Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis writer Gretchen Anthony's latest, 'Tired Ladies Take a Stand,' is about four longtime friends
Gretchen Anthony’s new novel, “Tired Ladies Take a Stand,” is a warm affirmation of female friendship. The story is not entirely satisfying, but it’s laced with wisdom and humor and will almost certainly be snapped up by book clubs everywhere.
The plot follows four women in their late 40s or early 50s who have been friends for ages and who all arenow overextended in life.
Set in the Bay Area of California (sorry, Minnesotans — Anthony lives in Minneapolis but she set this one on the coast) the book is about betrayal, secrets and neuroses, but mostly it is about the importance of enduring friendship. These four women have been besties since their 20s, when their mantra was “say yes to everything.”
They had some wild and hilarious times back then, but now they are tired, have too much to do and are trying to figure out when it is OK to say no. The characters and the storyline are deliberately exaggerated, which helps emphasize the message. The women frequently leap to support each other with all-nighters, fueled by wine and chips and followed by ugly crying. There’s little subtlety or grit in this book, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
All four women have intense, larger-than-life personalities and their men (those who have men) are minor characters, mostly forgettable.
Andi is a human rights lawyer who jets around the world helping abused and exploited people, while her teenage son at home starts failing his classes.
Emma, a teacher, is recently divorced and is trying to plan her daughter’s wedding in the face of a multitude of obstacles — including her ex-husband’s pregnant girlfriend and an ex-fiance who is both stalking her and running for Congress.
Carolina is a big-shot executive and compulsive runner who is working 100-hour weeks, trying to keep her department going in the wake of layoffs.
And Fern might be closest to readers’ hearts — she’s a writer, and the memoir she published years ago, about the four friends in their 20s, has been rediscovered and is being optioned for a movie. The other three women are deeply opposed to having their bawdy former lives splashed across the silver screen; after Fern signs the contract, she has to figure out how to let them know that the project is going forward.
You can be forgiven if you get a little confused at the beginning — the book opens with an excerpt from Fern’s memoir of their twentysomething selves, but with no context to explain it. Memoir excerpts punctuate the narrative throughout the book, which is told from the point of view of all four women.
Two tsunami-like plotlines threaten to swamp everything. A few pages from the end, they’re still not resolved and you might start wondering how Anthony is going to tie up those loose ends. The answer might not satisfy you.
But maybe that doesn’t matter. “Tired Ladies Take a Stand” reminds us that as we move through life, despite marriages, children and careers, some of our most important relationships are with our friends.
Laurie Hertzel is a book critic in Minnesota. She’s at lauriehertzel@gmail.com.
Tired Ladies Take a Stand
By: Gretchen Anthony.
Publisher: Park Row Books, 336 pages, $18.99.
Event: Conversation with Kathleen West, 7 p.m. May 14, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Av., Mpls. Free; registration required.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A man who admitted to firing the shots that killed an 18-year-old mother in south Minneapolis back in May 2020 is charged with murder.
The criminal complaint names Malcom Chan Johnson, 33, of Minneapolis, as a suspect in the fatal shooting after he told police he didn’t know there was a woman in the car he was shooting at.
The shooting claimed the life of Arionna Buckanaga, who was set to graduate high school a month after she was shot.
READ MORE: Vigil held for woman shot in vehicle in south Minneapolis
Man charged for 2020 shooting death of Arionna Buckanaga
Fatal shooting:
Court documents show the shooting happened near the intersection of 39th Street East and Cedar Avenue South in Minneapolis at about 11:25 p.m. on May 4, 2020.
Officers found Arionna in the driver’s seat of a crashed Ford Mustang, with a gunshot wound to her head. She died at the hospital days later.
Her boyfriend, who was a passenger in the Mustang, told police he did not know who shot at the vehicle.
Investigation:
The criminal complaint states officers found an abandoned Chevy Suburban with bullet holes in the hood about a mile-and-a-half away from the scene of the shooting. The bullet holes appeared to be consistent with the driver of the vehicle shooting over the hood and accidentally striking the vehicle.
Investigators also found 32 shell casings at the scene of the shooting. About two weeks later, police found two Glock 9mm handguns in a compost bin about eight blocks away from the shooting. Law enforcement officials determined the two guns fired the 32 shots.
DNA swabs taken from the Suburban were found to match Malcom Chan Johnson and another man, Namiri Tanner. Tests on the firearms also revealed a mixture of DNA that also matched Tanner.
Court documents say authorities then spoke to a witness on March 20, 2025, who told them Johnson confessed to the shooting and that Johnson had a “gang feud” with Arionna’s boyfriend.
Confession:
Police then spoke to Namiri Tanner, who is in a federal prison in Kentucky.
The complaint states Tanner confessed to shooting at the Mustang and from the passenger’s seat and said that Johnson was shooting from the driver’s seat, firing over the hood. Tanner added that the two men abandoned the Suburban and ditched the guns in a trash can.
Authorities then interviewed Johnson on March 4, 2026. He admitted driving the Suburban and firing one of the guns.
Johnson said he thought Arionna’s boyfriend was in the Mustang, but didn’t know she was as well, and said he did not mean to kill her, according to the complaint.
What we don’t know:
It’s unclear if Tanner will face charges in the case. Tanner is being held in federal prison on a drug case. However, it appears he is due to be released next month.
The Source: This story uses information from a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County Court and previous FOX 9 reporting.
The semi-tractors that were on fire in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Early Saturday, the Minneapolis Fire Department responded to several semi-tractors on fire in a railyard.
Crews respond to fires and explosions
What we know:
Firefighters arrived at the railyard at 29th Avenue Northeast and Central Avenue Northeast around 12:15 a.m. They found six semi-tractors fully engulfed in flames.
Authorities say the railroad company confirmed that there were no hazardous materials in the area, and Xcel Energy was contacted to shut down a nearby electrical line exposed to the fire.
The fire came under control in about 20 minutes, fire officials said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. There were no injuries reported in the incident.
What we don’t know:
The exact cause of the fire remains unknown as investigations continue.
The Source: Information from the Minneapolis Fire Department.
Photo shows representative Jones riding in an E-bike sidecar to deliver her baby. (Supplied)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis lawmaker is a new mother this week after taking an unusual ride to deliver the baby.
Minneapolis bicycle baby delivery
Photo shows representative Jones riding in an E-bike sidecar to deliver her baby. (Supplied)
Big picture view:
Representative Katie Jones is a Minneapolis Democrat, and she usually takes the light rail or a bicycle to the Minnesota State Capitol because she doesn’t own a car.
So when it was time to give birth, she and her husband loaded themselves into a friend’s cargo e-bike, with Jones riding in the sidecar.
They had also packed an infant car seat, so after their son, Hans, was born, they packed him into the bike as well for the ride home.
Jones thanked the city of Minneapolis for having protected bike lanes that she says made the two-mile ride feel safe.
Photo shows representative Jones riding in an E-bike sidecar to deliver her baby. (Supplied)
The Source: This story uses information gathered by FOX 9 reporter Corin Hoggard.
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