Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Four Ms. Bradwells

by Meg Waite Clayton (Goodreads Author)

3.01 of 5 stars 3.01 · rating details · 820 ratings · 242 reviews

Meg Waite Clayton’s national bestseller The Wednesday Sisters was a word-of-mouth sensation and book club favorite. Now the beloved author is back with a page-turning novel that explores the secrets we keep, even from those closest to us, and celebrates the enduring power of friendship.

Mia, Laney, Betts, and Ginger, best friends since law school, have reunited for a long w...more

Hardcover, 321 pages

Published March 22nd 2011 by Ballantine Books

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

The Storyteller's Daughter by Cameron Dokey

Headless Women

71st out of 394 books — 109 voters

Cover Couples

251st out of 558 books — 466 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 2,519)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Oct 12, 2011 Bookclubcheerleader rated it 5 of 5 stars

Gifted, Entertaining, and Mysterious—A GEM of a Novel!

Summary: On the eve of Betts potential confirmation as a Supreme Court justice, she retreats with three of her former law-school classmates—and best friends—to their popular Chesapeake island getaway. Along with the summer house, they also revisit their memories of a tragic spring weekend spent there that changed their lives completely. Their memories of that weekend—some shared and some withheld—and the decisions they will make this weekend...more Gifted, Entertaining, and Mysterious—A GEM of a Novel!

Summary: On the eve of Betts potential confirmation as a Supreme Court justice, she retreats with three of her former law-school classmates—and best friends—to their popular Chesapeake island getaway. Along with the summer house, they also revisit their memories of a tragic spring weekend spent there that changed their lives completely. Their memories of that weekend—some shared and some withheld—and the decisions they will make this weekend will be just as life-changing as the last time they were there. As they share secrets they’ve kept for over 30 years, the mystery of what really occurred comes to light. Told from the alternating points of view of these four friends, the narrative also flashes back and forth from the present to that fateful spring break in 1982. Although the time and perspective transitions are well-marked, readers must stay on their toes not to miss them.

Characters: I love a good “girlfriend” novel—and “Bradwells”, like its predecessor, “The Wednesday Sisters” did not disappoint. The main characters are the four former law students: Mia “the Savant”—an unemployed journalist, Betts “the funny one”–a college professor and Supreme Court nominee, Laney “the good girl”—an attorney and candidate for the Georgia state senate, and Ginger “the rebel”—an attorney turned poet. In addition, their mothers and daughter play strong supporting roles. In particular is Ginger’s mother, Faith, (an attorney in an era when most women didn’t even work—much less hold professional positions) who enjoyed playing mentor to all of the “Ms. Bradwells”. Don’t be put-off by all of the lawyers running around—that element does provide intelligence to the characters—but they still walk around with both feet on the ground.

Themes: In addition to Friendship—and all of the jealousies, complexities and tenderness that implies, the Mother/Daughter theme is strong throughout. The author skillfully juxtaposes the daughter in one generation, later playing the mother in the next, and through this role reversal she gains insight into her own mother’s motivations and sacrifices. Also the theme of Feminism is strong—sexual politics, gender power, and the abuse and discrimination that can result from the same. Love and Loneliness, and Secrets and Truth are explored as well.

Why Book Clubs Will Love it: In addition to the very discussable themes already outlined, at its core the novel is also a page-turning mystery—with suspense continuing to build until the very end. It almost has a vibrant “Who shot JR-type” thread running throughout—without the trashy melodrama—making it a compelling read.

It is also an intelligent novel—without trying to be too high-brow, and it’s clever without trying to be overly “wink, wink”. Meg is witty with her details such as: the way in which the women are dubbed “Ms. Bradwells” their first day in law school; the name of Faith’s boat: the Roe v. Wade; and the alumni news that she inserts as an epigraph in many of the chapters, e.g.: “Law Quadrangle Notes, Spring 1992: Ms. Helen Weils (JD ’82) and her husband Will Robeson are happy to announce the birth of their third child: Ginger Elsbieta Mary Robeson, a.k.a. Ms. Gem Robeson-Bradwell.” (She was named after the other three Ms. Bradwells: Ginger, Betts, and Mia)

There was only one small scene at the end that I found to be over-the-top (this from the queen of over-the-top) and not in sync with how the characters would respond—but that was a small distraction from on overwhelming enjoyable read.

I predict this will be a popular book club title—pick up a copy when it releases tomorrow, March 22!

Cheers!

BCC
(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 31, 2011 Athira (Reading on a Rainy Day) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, fiction, f-literary, source-review, source-own, personal-library

Meg Waite Clayton's The Four Ms. Bradwells is about four best friends who find themselves pursued by a horror from their past - a mysterious death that happened almost 30 years ago. Ginger, Laney, Betts and Mia have been close friends from their law school days. They have stood by each other through all their individual adversities and celebrated each others' happiness. At the moment the story begins, Betts is at her Supreme Court appointment hearing, when a senator asks her about her involvemen...more Meg Waite Clayton's The Four Ms. Bradwells is about four best friends who find themselves pursued by a horror from their past - a mysterious death that happened almost 30 years ago. Ginger, Laney, Betts and Mia have been close friends from their law school days. They have stood by each other through all their individual adversities and celebrated each others' happiness. At the moment the story begins, Betts is at her Supreme Court appointment hearing, when a senator asks her about her involvement in the murder. This opens up a can of worms as Betts denies having anything to add to the public record on that matter and the four friends make a getaway to Ginger's summer house, which was where the whole tragedy happened. There they spend the next few days reminiscing over their friendships, the good and bad decisions they made, their relationships with each other, all in the context of finally talking about what happened that fateful night.

The moment I read the synopsis of this book, I was sure that this was not a book for me. I don't usually read about women friendships, mostly because they've always sounded fake to me. Any girl or woman who's been in a close friendship with another girl/woman knows fully well how complex that relationship is. Besides, this book sounded like chick-lit to me. Not the funny/hilarious chick-lit, but the more serious kind. But I still went ahead and accepted this book for review, because I know how much Meg Clayton's The Wednesday Sisters was loved. I haven't yet come across someone who didn't recommend that book to me, so with some expectation and plenty of trepidation, I started reading this book.

The first 50 pages of this book were really slow. There was a lot of background buildup, and surprisingly, even flashbacks (which I've never felt to be a strong writing tool in the first few pages) that really confused me even more because I was yet to get invested in the characters. However, the rest of the book was simply awesome. I have to say that even I'm surprised to admit it, but this book was really nothing like I expected. For one thing, this is not chick-lit at all. Sure it's about women, and it's about women relationships and their whining and complaints, but the way it's all packaged is very different and powerful. The first thing that appealed to me was that this friendship was about the most realistic that I've ever read. These women had issues, they bickered about each other - not in a childish way though. There were times they didn't believe in each other and times when they felt insecure or left out. Each envied another for something they didn't have - be it a child, a lover, or attention from the male population. And yet, they stuck together - not with blind faith, but very humanly. They had issues and they were very adult about it, or rather very women about it. And you know what? I identified very strongly with the four friends and with their issues and non-issues.

When you have four women together - especially very ambitious ones like these four, you can expect there to be a lot of feminism and never-say-die attitude. There are so many women issues that Meg weaves into the story, without it ever feeling like a lecture on the worldly problems of the female gender. The four friends earn the nickname Ms. Bradwells in their first lecture class in law school where they analyze the case of Myra Bradwell's application to the Illinois bar after having passed the exam. Myra's admission was denied by the court because she was a woman.

The natural and proper timidity and delicacy which belongs to the female sex evidently unfits it for many of the occupations of civil life...The paramount destiny and mission of woman are to fulfill the noble and benign offices of wife and mother. This is the law of the Creator.

~ US Supreme Court Justice Joseph P. Bradley in the Bradwell v. Illinois.

These friends have very high ambitions for themselves. When they share their dreams with each other, there is no "do you think it's a practical goal" talk. There's only sharing of strategies and important network contacts. Encouraging their efforts is Ginger's mother, Faith, a lawyer and staunch advocate for women issues, who also strives hard to upkeep her public profile. Never once did she stop pushing the girls to achieve more and dream higher.

There are several strong powerful messages spread through this book. Most are positions we (probably) believe in or would stand for. I myself must have dictated similar messages a hundred times in my life, but what sets this book apart is how very articulately they are expressed. Women equality is something that many have fought for, for ages. As a woman, I assume or like to believe that being women, we do not show any bias against other women, and yet The Four Ms. Bradwells shows how very untrue that is. Even the strongest supporter of women welfare can squash a woman's right to freedom in the interest of promoting the women rights matter in general. It's like accepting a bribe to push forward an anti-corruption bill faster to the voting stage. Haven't we women been our biggest stumbling block sometimes? If all this sounds very dense, let me assure you that the book is hardly that. My point is to express how very powerfully Meg puts forward a message or sentiment. Even I had several eyebrow-raising moments especially when I was clinging to my prejudices.

I was however not too blown by the ending itself, although I loved the manner in which it was written. I saw it coming much earlier, but instead of making it still appear anticlimactic, Meg gradually weaves it into the story, almost as if she too expected us to have come to the same conclusion by then. I thought this manner of writing the ending was smartly done by the author, since she doesn't underestimate her reader and lets it slip that she knows we already know what the ending might be. I am a big fan of writers who can do that. What I didn't like much was how the ending suddenly became too comical, keeping in mind that these were 50+ year old women, each having lived under the public eye for a really long time. Other than this jarring note in the ending and the slow start, I thought this book was plain awesome. It did take me a long time to finish this book, but halfway through I realized that I didn't want to finish the book - the journey was just so rewarding!
(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Oct 31, 2012 Hmo rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked the book - but really, 4 stars is the benefit of the doubt as it's really 3.5. I really wanted to like it more! And could have if not for the style. I had to keep flipping back and forth (hard in a Kindle) to figure out who I was reading again - the voices were all exactly the same. So then why bother with four characters? They all thought the same too - so without the Latin, occasional "y'all", or reference to the Bench - I couldn't keep up with who was who.

But the plot was great - pro...more

like · see review

Oct 26, 2012 Kim Fay rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love it when the right book comes along at the right time. In the week leading up to the publication of my debut novel, "The Map of Lost Memories," I could hardly focus on anything. What I needed was the literary equivalent of my favorite comfort food ... and somehow, the gods smiled on me and delivered it in the form of "The Four Ms. Bradwells." The story of four college best friends as one of the friends, years later, is going through the appointment process for the Supreme Court, this novel...more

like · see review

Aug 11, 2011 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

I really had no idea what I was getting into when I started this book about four friends who meet in law school. It's not that I necessarily expected anything frilly, but I didn't realize the profundity it would have or the thought it would inspire.

The book starts out when the four friends, in their fifties, are at the senate confirmation hearing for Betts, who has been nominated for the supreme court. All is going well and her appointment to the bench is expected when a senator throws out one l...more I really had no idea what I was getting into when I started this book about four friends who meet in law school. It's not that I necessarily expected anything frilly, but I didn't realize the profundity it would have or the thought it would inspire.

The book starts out when the four friends, in their fifties, are at the senate confirmation hearing for Betts, who has been nominated for the supreme court. All is going well and her appointment to the bench is expected when a senator throws out one last question. He asks her about a potential scandal from her past that, in itself, has the ability to change the trajectory of her career and that of her friends'. After spitting out a prepared answer, Betts and her friends hop in the car and, with a change of their original plans which included dinner and a Broadway musical in Manhattan, head off to Ginger's secluded summer home on Cook Island to escape the tenacious press. As the women hole up in the home over the weekend, they are confronted with the truths of their past, their secrets, some of which the've all shared and others that they've kept to themselves. And in the meantime, the readers are presented with the complexities inevitable in female friendships.

This book was almost equally about 1) the dynamics of the friendship, 2) about the scandal that's first alluded to in the senate confirmation hearing, and 3) about what it means to be a woman in today's society and workforce. The chapters alternate among the four women: Betts, Ginger, Laney, and Mia. Some people find this type of narration confusing, but I found it valuable, especially based on the feministic content of the book, to hear each of these characters on that more personal level. The scandal was what incited the main plot but otherwise remained somewhat of a background to the story. As the women spend the weekend at the home thinking back on the past, the narration looks back in the character's lives through the years starting from how they met and then focusing largely on the one weekend that will come to haunt them so many years later.

Another focus of this book was the discussion about women and double standards. There was discussion about the hypocrisy of society, about women in the workforce, female victims of violence, etc. The four Ms. Bradwells (as the four women are referred to) met in law school in 1979 when women were still often demeaned or looked down upon. Each of the women in the book was portrayed, despite their individual faults, as strong, independent women. There were great points made that would make this book great for book clubs. By the time I finished it I felt a sort of renewed and increased desire to achieve some of the goals I've laid out for myself and assert my independence as a woman.

There was also a lot to think about in terms of friendships. There were many times throughout when I wondered to myself how these women stayed friends throughout the years. It's pretty admirable, I think, to overcome the fights and the bad feelings that are bound to happen and to maintain that closeness they had in college. It may be that I can't relate because I don't feel I have those close bonds with anyone, but that could also be because I wouldn't put up with a lot of what these women dealt each other. So the concept of their friendship was an interesting one for me.

The Four Ms. Bradwells packed a punch that I truly wasn't expecting. Some readers may be turned away by the heaviness in the plot or the lack of fast pace. But I felt the author did a great job of pacing everything to provide the back story, allowing us to get to know these women, revealing bits of the scandal here and there, and realistically fitting this all into less than a week in the Ms. Bradwells' lives.

Definitely a read that made me feel Girl Power! ;)

Taken from my blog at www.takemeawayreading.com (less)

1 like · like · see review

May 30, 2011 Kathleen Hagen added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-audio-books, 2011-general-fiction

The Four Ms. Bradwells, by Meg Waite Clayton, narrated by Karen white, produced by Dreamscape Media, downloaded from audible.com.

Four women met at University of Michigan Law School in the 1980’s at a time when women were just being accepted albeit reluctantly as law students, and at a time when women looking at corporate or law firm jobs after graduation, still faced an inordinate amount of sexual harassment. Mia, Laney, Bets, and Ginger remained friends after graduation and passing the bar. The...more

like · see review

Apr 29, 2011 T.L. Cooper rated it 5 of 5 stars

Meg Waite Clayton immerses the reader in the murky water that surrounds the secrets women keep to not appear less than their male counterparts in The Four Ms. Bradwells. Clayton’s characters, four friends from law school brought back together to delve into a secret they fear could destroy all they’ve worked for - a secret they hid to give those futures a fair chance in the first place. As they try to figure out how to handle their secret being made public, they are forced to face the secrets the...more

like · see review

Apr 15, 2011 Alison rated it 4 of 5 stars

An engaging story of friendship, loyalty, and a 30 year old secret.

The four women in this book were beautifully written to be strong, smart, honest, flawed and loyal. Their friendship knew no bounds, yet Clayton avoided the sentimentality I tend to steer clear of in women's fiction. Clayton presented four women that I would be proud to call my friends!

The events of the mysterious weekend were unfolded as the author easily switched between past and present as each of the main characters took tur...more An engaging story of friendship, loyalty, and a 30 year old secret.

The four women in this book were beautifully written to be strong, smart, honest, flawed and loyal. Their friendship knew no bounds, yet Clayton avoided the sentimentality I tend to steer clear of in women's fiction. Clayton presented four women that I would be proud to call my friends!

The events of the mysterious weekend were unfolded as the author easily switched between past and present as each of the main characters took turns telling their stories.

The only thing I may have changed is the first person points of view from each of the Four Ms. Bradwells. Unfortunately, each character had not established her own voice to me until well into the book, and I had to keep turning to the beginning of the chapters to be sure of whose voice I was reading. That being said, the lack of omniscience held the suspense for me right up to the end.

There were so many aspects of this novel to love, but my favorite thing about The Four Ms. Bradwells was the poignant debate of women and our place in American society today. Meg Waite Clayton had a point to make, but she didn't beat us over the heads with it. She skillfully set us up, and made us check our 21st century selves!

I don't care if you're Democrat or Republican, Liberal or Conservative, the one thing women on both sides of the aisle can agree on is the double standard that is alive and well in America today.

"But women are held to higher standards," Ginger says. "In all that ImClone insider trading mess, who was the only one who ended up serving time? Martha...Stewart. Who took the fall for employing an illegal immigrant nanny? Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood because of course we can't have an attorney general who breaks the law, never mind that our very male secretary of the treasury had $34,000 of unpaid taxes on an illegal nanny before he was confirmed. Do you think there's a double standard?"

I wanted to stand up and leap into this conversation, adding my own opinions of how strong, successful women such as Hilary Clinton, Sarah Palin, Meg Whitman and even Michelle Obama have been treated by the press, by their fellow women!

For these four friends, the fight started with Bradwell v. Illinois and continues today.

I love a novel that makes me feel or makes me think. Meg Waite Clayton has succeeded in doing both. Bravo!

(less)

like · see review

Apr 11, 2011 Lydia Presley rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, contemporary, fiction

The Four Ms. Bradwells was a book I wanted to like but, sadly, fell short of its mark for me. I read through this story of four women on the plane ride to and from California and I deliberately made sure I would have no other distractions and still I had a rough time getting through it.

I think the biggest problem was that it was just plain confusing to me. I felt as if Meg Waite Clayton were jumping around all over the place and I couldn't keep track of what time this or that was happening and...more

5 likes · like · see review

Mar 29, 2011 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

http://iwriteinbooks.wordpress.com/20...

The natural and proper timidity and delicacy which belongs to the female sex evidently unfits it for many of the occupations of civil life. [The] paramount destiny and mission of woman are to fulfill the noble and benign offices of wife and mother. This is the law of the creator’
– U. S. Supreme Court Justice Joseph P. Bradley, from his 1873 opinion in Bradwell v. Illinois, denying Mrs. Myra Bradwell the right to practice law.

~ p .1

In 1979, four young women...more http://iwriteinbooks.wordpress.com/20...

The natural and proper timidity and delicacy which belongs to the female sex evidently unfits it for many of the occupations of civil life. [The] paramount destiny and mission of woman are to fulfill the noble and benign offices of wife and mother. This is the law of the creator’
– U. S. Supreme Court Justice Joseph P. Bradley, from his 1873 opinion in Bradwell v. Illinois, denying Mrs. Myra Bradwell the right to practice law.

~ p .1

In 1979, four young women sat in their law school class at Ann Arbor, poised to take over the world. Though separate entities upon walking into the class, they left as one; Mia, Laney, Betts, and Ginger, becoming, over the course of that first, fateful class, “the Ms. Bradwells”. Only three women had ever served full Senate terms. Not a single one had landed a Court appointment. Of course, history was hardly a deterrent and the four quickly bonded over their hopes and dreams of taking on Senate, Court appointment and beyond.

Flash forward to the future, when all four women have gathered in the nation’s capital to cheer Betts on through her Supreme Court appointment hearings. Witty, intelligent and down to earth, Betts is a shoe in. At least, she is until one pesky question arises about the events of one deep, dark night, not far from the hearing, itself, back in the women’s law school days.

The past comes tumbling forward on the women as they gather together to comfort one another in a time of need. A well-kept past seems to threaten a long hoped for future, in political standing as well as in the personal ties the quad has held so dear, through the years.

Through thick and thin, the ladies have stuck by each other, creating a bond that few outsiders have been able to penetrate. As a reader, though, I felt as if, I was, if not the fifth Ms. Bradwell, at least an appreciated younger sister. The women are so fantastically drawn, in the their perfections, yes, but more so in their flaws. The story vacillates from one narrator to the next in a flow that moves the present and the past forward in superb web weaving style, never breaking in time or thought as the voice switches between the strikingly different friends.

This is a book to tuck in with, not something to be taken lightly. Hard and fast images of feminist and humanist conflicts that have plagued society since the advent of women and men are the focus of the book as much as the ties which keep us together. This, for me, is a book that had me in fits of giggles and the waves of chills and tears. For the most part, it made me want to rush down, seven hours, to visit my mom to see if she experienced any of the same events or emotions, described in the writing, as she navigated her way through the womanless world of Cornell’s engineering program and the road that continued after that.

An incredibly powerful book in so many ways, I would recommend this to women, far and wide. It’s not chick-lit but perhaps the opposite. It’s the story of women over the last fifty years and, though I’m new on the scene, it made me feel like a little part of a great big tapestry of determination, brilliance and hope.

(less)

like · see review

Apr 16, 2012 Melinda rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was such a disappointment to me - I had such higher expectations from Meg Waite Clayton after having really enjoyed "The Wednesday Sisters". I found each of the four "Ms. Bradwells" completely unlikeable; as the story droned on and on, I found myself caring less and less what happened to them. Then, there were parts of the book that were so ridiculous and derisory that it became difficult to do anything but roll my eyes at the plot's absurdity. Plus, I ended up having to scan through p...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 23, 2011 Laurel-Rain rated it 3 of 5 stars

A novel that portrays the long-standing friendships between four women, who met in law school, sets the tone for something that women everywhere might understand. The four are Ginger, Laney, Mia, and Betts, and their future looks bright. They earned the nickname "the four Ms. Bradwells" while reviewing a law case (from 1873) that denied a Mrs. Bradwell the practice of law because she was a woman.

While much of the story veers between one long-ago summer and mysterious events that led to a death,...more A novel that portrays the long-standing friendships between four women, who met in law school, sets the tone for something that women everywhere might understand. The four are Ginger, Laney, Mia, and Betts, and their future looks bright. They earned the nickname "the four Ms. Bradwells" while reviewing a law case (from 1873) that denied a Mrs. Bradwell the practice of law because she was a woman.

While much of the story veers between one long-ago summer and mysterious events that led to a death, we also see the present, with the four friends gathered at the scene of that long-ago event—hiding out from the press after a confirmation hearing for a supreme court justice candidate (Betts) is aborted with questions about some dark secrets in the past.

The women tell the story in the first person voice, in alternating chapters, and while the details of that time are revealed slowly, with clues filtering down through the pages, the characters' voices were almost indistinguishable. Reading the story, I had to keep flipping back to see whose voice was portrayed. The women, except for a few physical characteristics described early on, were not clearly enough drawn for me to tell them apart.

Also, the time frames of each chapter were difficult to ascertain, and the tidbits at the beginning of each chapter only led to further confusion for me. Sometimes, between one paragraph and another, the narrative flipped from the past to the present, almost seamlessly.

I really wanted to love this story, as I did with the author's first novel. However, even when the deep, dark secrets were revealed, and the women dealt with the issues en masse, the big reveal felt almost tepid. There were still unanswered questions, which left the reader wondering what really had transpired.

Some of my own questions: What bonds really connected these women, who seemingly kept so many secrets from one another? What effect did their rivalries have on the relationships between them, and did these feelings somehow undermine the very bonds they supposedly had? And what do these issues say to us about these supposedly bright and strong women? Did their individual desires and agendas overshadow the loyalties they claimed to feel for one another?

While the premise of the story in "The Four Ms. Bradwells: A Novel" intrigued me, I walked away with the feeling that, with friends like these, who needs enemies?

Three stars. (less)

like · see review

Apr 02, 2011 Chazzle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well, I had mixed feelings about the book, but I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt. For one thing, it's really a book mostly for female readers, but I was attracted to the story line, what with the deep dark secrets, always a lure for me. On the other hand, if I can make an analogy, let's say this were a novel about a relay team that ran a race with some sort of extraordinary outcome. The novel would be narrated from the voice of each of four runners, switching narrators from chapter to chapt...more

1 like · like · see review

May 16, 2011 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

i din't really like the first book i read of hers. why am i reading another?

1 like · like · see review

Apr 19, 2011 Cindi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

Nicknamed the Ms. Bradwells by a professor during their first year in law school, the four women become fast friends. For the next thirty years they will be there for each other through thick and thin. Bett needs their support now. She has been nominated for a vacant seat on the Supreme Court. During the confirmation hearings, an anonymous blog post turns up a scandal involving the Ms. Bradwells during their college days--a mysterious death. Now, thirty some years after law school, the women mus...more Nicknamed the Ms. Bradwells by a professor during their first year in law school, the four women become fast friends. For the next thirty years they will be there for each other through thick and thin. Bett needs their support now. She has been nominated for a vacant seat on the Supreme Court. During the confirmation hearings, an anonymous blog post turns up a scandal involving the Ms. Bradwells during their college days--a mysterious death. Now, thirty some years after law school, the women must pull together to help their friend and themselves.

Exploring the ideas of friendship, secrets, and the rights of women, not to mention the relationships between mothers and daughters, The Four Ms. Bradwells by Meg Waite Clayton will keep you reading late into the night. Clayton is skilled at creating believable and fascinating women characters. Each of the four women is unique and yet it made sense that their shared experiences during college would bind them as lasting friends. The conversations shared by the women, while much more dramatic, reminded me of the bantering that sometimes goes on between my own friends from college and me. And just like my friends even though we are so close, these friends do keep secrets from each other.

Each chapter of the story is told from the point of view of a different woman. While it was initially confusing for me, I caught on quickly and the style was really an ingenious way to tell the story. Each woman knew different things and had various perspectives about the other women and their history. As a reader, it was interesting to learn things from one character and then read from another character who didn't have a knowledge of these things and see how her reality was skewed because of a lack of the entire truth. So very realistic.

The plot is also well crafted. The women's history unfolds slowly but with enough mystery and emotion to keep the reader and even the Ms. Bradwells guessing and doubting each other until the very end.

If your book club does not mind excessive swearing (which unfortunately is quite prevalent in some sections--not used simply as filler, these swears pack a punch in a very emotional and dramatic scene), there will be plenty of ideas to discuss about this book. Not the least of which, is the consequences we must eventually face for our choices and actions and the choices and actions of others with whom we are close.

Ms. Clayton obviously has a deep understanding of human nature and relationships. She weaves this gift into her characters and tells a most fascinating story full of pain, drama, emotion and ultimately redemption. Well done.

I received a free copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for my honest opinion. No additional compensation was received.
(less)

like · see review

Mar 06, 2011 Melissa Rochelle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, read-2011

I didn't really start to enjoy this book until 80 pages in. It seems I could never quite put together which character I was getting the story from. Then I thought it got better, but it quickly fell apart.

The story is about 4 women who have been friends since law school. They came together when Betts is going through the process of becoming a Supreme Court justice. Then we find out that there's a potential problem. The four women were at a house where an accident (murder? suicide?) took place dur...more

like · see review

Apr 17, 2012 Coleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

2/13/11 - It took some time to emerge myself in this story, but once it got going, I got hooked. The four friends theme is not necessarily anything new, but combined with somewhat of a murder mystery, it presents a new twist. Basically, I really liked this story, but I think if the writing had been tweaked some more, I could have loved it.

I normally don't have a problem with chapters written from alternating character viewpoints. But in this case, it did get a little confusing at times, trying...more

like · see review

May 13, 2011 Holly rated it 2 of 5 stars

It's probably wrong to claim that I've read this book because I gave up about 120 pages into it. I wanted to like it and I tried...but the characters just wouldn't let me! I could neither relate to any of the four main characters nor find anything terribly likable about them. The friendship they share is presumably special but other than some loyalty, there are a lot of questions about why they are still friends. The writing style is so herky jerky that one could blame it on that. Fading from th...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 15, 2011 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of "Law and Order: SVU" or people who like Latin phrases sprinkled throughout the story

Shelves: first-reads

I won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. I had read two five-star books right before this one, so The Four Ms. Bradwells: A Novel had some major competition, and sadly, it didn't come out on top. Before I say anything further, I want to stress that my bad review of the book should not deter fans of the genre from reading it. I don't enjoy chick lit nearly as much as I did during my 20s. Meg Waite Clayton's version of chick lit is actually smart, and that's what inspired me to finish this no...more I won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. I had read two five-star books right before this one, so The Four Ms. Bradwells: A Novel had some major competition, and sadly, it didn't come out on top. Before I say anything further, I want to stress that my bad review of the book should not deter fans of the genre from reading it. I don't enjoy chick lit nearly as much as I did during my 20s. Meg Waite Clayton's version of chick lit is actually smart, and that's what inspired me to finish this novel. Clayton, even though she didn't wow me, isn't a bad writer. I just didn't like this story, and that's a surprise considering this novel has some of my favorite elements: four best friends, moments in academia, a story that takes place in flashbacks & present time, and one of my favorite plot elements – a visit to a college friend's hometown. Oh, there was even one more love of mine in this novel – an island in New England!

Mainly, I just don't think this book is for my generation, and the story wasn't interesting enough to transcend the age gap for me. There was a point when the author mentioned the girls were headed out on a road trip to reach their spring break destination, and the only music they had in the car was Carole King, which they played over & over. That was the moment when I realized that, contrary to the remark on the book's back cover, I did not "wish [I] could join the Bradwells for lunch." A major irritation of mine was that these women were supposed to have been best friends for thirty years, but there was a constant theme of jealousy and distrust between them. While I might be occasionally jealous that my friend's jeans fit her perfectly, I'm certainly not second-guessing everything I say in front of her due to a lack of trust.

One more frustration, and I will shut up. Be prepared for the narrative to repetitively reveal the reason for this novel's title. Did you ever witness laughter at an inside joke, and when that inside joke was explained, you still didn't think it was funny? Maybe the more you heard the inside joke, the less amusing it became. That's how I felt after hearing a "Ms. Bradwell" anecdote for the twentieth time. Next time I need my "four friends novel" fix, I'll revisit one I liked ten times better, Commencement.(less)

like · see review

Mar 02, 2011 Mara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, friendship, mothers, law

This is a good book. But it could have been a great book if Clayton had been both less heavy-handed in her feminist discussions and less coy in her descriptions of her characters.

This book is not chick-lit by any means; it's themes are far too serious. But it's true, I suspect, that most of it's readers will be women. And most of those women will not need the kind of tutorial on feminism in the early 1980s that Clayton seems determined to provide. Not that we should forget the sacrifices made an...more

like · see review

Apr 14, 2011 Ti rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-sent-to-me

The Short of It:

A pending Supreme Court appointment and a secret which could ruin it all. How much are friends willing to sacrifice in order to keep things under wraps?

The Rest of It:

Lainey, Mia, Betts and Ginger have been friends since their days at the University of Michigan. While studying law, their teacher aptly nicknames them “the Ms. Bradwells” after discussing a case where a woman was not allowed to be appointed to the Court.

Several years later, many of them have families of their own ye...more

like · see review

Apr 16, 2011 Karen White rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: narrated-or-to-narrate

I loved a lot of things about this book and was honored to have been able to do the narration for the audio. I was reading Gail Collins' When Everything ChangedWhen Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present at the same time which put a lot of the history in this fiction in context. I loved the changing of perspectives between the four women, the truth and depth of their (sometimes difficult) friendships. I felt the moral and ethical issues through their s...more

like · see review

Jun 10, 2012 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

This novel of four women's three-decades long friendship was tedious where it was meant to be profound, and boring where it was meant to be compelling. The author tries to draw the reader in by creating a mystery about the four women, their relationships, and their pasts -- she refers to characters and events in the women's shared history obliquely, forcing the reader to keep reading in order to fill in the back story. (As an example, it takes over 15% of the book to figure out that one of the c...more

like · see review

May 07, 2011 Almira rated it 4 of 5 stars

This one almost did not make my 5-10 page limit, however, something brought back vivid memories of when, as a child, I lived in the Delaware/Maryland area, so I gave it more time. This was really quite interesting......

The book starts with Part I "The Natural and proper timidity and delicacy which belongs to the female sex evidently unfits it for many of the occuptations of civil life... The paramount destiny and mission of woman are to fulfill the noble and benign offices of wife and mother. Th...more

like · see review

Jun 20, 2012 Ann rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1980s, 1970s, african-american, female-relationships, feminism, friendship, journalism, law-and-courts, motherhood, murder, washington-dc, women-s-lives-and-relationships, 2010s, sexual-assault

Two stars is probably a little harsh, but I can't say I liked this. Sure, it's better written than most of the other books I've rated two stars, but I didn't enjoy listening to it. I suppose I was fairly entertained, but I had a really hard time keeping the characters straight, and ultimately felt that the author didn't distinguish each character's voice well enough to make them seem real or distinctive. (It didn't help that the audiobook reader didn't change voices for any character, except for...more

like · see review

May 05, 2011 Carolyn Hill added it

Just couldn't get into this and gave up. While there were hints at the central mystery and a personal tragedy in one of the characters' lives and a seat on the Supreme Court hanging in the balance, there wasn't enough to arouse my curiosity or fully engage me. Add to that a jumping around with four points of view and back and forth in time, I found I had to check back at the start of the chapter to make sure who was narrating. While the characters were four strong women who had bonded in law sch...more

like · see review

Sep 17, 2012 Mminyyz rated it 1 of 5 stars

The storyline sounded very interesting, unfortunately it did not turn out that way. It was a tedious read as it dragged on and on. The story has four protagonists; each chapter is the voice of one of the four giving her perspective on whatever is being discussed at that moment In other words, you will read the subject matter four times with different viewpoints. The reader is forever going back to see whose voice one is reading. For this reason the book feels very disconnected and does not flow...more

like · see review

Jun 02, 2011 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So as I was reading this book I had the intention is giving it 5 stars, however, parts of the ending were a little too weird for me (plus there was a lot of skinny sipping going on throughout the book for whatever reason), AND it felt somewhat unfinished. I LOVED 90% of the book though, so I had to give it 4 stars at least. :)

This is a wonderful read though...I think I have a "thing" for books about friendships that last through decades (see:Firefly Lane). This book is also a bit on the feminist...more

like · see review

Jan 25, 2011 Dezarai rated it 5 of 5 stars

I won this book on a Goodreads Giveaway! This book was great and should be on every book club reading list! It is a story of the friendship of four woman that began in law school and spanned almost 30 years. The beginning is a little hard to follow because the author just jumps right into the story without much background about the characters. It is told in the first person by each of these woman and jumps back and forth through 30 years so you need to pay attention. Once you get to know the cha...more

like · see review

Feb 07, 2013 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: winter-reading-2012-2013, 2013-books

Enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. While the plot kind of meanders here and there, I found the story compelling enough to finish it off.

(view spoiler)...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 83 84 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (8)

More editions...

Genres

Womens Fiction > Chick Lit

10 users

Mystery

7 users

Literary Fiction

5 users

Contemporary

5 users

Adult Fiction

4 users

Adult

4 users

Law

4 users

Womens

4 users

Womens Fiction

3 users

Book Club

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Based Upon Availability
by Alix Strauss
Things We Didn't Say
by Kristina Riggle
Friday Mornings at Nine
by Marilyn Brant
A Thread of Sky
by Deanna Fei
Gossip
by Beth Gutcheon

About Meg Waite Clayton

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...

Books by Meg Waite Clayton

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Four Ms. Brad...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from The Four Ms. Bradwells

“It's daylight and I can see so many things I couldn't see back then. - Laney” — 3 people liked it

“The bride will keep her name and, after considerable negotiation, the groom will, too.” — 2 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: The Four Ms. Bradwells
avg rating	preview: The Four Ms. Bradwells Goodreads rating: 3.01 (820 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8725696-the-four-ms-bradwells?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320537680l/8725696.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8725696-the-four-ms-bradwells?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Four Ms. Bradwells by Meg Waite Clayton[/url]

The Four Ms. Bradwells

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website