Bloomsbury Girls: A novel by Natalie Jenner

Three women are working at Bloomsbury Books for different reasons and with different challenges in their life. The friendships these three women forged with each other and with others around them help each overcome their challenge and prove happy ends are not given but must be worked for. Evie Stone is shy and introverted, denied a research position because she was not a male and did not understand how the connections one has can help advance her career goals. Evie starts working at the book store for a specific reason and when she realizes the importance of trusting others learns that she could let others know about her ideas without risking them being taken away from her. Evie’s dreams of helping bring attention to forgotten female writers and their writings is something others can help support her to achieve. Evie learns to love and let others into her world. Vivien Lowery is working and recovering from a broken heart, but it is not just the death of her betrothed it is also the disappointment in the men at the shop that has her appear standoffish. Vivien learns that men are not the only powerful ones in the world and when taken under the wings of a few powerful women that visit the book store she realizes how she has the power to make the changes she wants. Vivien realizes that the isolation she thought she enjoyed was not as enjoyable as having friends that support her. Vivien’s vision for a female owned bookstore, publishing house, and more go nicely with Evie’s hopes. Grace Perkins is working so that she can support her family and is struggling with a failing marriage. At a time when divorces are very much taboo in society Grace keeps her troubles to herself, in part to escape them at work and in part to avoid judgment. In an outing for one of her son’s birthday Grace realizes that she wants more than her marriage can provide, but would she be able to financially survive a divorce. When Grace’s husband shows up at a work function and others see how much turmoil is at home, offers to help come from surprising sources (at least surprising to Grace). The reader might be tempted to stop reading a few chapters from the end, but if they keep going the ending that the reader so craves will be paid off and then some with a delightful ending that would make any woman feel a sense of pride in these three ladies. Not a traditional “girl power” book but it shows the importance of females supporting females and the power that can come when females combine their talents together and work towards a common goal instead of tearing other women down and competing with each other.