How did five older women called the Marvelous Mavens convince confident PhD candidate Darly Lane that she is an idiot?

Weeks earlier, she was roaring through her PhD, kindling a romance with her hot advisor, and planning a great summer with her Boston roommates. In short, a perfect time to embark on a resume builder. She revived her late mother’s academic project about the women’s movement, expecting no new revelations.

The five strangers she brought together to question prove to be confounding. Their wine-fueled meetings threaten her rigid academic methods. They unload decades of messy truths about career, marriage, motherhood, friendship, and sex. Their candor causes Darly to question her most basic assumptions.

The Mavens flourish in their new association, but Darly’s career, romance, and mental health languish.

The two generations can heal each other. But, will they?