it didn't truly come alive for me. I think everything just fell a little flat for me--setting, characters, plot, etc. Some of the ideas were...more
I wanted to like this book. It seemed to have all the ingredients that would attract someone like me: the book primarily takes place from 1967-1975 and I graduated from high school in 1970; the women meet to encourage each others' writing efforts and become friends in the process; and there is a lot in here about women juggling children, marriage and sometimes a career. But this was not a sweeping novel of five women's lives. The later years are rushed through and tacked on at the end. The women...more
Jul 26, 2011
Betty-Anne
added it
The Wednesday Sisters was ultimately a light read – but one with a surprising amount of substance. From the start, I was intrigued by the idea of the sisters who weren’t really sisters. I also enjoyed the fact that Meg Waite Clayton added an interesting twist in making the women budding writers (although with varying degrees of commitment) instead of readers. There have been quite a few books about persons forming book clubs, but this is the first I have read in which they are writers.
I found th...more
I found th...more
I typically wouldn’t give this type of book four stars but there was definitely something unique about the story of a group of women who become friends and encourage each other to write. I guess I liked that it started with them meeting in a park and then they started talking about books but they didn’t just become a book club but decided to start writing and critiquing each other’s work. I really liked the time period of the late sixties and setting in Palo Alto, California just as the women’s...more
The story was enjoyable, but there was far too much backstory. The main speaker jumped around a lot from past events, to referencing present times or what she knows now, then going back to the past event. It disrupted the story a lot; it probably would have been a more enjoyable read if it was straight-forward chronological.
There was also a bit too much history, and that took away from the story. I found myself getting caught up in the story, then the next chapter would start by announcing the y...more
There was also a bit too much history, and that took away from the story. I found myself getting caught up in the story, then the next chapter would start by announcing the y...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I really enjoyed this book. Set in the late 1960s-early 1970s, the story takes place at a time when societal views of what women could and should do were rapidly changing. Five young women come together in a park in Palo Alto, California, first as they watch their children play and then as friends who meet each week to critique each others writing. The stories of each of their lives are interesting and compelling. I grew to care for each of them and to respect the way their views changed in conc...more
This was a quick read which was nice for me right now. My brain is in overload at times and Pilgrim's Progress is not a book you can read quickly. This was not a book that I would say is a must read. I liked it. The women were real and had real problems but were able to find peace with them. Here is what I thought.
1. Women need each other. Good friends are gold, they get us through the roughest parts of life. I wouldn't be where I am now without my own set of "sisters". They come in all shapes a...more
1. Women need each other. Good friends are gold, they get us through the roughest parts of life. I wouldn't be where I am now without my own set of "sisters". They come in all shapes a...more
Not a bad read, not glowingly great either but it filled a few hours and I was able to finish it.
From back cover:
"When five young mothers-Frankie, Linda, Kath, Ally, and Brett-first meet in a neighborhood park in the late 1960's, their conversations center on marriage, raising children, and a shared love of books. Then one evening, as they gather to watch the Miss America Pageant, Linda admits that she aspires to write a novel herself, and the Wednesday Sisters Writing Society is born. The five...more
From back cover:
"When five young mothers-Frankie, Linda, Kath, Ally, and Brett-first meet in a neighborhood park in the late 1960's, their conversations center on marriage, raising children, and a shared love of books. Then one evening, as they gather to watch the Miss America Pageant, Linda admits that she aspires to write a novel herself, and the Wednesday Sisters Writing Society is born. The five...more
The Wednesday Sisters meet by chance on a Wednesday morning at a park near their homes in the late 1960s. The women soon discover a shared love of literature, and begin to meet frequently to discuss their favorite works. The friendships that begin that morning carry them through illness, longing, financial burden, infidelity, failure, and success. As their bond strengthens, so do their resolves to try writing themselves. Soon all five of the Wednesday sisters are writing, encouraging and critiqu...more
The quick synopsis: 5 women meet in a neighborhood park in the late 1960's in Palo Alto, California. It's not too long before they begin meeting weekly (on wednesdays), they watch the Miss America pageant together every year, and soon form a writing society. Over the years they become a loyal, supportive, tell-you-how-it-is, be-there-when-you-fall group of women . . . . friends.
What I love about this book:
*They push (sometimes demand), inspire, and give each other permission to reach for their d...more
What I love about this book:
*They push (sometimes demand), inspire, and give each other permission to reach for their d...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This will be a mixed review. I was hoping it would be a chronicle of life in what is now called Silicon Valley (don't get me started on that!) in the 60's-70's. I was there from '59 to'95 so i know it pretty well. It is hard to believe that the writer had a broad experience there. Furthermore, it doesn't appear to be a special interest of hers. It is sort of like a backdrop which, in retrospect, may have appeal. But I found her experience limited. The husbands of these five women probably had a...more
Just finished Wednesday Sisters, by Meg Waite Clayton. Mom read it first then handed it to me to see if it would mean anything to me (in the generational sense).
The novel begins with a group of women gathered at a park with their young children in the late 60s. These women have smart husbands with steady jobs, basically all you could want (or at least that’s what they were told). Eventually they gather to write and critique each other’s work while in the background, the US is going through some...more
The novel begins with a group of women gathered at a park with their young children in the late 60s. These women have smart husbands with steady jobs, basically all you could want (or at least that’s what they were told). Eventually they gather to write and critique each other’s work while in the background, the US is going through some...more
This book is everything I usually don't like to read and when I was done, I confirmed what I suspected. I don't mind "period" pieces, which is what this novel ultimately is - a period piece from the late 1960's/early 1970's when a small group of neighborhood moms meet weekly to go over their writing. About how women want to be stronger or smarter or conformist to the norms of the times or whatever. Eventually this band of women get caught up in each other's melodramas that goes beyond their writ...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Nationally bestselling author of four novels, including THE WEDNESDAY SISTERS and the forthcoming THE WEDNESDAY DAUGHTERS (July 16). Bellwether Prize (now PEN/Bellwether Prize) finalist. Novels translated into languages from German to Lithuanian to Chinese. Shorter works in The Los Angeles Times, The San Jose Mercury News, Writer's Digest, Runner's World, Ms., The Literary Review, and on public ra...more
More about Meg Waite Clayton...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“we could hurt each other even when we weren't trying to, and that none of us was as perfect as we liked to pretend.”
—
12 people liked it
“Mommies can't look gross!' J.J. protested.”
—
5 people liked it
More quotes…
Sep 11, 2008 08:13am