The Saturday Evening Girls Club by Jane Healey
Summary
In Boston's North End, four immigrant women leave childhood behind--but never one another.
For four young immigrant women living in Boston's North End in the early 1900s, escaping tradition doesn't come easy. But at least they have one another and the Saturday Evening Girls Club, a social pottery-making group offering respite from their hectic home lives--and hope for a better future.
Ambitious Caprice dreams of opening her own hat shop, which clashes with the expectations of her Sicilian-born parents. Brilliant Ada secretly takes college classes despite the disapproval of her Russian Jewish father. Stunning Maria could marry anyone yet guards her heart to avoid the fate of her Italian Catholic mother, broken down by an alcoholic husband. And shy Thea is torn between asserting herself and embracing an antiquated Jewish tradition.
The friends face family clashes and romantic entanglements, career struggles and cultural prejudice. But through their unfailing bond, forged through their weekly gathering, they'll draw strength--and the courage to transform their immigrant stories into the American lives of their dreams.
Book Setting: North End, Boston
53 Charter Street
Hanover Street
Hull Street
Salem Street
Stillman Street
North Square
Caprice’ Millinery
Simmons University
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
18 Hull Street
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
St. Leonard’s Church
Reviews
“A breathtaking ode to female empowerment and the American Dream, The Saturday Evening Girls Club belongs on every feminist’s bookshelf. It’s the ultimate battle cry for female potential.”
—Redbook
“A beautifully written and refreshing reminder of the importance of friendship, The Saturday Evening Girls Club is a can’t-miss summer read.”
—BuzzFeed Community
“Fans of Colm Tóibín’s Brooklyn should run to the nearest bookstore (or website) and grab a copy of Jane Healey’s novel. The Saturday Evening Girls Club brings to life the story of four young women creating lives for themselves in the early 1900s in Boston’s North End. Healey seamlessly weaves the narratives, exploring the hardships—of immigration, sexism, and cultural clashes—with a hearty dose of hope and resilience. These are strong women facing up to a new American world where work, love, and pushing against tradition can come at a cost. Book groups and readers looking to find friends on the page or discuss themes that resonate strongly today will adore The Saturday Evening Girls Club.”
—Emily Franklin, author of The Girls’ Almanac and Last Night at the Circle Cinema