Synopsis

There are no female publishing CEOs in 1960s New York. And that is exactly what savvy, ambitious Bernadette Swift plans to change.

Bernadette Swift, a young copyeditor at Lenox & Park Publishing, is determined to become the first female CEO in the publishing industry. But first, she needs to take the next step up that ladder with a promotion that her boorish and sexist boss wants to thwart. Seeking a base of support, Bernadette joins a feminist women’s book club at the New York Public Library, and soon, she’s inspiring her fellow members to challenge the male gatekeepers and decades of ingrained sexism in their workplaces and pursue their personal and professional dreams.

And that is precisely what Bernedette does on a daily keeps her eye on the prize—equality for women in the workplace, and a promotion—while fending off the ire of her boss and the sabotaging efforts of a jealous coworker. With the support of her book club buddies and a certain charismatic editor at Lenox & Park who has completely fallen for her, maybe, just maybe, Bernadette will prove able to claim victory for herself and the young women coming after her.

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Review

If you enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry, you will love this book!

Set in the publishing world in the 1960s, we follow Bernadette and her desire to run a publishing house one day. However, she has to get past the misogynist men of that time, especially her boss, Mr. Wall.

This book flew by! I was engrossed in Bernadette’s life, her Great Dane Frank, seeking women’s rights, and so much more. I rooted for Bernadette on every page. I loved her usage of the English language. She was not afraid to use words we may not use every day. She was proud of her copy editing skills, and who can blame her? Editing is hard work, ensuring that the right words and phrases are used, not to mention that the sentences make sense. I love that her red pencils have a B on them for Queen B.

The men portrayed in this novel are typical of this time period. However, not all men wanted to keep the women at home in the kitchen. There are a few good men sprinkled throughout. I also thought it was interesting when she learned something about her mom’s ambitions when she was younger. You can’t keep a good woman down for long.

There are chapters from Frank’s perspective that are sweet. He cared for his girl, Bernadette, and others in the neighborhood. He is an intelligent dog. He loved ripping up paper, too. He has a code word for when it is okay to shred whatever paper is given to him.

There is an epilogue that brings everything together in the present day. It was intriguing to read and ponder how these women charted their path in life.

We give this book 5 paws up.

About the Author

Eliza Knight is an award-winning and USA Today and international bestselling author of historical women’s fiction. Her love of history began as a young girl when she traipsed the halls of Versailles. As an avid history buff, she’s written dozens of novels including The Mayfair Bookshop, Starring Adele Astaire, Ribbons of Scarlet, A Day of Fire, and Can’t We Be Friends, which have been translated into multiple languages. She is the creator of the popular historical blog, History Undressed, and host of the History, Books and Wine podcast. Knight lives in Maryland and Florida with her husband, three daughters, two dogs, and a turtle.

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