The Saturday Evening Girls Club: A Novel

Written by Jane Healey

Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Apr 25, 2017
• ISBN: 9781536617344

Jane Healey

Jane Healey studied English Literature at Warwick University. She has been shortlisted for the Bristol Short Story Prize 2013, the Costa Short Story Award 2014, the Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2016 and the Penguin Random House WriteNow mentoring programme 2017. The Animals at Lockwood Manor is her first novel. She lives in Edinburgh.

Reviews for The Saturday Evening Girls Club

[susanne Wilson · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Couldn’t finish it. I didn’t enjoy the reader at all. Airy, wispy, affected voice used for dialogue made everything very cheap. Content has been done before but much better example The Boston girl by Anita Diamant.

[betinadelmar · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It’s a juvenile book, foreseeable, but entertaining and very sweet.

[Michelle Mack · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Every needs to have a group like this! To love with, to grow with and to get through hard times with!

[annie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful book! The development of all four characters was very well presented. Life in the early 1900's Boston was depicted so believably. The story of the friendship between the young immigrant women & the support received from the women directing their club was very touching & real. The audio presenter was excellent & made this especially enjoyable!

[Martha Skeggs · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed the story and the historical details. Some of the characters were actually real so it bad it more authentic. The narrator was good and I liked that each of the four girls had a unique story line

[Mickayla Wheeler · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

No surprises, nice story to pass time. For older people young people would be appalled that people were known for their ethnicity.

[Val Menzies · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed the look into the lives early 20th century immigrants . The naivety of the girls was certainly refreshing.. The story was very entertaining.

[GJS · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The story line was very sweet and entertaining. I enjoyed stepping into the lives of these Americanized young immigrant women. And as an audible reader, I really enjoyed the narrator.

[Pinky Jackson Organizing Consultants · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story of women uplifting women!
Character development was nicely done.

[sue gustafson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful, sweet book about the friendship between 4 young women in the early 1900's. The dreams for their future and the limitations they had to deal with in life and love. Just what I needed for an interesting distraction. The narrator was marvelous!!

[denise · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sweet story -love the Italian and Jewish proverbs nice touch! And love the portrait of rich Italian and Jewish traditions

[pat hall · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was a look back to a time reminiscent of a beautiful, safer, innocent time in history. When family and heritage mattered. When friendship and loyalty were important.
A tribute to brave women who worked hard to achieve love, happiness, families and careers.
I wish we could go back to those times.