Publication Date: June 15, 2026
In the insulated Hasidic community of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, tradition and cultural norms are as sacred as religion. Childhood friendships are cultivated to climb social ladders, matchmakers dictate futures, and young girls are primed for marriage and motherhood. So, when Etty Greenberger, a headstrong redhead and the only child of Holocaust survivors, commits one ugly and thoughtless act, she believes she has sabotaged her opportunity to secure a desirable match. Reluctantly, she agrees to marry Benji Bloom, a fishmonger’ s son far below her marital aspirations, becoming Mrs. Etty Bloom.
With each passing year, Etty grows further from the life she had hoped for, filled with disappointment and delusions of grandeur. As she grapples with loss, grief, and the challenges of motherhood, she also discovers friendship, love, and joy in the most unexpected places. It may take a lifetime, but Etty Bloom finally learns that an unremarkable life can be remarkable after all.
A shocking mass of red hair sets young Etty apart in her Hasidic community, defining her role at an early age.
Author Talya Jankovits provides an immersive experience inside Etty’s world, where tradition means everything. The Very Unremarkable Life of Mrs. Etty Bloom incorporates Yiddish phrases to tell the story, with a glossary included at the end.
Etty is a bit peculiar, not really understanding what her parents went through as Holocaust survivors. She’s both funny and depressing as the story progresses.
Every decision her parents make contributes to their daughter’s future. She’s directed to the right set of friends with the proper social status to ensure a good match when the time comes.
However, Etty’s prospects don’t come close to meeting her personal standards. She watches her fellow classmates marry and have children. After multiple failed suggestions, she finally marries and has children.
Etty’s story illustrates the vast chasm between expectations and reality. As an adult, she discovers her own sense of happiness in daily life.
The Very Unremarkable Life of Mrs. Etty Bloom provides an entertaining read for those interested in learning about the impact of culture and tradition in a post-war Hasidic community.
Talya Jankovits is the author of the novel, The Very Unremarkable Life of Mrs. Etty Bloom (Running Wild Press), and the poetry collection, girl woman wife mother (Kelsay Books), which received First Place in Contemporary Poetry in the 2024 Bookfest Awards. Her essays, fiction, and poetry have been widely published. She is a multiple Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee. She holds her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and resides in Chicago with her husband and four daughters.
