Good little novel about a very smart, independent New York woman who over-mothers her daughter. Sweet and funny.

Roz, 1960iger, New York, Jüdin, Heirat, Tochter, Scheidung, mit Figuren wie von Lily Brett

A really enjoyable read, with great insight into what it's like to grow up in New York (I think), as well as an accurate portrayal of a mother-daughter relationship, and of friendships and other relationships as well. The author does a skillful job of covering a lot of ground, time-wise, and the characters seem authentic at every age: Miranda at twelve is different from Miranda at 15 and from Miranda at 18. Though we stay with Miranda and Roz throughout the story, other characters (with the exception of Edwin and Ben) come and go, and they're rendered in such a real way that we miss them and want them to come back. ( )

A "found" book from somewhere, which I am registering it for BookCrossing. I started it, but it didn't really grab me, though I made it half-way through. Decided to release it on our trip to Atlanta.

This novel begins by telling the story of how Jewish native New Yorker Roz and Protestant transplant from Nebraska Eddie met, fell in love, and got married, but story really begins to soar when it starts to focus on their daughter Miranda's coming of age. In a largely character-driven novel such as this one, where there is very little if any plot to speak of, the characters need to be genuine, dynamic and deeply drawn, and they are. Nissen succeeds where many other meandering tales of someone's life fail miserably, drawing the reader in and making them wonder what happens to this person next, without the use of cliffhangers at all. The reader becomes invested in these characters and wants their success and happiness. This is such an obvious thing for a book, but few actually obtain the level of interest necessary without a device like a mystery to solve. Very much recommended. ( )