My first #ARC review! How exciting! #TheTradeOff by Samantha Greene Woodruff is the story of Bea Abramovitz, the ambitious and whip-smart daughter of Jewish immigrants who is determined to use her gift for math and numbers on Wall Street as a broker. But women are not offered a seat at the table on Wall Street in the 1920s. She’ll have to make her own opportunities instead by forming a secret team with her charming, well-intentioned but undisciplined twin brother, Jake. He’ll be the broker, she’ll be the brains. What could go wrong?
I am a BIG fan of historical fiction and I love books about the 1920s. I knew about the stock market crash of 1929, but I wasn’t terribly familiar with it. Now I want to know everything about it! I’m not a numbers gal, but I was invested (see what I did there) in the story of the stock market. I was on the edge of my seat even though I knew what was ultimately going to happen (because…history). That’s why I love historical fiction so much – you know the big events and yet authors can still find ways to tell an intriguing story! Bea has all the gumption needed for a strong female lead. I’m a sucker for a strong female heroine who is making a place for herself in a male-dominated world. I cheered for her from the very first page.
This was well done and I loved reading a historical fiction book that wasn’t focused on a war! It was a fresh new take on historical fiction that didn’t add to the already saturated field of WWII novels. And the Author’s Note at the end is so good. I’m glad I didn’t skip it.
This book gave me subtle Thoroughly Modern Millie vibes. I loved the friendships, the budding romance, and the family bonds. My only small criticism is that there is a lot of 1920s slang that felt a bit campy to me at times.
It’s out in October 2024, but you should just preorder now.
Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this one! I loved it.
Keri Reads 
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