Secret Sisters audiobook

"She told me that memories really are little bits of people's souls that live in the hearts of others.""Her memories lived inside of us and always would- alive in the hope of our cause, and in the promise of the women we were born to become.""I promise that above all else, my purpose will be to foster equality and intellect among women."Secret Sisters is about so much more than the founding of women's fraternities in the late 1800s. This was an easy read that had me thinking about all the meanings of sisterhood and how challenging it must have been for women to strive for secondary education in a sea of men and male professors. The stereotyping, discrimination, and barriers- all because of gender. The beauty of this, I learned from reading this book, is that women joined hands and helped each other overcome these significant obstacles. In addition to all the important messages, the characters were unforgettable. The author's note brought it all together- making me aware of the research that went into writing this novel. Fans of historical fiction and books about women's rights will enjoy this one. I won a giveaway from the author on Facebook and received a complimentary copy. This was my unsolicited and honest review.Summer 2017 Read #17

"I promise that above all else, my purpose will be to foster equality and intellect among women" ~ These words of the women's fraternity Beta Xi Beta pledge really do an amazing job of summing up the heart of this novel. Set in 1881 at the fictional co-ed Whitsitt College in Illinois, the story brings together Beth Carrington and her three friends as they fight for equal rights and permission to create a women's fraternity on campus, all against incredibly strong societal discrimination against women. Additionally, there is a heavily romantic storyline interwoven with Beth's determined struggles to be taken seriously as a medical student and get Beta Xi Beta recognized by the male leaders at Whitsitt, but it does not overwhelm the true message of the book. I have always believed that a strong author's note really makes a historical fiction novel, and in this case, the author's note fully sealed the 4th star. Callaway's attention to detail throughout the book with dialogue, dress, conventions and especially attitudes about gender equality are backed up with her notes about the research she did and her ties to the creation of real sororities (then called fraternities) in the US. The messages from men throughout the book about "hysteria" and women's inability to pursue mentally strenuous careers due to "blood loss" are horrifying in today's time and help paint a picture for modern readers about just how hard women have fought for their place in society today. Recommended for historical fiction fans and readers interested in women's rights!Thanks to the author for providing a finished copy of this book for review purposes - all opinions are my own.

This is a vibrant, moving story that is a true testament to the power of sisterhood, to the might of dreams, and to what women can accomplish when we support one another. Unforgettable characters, compelling writing, and vivid period detail combine to tell the story of what women had to fight through to obtain the rights and opportunities that many take for granted today. Don't miss this book!

This is a well written historical fiction book about the founding of women's sororities in 1881 at Whitsitt College in Illinois. The main character Beth, is the only female in the physician's program. Being the only female, she is constantly being harassed and made fun of for her goal of being a doctor in a time that almost all doctors are male. Most of the females on campus are either in the secretarial program or the divinity program, both acceptable for women of the time. Beth and two of her friends realize that they need to have 'women's fraternity' where they can talk about their classes and their plans for the future and support each other. Male fraternity are very accepted on campus but there is no place for women to make friends outside of the classroom. As Beth and her friends fight for their sorority to be approved and accepted on campus, they run into even more prejudice on campus.This was a very well told story about a subject that was new to me. Not only was the fight to create women's groups interesting but the amount of daily harassment that the female college students received was terrible -- not just from other students but from professors as well. Reading a book like this makes me realize how far women have come in the work world. Thanks to the author for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Once again, Joy Callaway has crafted a piece of historical fiction that features complex and smart female protagonists who the reader grows to care for deeply due to Callaway's thoughtful character development. The main character, Beth, is really well-balanced -- she has her own career aspirations, but that does not mean that she does not have her own romantic and familial desires. This fictional text about the beginning of the first female fraternity thoughtfully contributes to the important conversation about the history of feminism in the United States, and Callaway's text wisely resists the narrative that being a feminist means being anti-men. Aside from the important themes in this book, the writing is simply beautiful; some of the most memorable scenes are set on a sleepy college campus, in the middle of the winter holidays (Christmas and Valentine's Day), and the seasonal descriptions make you want to read the book while curled up under a cozy blanket with a hot cup of tea (and, in fact, I did just that -- despite reading the book on a humid July afternoon). Pick this book up -- you won't regret it!

As someone who belongs to a sorority and still very much enjoys its benefits as an alumnae, I highly recommend this book! If you've ever been curious about why sororities are important or how they came about then you will want to read this historical, fictional account of how they began.My enjoyment of this book was increased by the fact that the author, Joy Callaway, joined us at our book club review last evening. It was interesting to hear about her research especially as it pertained to my sorority, pi Beta phi.

I found this book to be a quick and engaging read. I’m a Pi Beta Phi from Clemson and have a daughter who recently went through rush prompting me to remember my own experiences. This book reminded me of studying for my pledge tests many years ago and appreciating the women ho blazed the trails so that we could enjoy some of the same benefits afforded men so many years ago. I found the story to be believable and well written. I’ll definitely be looking her other works.

Thank you to Harper Collins for giving me a copy of Secret Sisters in exchange for an honest review. I had the opportunity to share Joy Callaway’s debut novel The Fifth Avenue Artists Society. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share Secret Sisters. Joy writes historical fiction and once again she takes from a part of her own history. Secret Sisters tells the story of how female fraternities began in the United States. Many of us now would know the female group as sororities. Synopsis: Whitsitt College is one of the few colleges in the Midwest that include women as students. These women are allowed to pick their majors, but not without persecution from the male students and faculty. Most of the women at the college choose the divinity major. These women also have their own social gatherings and are not inclusive of the other women. What happens when a woman chooses a major outside of divinity? This question was asked by a group of women led by Elizabeth Carrington. Shouldn’t they have the right to meet and have a social club of their own? The women turn to the only fraternity on campus the Iota Gammas for guidance on how to form a fraternity. They seek help from their leader Grant Richardson, but will he be helpful? Will Whitsitt accept a women’s fraternity?My Thoughts: Secret Sisters is a great sophomore effort by author Joy Callaway. I found the characters more engaging and interesting than in her first novel. I loved that the character of Elizabeth Carrington. Readers will love her take charge attitude and her commitment to the cause. Grant and Elizabeth's conflict made for a more interesting read. It also contributed greatly to the plot to keep readers guessing on whether the women are successful. The pacing worked well in the framework of the novel. It did slow in some spots, but an enjoyable read.I look forward to Joy Callaway's next novel!

Okay. If you have followed me at all (which, you should be following all the time) you know I LURVE Joy’s first book, The Fifth Avenue Artist Society. It speaks to me in ways very few books can because I am Ginny, Fifth Avenue‘s protagonist.I’m also a proud Kappa Delta, a member of the Beta Chi chapter out of UNC-Chapel Hill. So, reading Secret Sisters felt a bit like returning to my pledge year at Carolina. Reading Beth’s struggles with owning her space within the male dominated physician program, in which she’s constantly told she cannot perform at a male level because her menstruation cycle interferes with her ability to think, while she also embraces her femininity by falling in love, resonates soundly with me.I could see myself back at the KD house studying for an exam while also dreaming of a boy. The beauty, and complexity, of being a woman often means chasing two or three dreams at once and not being at all willing to give up any of them.Secret Sisters also resonates with me in the here and now.Ladies, can we admit, it’s flipping hard being a woman? Regardless if you’re a sorority gal, you mostly likely travel with a few tribe members who make life beautiful and also doable. From your book club members who are also your back-up carpool calls, to your board room bosses who are also your happy hour buddies, we women work better when we work together.Joy captures the building of a tribe in the captivating and beautifully written Secret Sisters. I love seeing women working together to beat the odds. We need more books showing us how to stand together. I’m proud of my friend who always writes these books and lives them out in her daily life.

This is an interesting book for history lovers who may have belonged to a sorority themselves. It is not a fast read, but rather a slow-building drama. I recommend sticking with it to the end. I recently spent a weekend with close friends who are sorority sisters from 41 years ago. I really enjoy historical fiction, but that weekend with long-time friends prompted my interest in this book. In a college sorority you learn the names of the founders, the date the sorority began on a specific college campus, and the secret mottos, pledges, handshakes, etc. This book brought to life the story of a co-ed college, where Beth is the only female in her classes studying to become a doctor. Most of the females on campus are divinity students, who automatically have a wealth of friends, social activities and camaraderie. It turns out the college allowed one female in "non-traditional" studies, as a way to pacify equal opportunity efforts on campus. Therefore, those few women studying medicine or law were isolated, lonely and often ridiculed openly by their professors in classes. This is the setting and reason for the launch of "Women's Fraternities." I was also surprised to learn that a male fraternity was involved in helping college women earn the right to meet and recruit sisters. The story threads the theme of secrets all the way to the end. I am glad I took a chance on this book.

My sorority alumnae group read this book as one of our alumnae events and it sparked some interesting conversation since the author was initiated into our sorority we wanted to see what might have included that tied to our sorority. While it was a compilation of the founding of many sororities we found some ties which sparked other conversations.I was a little sad that it didn't seem to focus more on the 4 women founding Beta Xi Beta. It did cover the trials they endured as women in the 1880's in college and the prejudice from the male professors and why they wanted to start this fraternity. It also went into what they faced when trying to get approval from the school board and support from their fellow male classmates, but I felt like there should have been a bit more.There is romance in the book between various characters. There is a tragic incident for a character. There are even some life lessons and twists that helped the characters grow.We did enjoy the book and give it 4 paws up

1892 and Beth Carrington is attending college to pursue a medical degree. She is the only female in the faculty and is constantly ridiculed by the professors for not choosing a career more fitting for a woman, like secretarial studies! She decides to establish a sorority like the men have and enlists two other students. She decides to ask one of the most influential students to ask for permission from the college Board. Grant Richardson becomes infatuated with her and begins to pursue her. She enjoys his attraction but her long time friend, Will is always at the back of her mind. The College President and board flatly refuse to allow the establishment of her sorority and a time passes, certain circumstances cause her to wonder who she should trust. An enjoyable book with an interesting theme of how sororities were established.