"It takes a lifetime for a profoundly flawed Hasidic woman to learn that there is beauty in even the most mundane of lives."
Praise for ETTY BLOOM
"A photo-real book that almost reads like a fairytale, and a full exploration of a thoroughly unremarkable life in an utterly remarkable debut novel..."
Jessica Elisheva Emerson, award-winning author of the critically-acclaimed novel Olive Days
"With great humor and pathos, author Talya Jankovits reveals that all life, no matter how ordinary or small, is extraordinary when lived fully. Etty Bloom is not only full of life, she is remarkable..."
Zeeva Bukai, author of The Anatomy of Exile, winner of the Goldberg Prize for debut fiction
Booklist Starred Review!
"Etty Greenberger, the only child of Holocaust survivors, has a spirit as fiery as her red hair. Growing up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in a Hasidic community that breathes marriage and children, she wants so much to be liked that she commits a cruel act for attention. As she gets older, she is determined that she won’t marry just any schlep that comes along; however, her childhood cruelty may have sabotaged that opportunity. Etty is set up with many dates by matchmakers and turns them all away. Finally, she ends up with Benjamin Bloom, three years her junior, transitioning from a mischievous child into a young wife navigating the turbulent seas of motherhood, grief, friendship, and life expectations. Jankovits, an award-winning poet, shines in this immersive, beautifully written debut. Etty is inimitable, as are the secondary characters, like Etty’s Italian neighbor, Mrs. Marini, to whom Etty feels safe spilling all of her feelings, since she believes Mrs. Marini doesn’t speak English. Sad, silly, thought-provoking, and beautiful, and with a helpful glossary, this intimate look at the Hasidic community is a must-read for those who enjoy character-driven literary fiction and for fans of Naomi Ragen."
"Etty Greenberger, the only child of Holocaust survivors, has a spirit as fiery as her red hair. Growing up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in a Hasidic community that breathes marriage and children, she wants so much to be liked that she commits a cruel act for attention. As she gets older, she is determined that she won’t marry just any schlep that comes along; however, her childhood cruelty may have sabotaged that opportunity. Etty is set up with many dates by matchmakers and turns them all away. Finally, she ends up with Benjamin Bloom, three years her junior, transitioning from a mischievous child into a young wife navigating the turbulent seas of motherhood, grief, friendship, and life expectations. Jankovits, an award-winning poet, shines in this immersive, beautifully written debut. Etty is inimitable, as are the secondary characters, like Etty’s Italian neighbor, Mrs. Marini, to whom Etty feels safe spilling all of her feelings, since she believes Mrs. Marini doesn’t speak English. Sad, silly, thought-provoking, and beautiful, and with a helpful glossary, this intimate look at the Hasidic community is a must-read for those who enjoy character-driven literary fiction and for fans of Naomi Ragen."