COFFEE KLATCH begins in 1950 as the story of five young women (all wives of American World War II veterans) living in their mass-produced homes on the same remote street in the recently established Levittown New York. Norma Lewis, Anna Marino, Jane Flynn, Betty Carter, and Ella Schmidt are as different as their new houses on Strong Lane are identical. Norma, glamorous and secretive, hides behind her witty remarks. Level-headed and compassionate, Anna becomes the block's peacemaker. Spontaneous Jane is the group's never-say-die cheerleader. And although the narrow-minded Betty and the reserved Ella are both war brides (one from England and the other from Germany), their personalities couldn't be further apart. At first, the women form an unlikely alliance as suburban pioneers who initially just meet for coffee and companionship. Eventually, through transformative experiences and shared milestones, the five grow closer and encourage each other to find ways to transition from, as Jane puts it, 'young newlywed ninnies' to evolved individuals. However, when one neighbor uncovers another's shocking skeleton-in-the-closet, a feud begins, and the others are forced to take sides. Will the five be able to reunite during the subsequent challenging decades leading up to the town's fiftieth anniversary? Using shifting point-of-view chapters, COFFEE KLATCH is a nostalgic tale that speaks to the importance of female friendship and empowerment. Sometimes, your oldest friends really are your dearest friends. Book Review Mini-Critique November 9, 2024 Reviewed by Nino Lobiladze for Readers' Favorite - 5 of 5 stars Coffee Klatch by Lorrie McCabe is a captivating read for fans of drama, women's, and historical fiction. Ella Schmidt is a new neighbor in the rapidly developing Levittown, New York. Living next door, Jane Flynn immediately takes Ella under her wing. Jane invites Ella to coffee with the other three housewives from Strong Lane: Norma Lewis, Betty Carter, and Anna Marino. Ella is glad to meet new friends. Yet she notices a strained relationship between Norma and Betty. Like Ella, Betty is also a foreigner. While Ella worries how others will treat her because of her German origin, Betty is proud of her British heritage. Both women have lost loved ones in the recently ended World War II. Will they get along? Jane is always ready to protect Ella from the nasty remarks of an unfriendly shop proprietor. But can she hold their group together? An old secret finds its way out, and the young women face a challenging situation. Lorrie McCabe's Coffee Klatch is set in the middle and second half of the twentieth century. The author offers a convincing historical background, touching on the excitement of Apollo 11's moon landing and the horrors of the Vietnam War and its consequences. McCabe uses plain language to create an engaging narrative. The author portrays the characters with just a few confident strokes and lets us form our opinions. McCabe remains neutral while describing the conflict, which is a centerpiece of the story. The author presents it from different points of view that are equally meaningful. The characters are very well-defined. Ella, a stranger who does her best to adapt to the new environment after hard losses, is my favorite. She has a gentle soul, and her backstory is stirring. Jane is full of creative energy. The enigmatic Norma, rational Betty, and goodnatured Anna complete this dynamic group of friends. The author explores the themes of friendship, motherhood, belonging, and forgiveness in detail. I highly recommend this psychologically deep, character-driven story. During the 1960's and 1970's, I was raised on Long Island in a Levittown neighborhood where, like my novel, everyone knew the names of everyone else. I vividly recall coming home from elementary school and finding my mother wrapping up an afternoon coffee klatch. Back then, I was only concerned with the leftover treats and not with the stories the women of the block could tell. Since then, I have wondered what it was like for those first homeowners when they moved into their new homes on the barren potato fields of Long Island. Where did they come from? How did they cope? Always an avid reader of historical fiction, I have devoured plenty of novels about women's roles during the second world war, but not many stories concentrated on women immediately after the war. When my husband and I became empty nesters, I finally had the time to attempt to write something to represent these suburban pioneers. Fueled by memories of my parents' original Levitt cape cod and the places on Long Island that I frequented as a child, I started to sketch an outline with five female characters and a plot revolving around their insulated fictitious neighborhood starting in the year 1950. I hope you enjoy this novel about the women's lifelong friendship, a feud between two of them and the eventual act of forgiveness. I believe my five ladies will be relat