The Wrong Kind of Woman by Sarah McCraw Crow

The Wrong Kind of Women by Sarah McCraw Crow

Published by MIRA ISBN 9781488062469

Hardcover, $27.99, 239 pages

Sarah McCraw Crow's novel The Wrong Kind of Woman, set in the 1970s, opens with Virginia's husband Oliver dying of an aneurysm in front of their thirteen year-old daughter Rebecca. Oliver was a history professor at Clarendon, an all-boy's college in New Hampshire.

Virginia is devastated by Oliver's premature death, as is Rebecca, who adored her father. Virginia taught an art history class at the college, so in addition to dealing with the emotional loss of her husband, she has to deal with the financial loss of his income. 

We also meet Sam, a student at Clarendon who was in the faculty/student jazz band with Oliver. He admired Oliver and enjoyed his friendship as he didn't fit in with the other young men at school. After Sam ends up partnering with Jerry, a Vietnam vet, on a project, Jerry brings Sam to the commune where he is staying. 

Sam is enchanted by Elodie, a young woman from the commune. Elodie wants to see change in society, perhaps by any means necessary. She is planning something, will Sam get himself involved to win her affection?

The most interesting character to me is Louise, a professor in the history department. She was the only female tenured professor at the college, one of only four women professors. They were called the Gang of Four, and following Oliver's death, Louise invited Virginia to join them for an evening out.

It was an eye-opening experience for Virginia. Although Oliver didn't like Louise, he found her too pushy, Virginia liked these women, especially Louise. They spoke of their difficult experiences at the college,  and their desire to make Clarendon a coed institution.

I would have liked to have seen more of Louise and the other female professors. I found their stories so intriguing, and the scene where they invited two women to speak at the college was very strong. It reminded me of the FX miniseries Mrs. America, which I enjoyed immensely. There are even a few mentions of Shirley Chisholm and Bella Abzug, who were prominently featured in that series.

Virginia has her consciousness raised by economic necessity; she needed to get a better paying job for herself and Rebecca. She was close to getting her PhD, and Louise convinces her that she can do it, and they will help her in any way they can.

There are many 1970s touchstones in this novel for those of us who remember that era. Who else spent their Friday nights watching The Brady Bunch followed by The Partridge Family? And we all remember  Tim Conway trying to make Harvery Korman laugh in The Carol Burnett Show skits.

The Wrong Kind of Woman mines some of the same territory as Jennifer Weiner's wonderful 2018 novel, Mrs. Everything, taking the macroview of women's lives in the 1970s through the microview of the women in these novels, allowing the reader to see the tumultous times through these women's eyes.

Thanks to MIRA Books for putting me on Sarah McCraw Crow's book tour.

Friday 5ive- October 16, 2020

Welcome to the Friday 5ive, a weekly blog post about five things that caught my attention this week. It's been a pretty quiet week here, we had three rainy days which we needed.

1)  Every year ArchCare, the organization of which my husband is president and CEO, hosts a gala that raises funds for their foundation to help the frail and elderly people they serve. The event is usually held at Gotham Hall, which is so spectacular, but this year because of COVID, the event is a virtual gala. But the good news is that now anyone can watch it online! This year's theme is a Salute to Our Healthcare Heroes, and will feature stories about the brave and dedicated people who work in ArchCare's nursing homes, home care agencies, and assisted living facilities, and who did heroic work this year.  Good Day New York's Rosanna Scotto hosts, and we've lined up some terrific entertainment- Jim and Jeannie Gaffigan will share some laughs, jazz singer Nicole Henry performs, as do the New York Tenors. Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan will share some inspirational words, and for the baseball fans, we have New York Mets Hall of Famer Mike Piazza and former New York Yankee Tino Martinez. You can join in our sing along with Broadway performers from Sing For Your Seniors, as they close the show with a special performance. Join us Thursday, October 22nd at 7pm right here- at ArchCareGala2020. 

2)  You never know what you'll see while walking doing errands. On my way to the grocery store I saw this Sukkah, which according to the helpful information sheet is described as "a temporary shelter covered in natural materials, used especially for meals during the Jewish festival of Sukkot." You can find more information about Sukkot here. 

3)  Hispanic Heritage Month ended yesterday, and so it is appropriate that I began watching the updated version of One Day At A Time, which ran for three seasons on Netflix, was cancelled, and then picked up by Pop TV (the first American home of Schitt's Creek), and now CBS is running the first season episodes on Monday nights at 9pm. The original show starred Bonnie Franklin as the divorced mom of two teenage daughters (Mackenzie Phillips and Valerie Bertinelli) and was a ratings hit. I fondly remember watching it. This version stars Justina Machado as Penelope, a divorced mom of a smart teenage daughter and fashionista tween son. Her lively mother, played by the legendary Rita Moreno, lives with them. Penelope served in the military in Afghanistan, and now works as a nurse in a doctor's office. It's wonderful television, celebrating family life through the eyes of this Cuban-American family, and yes, handyman Schneider is here as well. I highly recommend it.

4)  You've all seen TV commercials, received emails or texts, all encouraging everyone to vote. The cast of the TV show The West Wing teamed up the organization When We All Vote with a special on HBOMax. The cast- Martin Sheen, Dule Hill, Allison Janney, Rob Lowe, Janel Maloney, Richard Schiff and Bradley Whitford- recreated a classic episode of the series- season 3's Hartsfield's Landing- as a staged play at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. It was so good to see this iconic cast back together again. John Spencer, who played Chief of Staff Leo McGarry, passed away during the last year of the series, and was sorely missed. Sterling K. Brown from This Is Us had the unenviable task of stepping in to play Leo, and he was reverent as he put his own stamp on the role. Martin Sheen and Richard Schiff pretty much look the same nearly 20 years later, and Bradley Whitford looks better than he did back then- his silver hair makes him look distinguished. I always loved The West Wing, and this is one of their best episodes. If you have HBOMax, this is must-watch TV. I wish they had made it available on broadcast TV so everyone could see it. (HBOMax is having a free trial, so you could sign up for that and watch.)

5)  It was a busy week, so I only got around to reading two books, for which I am on blog tours. Sarah McCraw Crow's The Wrong Kind of Woman is set in 1970's New Hampshire, at a men's college. Virginia's professor husband tragically dies in front of their 13 year-old daughter. Virginia discovers how difficult it will be to make a living, and becomes friends with the few female professors at the college, whom the men openly disdain. It's a time of upheaval in the country, and anyone who enjoyed FX's Mrs. America may want to put this on their reading list. 

Elysia Whisler's upcoming novel Rescue You is about Constance, a young physical therapist who helps her sister run a dog rescue organization. She becomes involved with Rhett, a former Marine who runs a local gym. Rhett is wary of getting involved with anyone, but he is drawn to Constance. If you like dogs (especially pit bulls) and are into weight training, this book has your name all over it. (I know a few people like that. )

Stay safe, socially distant, wash your hands, wear a mask and VOTE. It's the best way to build the world you want to see for your children and grandchildren.