In The Family Way by Laney Katz Becker

 

It's 1965 and to avoid bringing shame on her family Betsy Eubanks is sent to a home for unwed mothers. While at the home Betsy is sent to work in the home of doctor's wife Lily Berg who is also pregnant. Little do the two women realise the profound effect they will have on each other's lives.

When I was first offered a review copy of  In The Family Way by Laney Katz Becker neither the title nor the unfinished cover leapt out at me. Rather than dismiss it out of hand completely I read the blurb and noticed the comment "for fans of Lessons In Chemistry or The Help". Lessons In Chemistry was one of my favourite books of 2022 so that sealed the deal for me.

When I started the book I was expecting quite a whimsical and nostalgic read, what transpired was something far more powerful, emotional and relevant. Set in 1965 suburban America, feminism hasn't reared its head yet, although there are indications that it is on the way. Fifteen-year-old Betsy Eubanks finds herself pregnant. Determined not to have her future tainted by an unwanted pregnancy she is sent to another state to "stay with an aunt who is ill". In reality, she's sent to a home for unwed mothers where the baby will be put up for adoption as soon as it is born. From the parent's reactions you know that this move has more to do with respectability rather than Betsy's future.

Lily Berg isn't much older than Betsy but her life is a world away. Lily married as soon as she graduated high school with her husband being a doctor. They already have one young child and a second is on the way. Betsy is placed with the Bergs as a type of au pair. Through the placement Betsy meets Lily's friends and comes out of her shell.

The book is like a time portal, I enjoyed the nostalgia but, more importantly, it shows how far we have progressed as a society in sixty years. The first thing that really struck me was how women didn't have their own identity, they were seen as an extension of their husbands. Lily is always referred to as Mrs David Berg and her sister, Rose, is Mrs Marty Seigel. Rose is a successful teacher, however, she would be expected to give up her career should she become pregnant. Only married women can access birth control, which wouldn't have helped Betsy anyway as she had received no sex education from school or her parents. These are just a few of the instances where women are seen as second-class citizens.

Dealing with unwanted pregnancies plays a big part in the story. From teenagers like Betsy being shipped off to homes for unwed mothers to married women not wanting to carry another child. We learn of the illegal, dangerous, and often unscrupulous, ways in which these unwanted pregnancies are dealt with. I was surprised to learn that some hospitals had specialist wards set up simply to deal with the after-effects of illegal abortions. Absolutely nothing is mentioned about dealing with the psychological implications, women are simply patched up and sent home.

Betsy's time with Lily Berg is limited, shortly before her due date she returns to the home for unwed mothers to have her baby, with the women having no further contact. The author uses a time jump very effectively to update us on each of the character's lives, lives that have been moulded by those few months in 1965.

In The Family Way by Laney Katz Becker will be published on 3rd June 2025 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley, HQ and Rachel Quin for a review copy.

Author Details

Laney Katz Becker is an award-winning author, writer, and a former literary agent. Her books include Dear Stranger, Dearest Friend, In the Family Way, and the nonfiction anthology, Three Times Chai, a collection of rabbis’ favourite stories. When she’s not writing, Laney enjoys drawing, sewing, reading, long walks, playing tennis, and canasta. She is a graduate of Northwestern University, raised her two children in Westchester County, New York, and currently lives on the east coast of Florida with her husband and their Havanese.