When Roz Rosenzweig meets Edwin Anderson fumbling for keys on the stoop of a Manhattan walk-up, the last thing on her mind is falling for a polite ...
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reviews
Sep 04, 2011
Emily
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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
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Sep 11, 2009
Jaclyn
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Apr 22, 2009
Jenny
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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 exce
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Jan 22, 2009
Sarah
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Thisbe Nissen develops characters in this book solely by making them Jewish. This explains why Miranda is half as well-developed as a character as Roz, and why Edwin is just a ghostly plot-furthering device. I might have given 3 stars to an all-Roz novel, or a short story about Miranda, but switching back and forth between the two didn't work for me.
Oct 05, 2010
Alex
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Full disclosure: I only read the first two pages of this book. But they were so unbearably awful that I couldn't read more. Run-on sentences, too many clauses, overuse and misuse of modifiers (a skirt was "irrevocably short"), and similes that are hardly that ("like gawkers at a rooftop suicide"), all in some vain attempt at wit. Don't even bother.
May 20, 2010
hannah
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Thisbe Nissen writes how I want to write. This is nowhere near as good as her collection of stories, and it took a long time to get to interesting, but I loved it more and more as it went on. Miranda's story is far more interesting than Roz's, so once we got to her I was hooked.
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Jun 02, 2009
Nisi
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This has been in my top five books since I've been in high school. A nice amount time is covered with these characters- and yet it feels perfectly paced. One of the few mother daughter stories out there that don't get too sappy or too horiffic.
Aug 04, 2011
Dana
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I read this little gem many years ago, and couldn't stop raving about it for a very long time! I had forgotten about it until I was standing in front of my massive bookshelves the other day, and saw it there. It's a prize, for sure!
Dec 23, 2008
Megan
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Chick-fiction! Great break from life in this book. Romance, upset teenagers, divorce; you name the chick-like drama; its probably in there.
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Apr 21, 2011
Kendra
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Not my fave. Met her in Iowa City at a book signing. She has a flare for writing but I would chose something else written by her.
May 17, 2010
Marshaferz
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Fun read - much more character study than plot, and has its flaws, but provided a lot of good book club discussion about motivation.
Jan 15, 2010
Anita
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This is a really *nice book. I can't think of a nicer one about girls. It's like drinking a vanilla milkshake.
Jan 11, 2011
Rose
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This is one of those rare books that sneaks up on you and speaks to your whole self in such a way that you're still thinking about the characters after you've finished.
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May 02, 2010
Jennifer
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An engrossing and quick read about the relationship between a mother and daughter set in NYC.
May 25, 2009
I love books set in NYC. This is just your basic, good book - read it in two days at the cabin.
Aug 03, 2011
Heidi
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loved it. full of spunk, laughter, tears, and the beauty of humanity :)
Aug 10, 2007
Erin
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I just read this on vacation as it was on our host's bookshelf. I had wanted to read it when it first came out and Thisbe Nissen was new wunderkind, girl author of the moment.
For a 2nd novel, it is very well developed. I loved the characters and the general story development. As it focuses on a mother/daughter relationship, I would say that it is a bit more of "chick" book, though not in the Bridget Jones sense.
For a 2nd novel, it is very well developed. I loved the characters and the general story development. As it focuses on a mother/daughter relationship, I would say that it is a bit more of "chick" book, though not in the Bridget Jones sense.
May 06, 2008
Linda
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Maybe it's that when I tried to get to reading this book, it was too late at night so I couldn't fully get into it or appreciate it, but I didn't even finish it. I disliked it that much. I couldn't get in to the characters or the story. I got it off the library shelves on a whim- sometimes those picks go well, sometimes (like this one) they fall flat).
Oct 22, 2008
Linda
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I got this one at the library. While I want to like it, and have it remind me of New York in a wistful way, the author uses about 30 descriptive words per sentence making it hard to follow. Even though the descriptions are kind of funny, it's overkill to use so many all at once, time after time. I might end up ditching it and starting something else.
Jul 03, 2007
Lori
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An interesting perspective on linear storytelling. The book does travel straight through time, but between chapters, jumps forward varying amounts. You never quite get the whole story -- the end of one chapter approaches climax and then you're two months or two years or more ahead.
But the characters are interesting and the story is universal.
But the characters are interesting and the story is universal.
Dec 16, 2009
Andrea
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A story about the creation, unraveling, and eventual redefinition of a family in New York. It has some bolder story lines in relation to a rather young girl's choices about sex but I think the characters are real and for the most part quite likeable. I enjoy the complicated nature of Nissen's plots and tangled picture she paints of romance and attraction.
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Oct 17, 2008
Tbb113
rated it:
Not a huge page turner for me but it was an okay read all in all. The characters weren't developed enough but it passed the time. I was actually trying to read a different book of hers The Ex-Boyfriend Cookbook: They Came, They Cooked, They Left (But We Ended Up with Some Great Recipes) but my library doesn't carry it
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Aug 25, 2008
Mary
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I might have given this four stars, but some of the chapters are in the past tense and some are the present tense (those about the daughter's perspective) and it switches back and forth. This is probably deep and wrought with significance, but as far as I am concerned it was just distracting.
Jun 27, 2008
Kelly
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I just get a great feeling from this book - not sure exactly why but Thisbe just does a great job of getting a good feel out of the characters. One of the few contemp books that I can read and feel like what I'm reading is really well-written fiction. Really really enjoyed this book.
Jan 01, 2010
Dee
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I liked this book. It was a good story about mother/daughter relationships.
