Here we have a Jewish chick lit book with witty dialogue and some snappy insight. Robyn Fortune’s sixty-something mother leaves her father to “pursue her dream before it’s too late” at the same time that Robyn is recovering from a divorce. Robyn is a make-up artist for a morning TV news show and an aspiring stand-up comic. Her performance at a family bar mitzvah leads to an eventual romance. The reader can, and does, relate to Robyn because of her faults and we love her for them.
“Have you ever noticed that confidence is that feeling you have right before you understand the problem?” This line occurs mid-way through the novel. We see Robyn entertain problem after problem and then we witness her Aha! moment. The novel focuses on months in what appears to be a typical dysfunctional Jewish family. In the end we learn the truth about Robyn’s parents and her brothers and come to an understanding about the roles family, neighbors, community, and especially secrecy play in our lives. Robyn realizes that perhaps what you don’t get was never meant to be. The author, Saralee Rosenberg, has a quick humor that is sometimes sarcastic and always on target.