The Book Club for Troublesome Women

Margaret immediately rushes to Charlotte’s house. She feels a sense of dread when she finds the door unlocked, “the normally cluttered home in a state of perfect order” (280), and the phone left off the hook. To her relief, however, she finds Charlotte in the shower, safe and sound.

Margaret tells Charlotte about Denise’s worry, and Charlotte reveals that she has decided to throw Howard out; she is in the process of packing his things. She also plans to fire Dr. Barry and find a different analyst, hopefully a woman. She says she is going to live her life differently henceforth and thanks Margaret for being a good friend. Denise calls, and Margaret leaves as Charlotte reassures her daughter that all is well.

Inspired by Charlotte’s bravery, Margaret pens an article about the impact of the Betty Friedan book club and The Feminine Mystique on her life. She shows it to Walt, who thinks it is some of her best work. He confesses that he has read every column she has written and often buys multiple copies of the magazine to proudly pass around at work. Margaret is torn about whether to send the piece in and risk her job; Walt assures her he will support her either way.

Charlotte drops by Howard’s office unannounced. His receptionist Brenda, the woman from the photographs, tries to intercept her; however, Charlotte reveals that she knows about Brenda and Howard’s affair, and Brenda relents.

Charlotte discovers her father in Howard’s office and delightedly presents her demands to both of them: a substantial financial settlement, a divorce, and custody of her children. She produces the photographs of Howard and Brenda and warns her father that she will give the photographs to the press if he doesn’t acquiesce to her demands. Charlotte’s father agrees, berating Howard for his stupidity, and Charlotte leaves, telling them that she has changed the locks on their house and left Howard’s belongings at a hotel.

Despite Margaret’s efforts to tone her piece down for Mr. Clement, when she submits it, he fires her on the spot. Margaret is shocked and humiliated, and Walt is livid on her behalf. When she asserts that ultimately it is all about money, Walt has an idea and calls up the advertising department.

When Margaret breaks the news of her firing to Viv, she and the other Bettys immediately arrive at Margaret’s house with cake and alcohol. They are furious and indignant on her behalf. She reveals Walt’s plan of publishing the piece as an advertisement but tells them it is too expensive.

Charlotte abruptly brings up the book they have slated for this month—Mary McCarthy’s The Group. She opines that the women in the group, although educated and attractive, fail in life because after they graduate, they stop being the “group,” each going her own way. She says she will pay for Margaret’s ad space, and Viv and Bitsy offer their money, too. Margaret initially refuses, but Charlotte points out that this is how men operate, constantly boosting each other up. If Margaret lets them give her a boost today, she may be in a position to do the same for another woman in the future.

September of 1963 signals the end of summer for the Bettys. It is also a monumentally historical time, with events such as the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech at the Lincoln Memorial, and the death by suicide of Philip Graham, the Washington Post publisher. The latter leaves Mrs. Graham as “the twentieth century’s first female publisher of a major newspaper” (314).

Bitsy writes Mrs. Graham a condolence letter. She also enrolls at American University for their fall semester.

Margaret has her column published as an advertisement in A Woman’s Place, and she buys a copy for each of the Bettys as well as the Babcocks, who also contributed to the cause. She receives some criticism for her piece but also a great deal of fan mail, kindly forwarded to her in secret by one of the employees at the magazine.

Charlotte telephones the other Bettys with news of a surprise and another field trip.

Charlotte takes the Bettys to the building she has purchased in Alexandria, Virginia, where she intends to open her own art gallery. Fedorov will act as her adviser, and she is also hiring a housekeeper to help at her home. As Charlotte describes her plans, Dr. Barry emerges from the building, revealing that this is his office. Charlotte tells the others that this was part of her motivation for purchasing this particular building, and she has given a livid Dr. Barry 30 days to leave.

As the Bettys gather for lunch at a nearby cafe, Viv unexpectedly goes into labor early. The women rush her to the hospital, where she gives birth to a small but healthy baby girl, whom she promptly names Betty.

By October of 1963, nothing has come of Margaret’s piece, despite the barrage of fan mail she received. She is embarrassed at having wasted her friends’ efforts and resources. When she is out riding with Bitsy one day, they run into Mrs. Graham. Bitsy introduces Margaret to Mrs. Graham, who reveals that she has read Margaret’s column. She asks Margaret for her business card, and upon realizing Margaret doesn’t have one, gives her one of her own. She promises to call Margaret very soon.

Five weeks after meeting Mrs. Graham, Margaret is invited to a luncheon at her house. When Margaret arrives, she is surprised to discover she is not the only guest; women of all ages are gathered in Mrs. Graham’s library. Mrs. Graham introduces Margaret to the others as a freelance writer and tells Margaret that the other women are reporters, journalists, and political correspondents. While she cannot give a still inexperienced Margaret a job at her paper, she urges Margaret to network with the women.

As Margaret strikes up a conversation with one of the women, the final guest arrives: Jacqueline Kennedy, the First Lady. As the women lunch, Mrs. Kennedy regales them with stories, including the difficulties she faced breaking into journalism before she got married. Other women share similar stories of struggle and triumph, and Margaret is struck by the camaraderie and solidarity of the gathering. Mrs. Kennedy is called away midway through the lunch but makes plans with Mrs. Graham before she leaves.

Margaret is out grocery shopping when she first hears the news that President Kennedy has been shot. She picks up the children from school early and rushes home to watch the news with Walt. Four days later, millions around the country watch President Kennedy’s funeral procession. Tony and the older Buschetti children go to the procession, while the Babcocks, Bitsy, Charlotte, Viv, and the remaining Buschettis gather at Walt and Margaret’s.

Later that night, Walt confesses to Margaret that the suddenness of President Kennedy’s death has made him feel ashamed about how little he has accomplished. Reflecting on their younger selves and their lack of clarity of purpose, Margaret suggests they rethink how to live their lives from now on. They begin a conversation that eventually culminates in them selling their house in Concordia and moving out in June of the following year.

Over the next decades, Margaret and Walt take turns earning advanced degrees and trying out different jobs as they move around the country. Walt eventually realizes his dream when he becomes a research librarian at the Library of Congress, and Margaret goes on to have a long writing career. She even works for the Washington Post, and after Mrs. Graham dies in 2001, Margaret remembers her fondly. She also gets to meet Betty Friedan at a fundraiser in 1971, and though the author is vastly different than “the Aunt Betty of her imagination” (357), Margaret remains grateful for her writings throughout her life.

In October 2006, Margaret and Walt attend an award ceremony at the Lafayette Ballroom, where Margaret is to receive an award for an article she wrote about Betty Friedan on the occasion of her death. They are joined by Viv; Tony passed some years earlier, after the couple spent 10 years on a hospital ship after their children left home. Bitsy, who has enjoyed a long career as an equine vet, arrives with Kyle, her vintner husband, with whom she shares two daughters. Denise is the last of the party to arrive as her mother’s representative, as Charlotte passed away 10 years earlier. While she was alive, she realized her dream of running a prominent and successful gallery, now being handled by her other daughter Laura.

In her speech, Margaret dedicates her award “to the Bettys—‘Those who were, those who are, and those who will be in the years to come’” (362). After the ceremony, a young woman named Emma Quinn approaches Margaret and asks for an interview; she is an intern and is intrigued by Margaret after reading her recent piece on Betty Friedan. Margaret appreciates Emma’s enthusiasm but doesn’t have time to talk right then. She asks Emma for a business card, and when Emma confesses she doesn’t have one, she hands her one of her own. Margaret instructs Emma to call her the next day to fix up a lunch meeting, saying, “I’m sure you and I will have lots to talk about” (363).