3.5 Stars

This is a book that you may not want to judge by its cover nor by its description. I definitely did not find it "hilarious," but I did find it " unapologetically Jewish." This will be a difficult read for anyone who is born of Jews who lived through the horror of WWII. It may feel a bit more depressing, considering the troubles in the Middle East lately.

This was an intense, sometimes depressing read that was oftentimes confusing. The language on the grandmother's (Goldies) side is a deep mix of English and Yiddish/Hebrew, and it was difficult for a goy me to understand. I felt I wasn't getting the full impact of the story. However, it is perfect for those who speak the language!

The story was captivating, although I had to re-read many pages to fully grasp its direction and intent.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Sibylline Press, the author, and NetGalley.2024 galleys-arcs netgalley7 s2 comments Jennifer2,027

3.5/5 stars

This book is women's fiction/general fiction. It's about a Jewish grandmother named Goldie.

Goldie lives in an assisted living home in New York. Her husband is dead. But she has two daughters and a granddaughter.

I wanted to read this book because of the Jewish rep. And there is a lot of it. However this book is not what I was expecting. It's not a light funny read. Instead it deals with some serious issues. Yes Goldie does want to find her granddaughter Maxie a husband who is a doctor. But I was expecting a romcom or something much lighter.

The story goes back and forth in time. We see the 1940s, the 1970s and 2017 (the present). The book is full of lots of Yiddish words and references.

I enjoyed Harry, an older man who wants to date Goldie. That part was fun. And I did enjoy Goldie trying to find Maxie a husband. I d T-Jam as Goldie's driver and Maxie's love interest.

The Goldie Standard looks at different generations. It is a very Jewish book featuring a wonderful and strong Jewish heroine. But the book was a difficult read. I definitely would have preferred a funnier lighter take on things.


Thanks to netgalley and Sibylline Press for allowing me to read this book.netgalley-ebooks6 s Kimberly2,235 89

3.5 stars - Reviewed for Wit and Sin

The Goldie Standard is an intense, often bittersweet read. Author Simi Monheit’s debut novel follows grandmother Goldie Mandell throughout her life in a mix of present-day scenes and flashbacks while also featuring Goldie’s granddaughter, Maxie, who finds herself at a crossroads of her own.

The description of the book doesn’t truly capture what the story is . Yes, Goldie is determined to find her granddaughter a Jewish doctor to marry and yes, Maxie ends up falling for artist/driver/adjunct professor T-Jam Bin Naumann instead. But it’s not a romcom or even a comedic novel I expected. Rather Goldie is switching back and forth between past and present. She was a child in Nazi Germany and we see what happened to her there, her escape, and her immigration to America. We follow her marriage, children, love and loss woven throughout, and now as a somewhat crotchety grandmother in an assisted living facility. Goldie isn’t the sweet and endearing type, but she is interesting. Maxie, in turn, is a modern Jewish girl getting her Ph.D. and one who doesn’t always understand her grandmother. The two learn about each other over the course of the book and both grow in ways they probably didn’t expect.

The Goldie Standard wasn’t an easy read for me and some of what was touched on reminded me of my relatives. It also isn’t generally the kind of story I read for fun. I didn’t love the characters exactly, but I found them honest and realistic. Goldie in particular was a layered, complex character. I wished for some more of that for Maxie and the supporting cast. I’m glad I read The Goldie Standard . It’s not my usual fare but Monheit did draw me in and delivered a strong, emotionally charged tale.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.contemporary jewish-mc read-2024 ...more2 s Melissa1,300

Cute story that held my attention throughout. Review coming soon.2 s Carolina CHC125 2

The Goldie Standard is a world fair event. A place where you find sense surrounded by different cultures, and in the case of this book different generations as well.
Goldie is a jewish woman at the end of her life living in a facility. Her daily life takes her back and forth through memories of a well lived family life, her expectations and dreams for her two daughters and specially her beloved granddaughter, Maxie.
Her journey leaves lots of moments for us to reflect, how we treat our older family members, how they feel in their old age, the family, religion and traditions baggage we all carry through our grandparents and parents. All is mixed in this book which actually may confuse the reader at times, to be honest. However, if you are willing to patiently allow yourself to reread some dialogues that may confuse you, then you will find a good source of insights to evaluate in your own life. If you also are looking for romance, you’ll also find different love relationships worth of reading.1 Sharyn2,693 14

A very Jewish book, and as I am Jewish, I must say Goldie reminded me of my own grandmother. I also live in an area with many old people and assisted living facilities, so I appreciated the viewpoints.
In alternating chapters, we hear Goldie and her opinions, full of Yiddishisms and insights. We learn her background in escaping Germany, her marriage, her daughters, and now her granddaughter Maxie.
Maxie is a wonderful character, smart and caring. Her grandmother worries about her, so she sets upon a scheme to go to many doctors,with the hope that Maxie will fall for one.
That is the basic outline, but doesn't really give a clue to how involved the reader becomes in the outcome. I laughed, and I cried, and really enjoyed Goldie.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC of this book.
This is my honest review, and I hope you will read it.1 Laurie16

Just absolutely loved this character driven novel. So many good things in here. Highly recommend it. 1 ClaudiaAuthor 5 books33

tender, yet hilarious

Any book with “No chupa, no schtupa” has my heart! A warm and heartfelt love story story of a matchmaking grandma and her independent granddaughter. Both have a lot to learn, and learn they do. The book tackles the big issues of the day on a highly personal level, reminding us that the big picture is made up of each individual pixel, and that there’s both joy and grief in every decision. 1 KinksToTheBone14

Very funny, and sad, book. Great character and true to life as a Jewish Senior.1 Sara1,387 84

I hear my grandmother speaking! Those of us with Jewish grandmothers and mothers will be smiling from the opening sentences. A book this, your daughter should write. Kudos to the author for keeping up the Yiddish dialog and vocabulary throughout the book. It really does add flavor.
Due to the cover, I was expecting a cutesy chicklit story. And, I guess you could take it that way, except that the author brings up some difficult issues and the characters are slightly more pointed in their personalities. Some readers may have difficulty with keeping track of the storyline as it hops back and forth, but those of us who are older will probably get it. That begs the question of just who this book was written for and if Monheit has managed to capture readership from three generations.

It has great readability; I found myself unable to put it down until I reached the very end. This would be an excellent choice for a Jewish intergenerational book group, or any book group that enjoys a meaty discussion. I'd definitely serve blintzes and bagels for that!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I'll be happy to sing its praises!1 Enid Brock1 review

They say having a weird mom builds character. Speaking from experience, I can affirm that weird grandmothers are even better. So, lucky Maxie to have such an unusual yet tremendously wonderful bubbie in Goldie, her feisty, know-it-all grandmother and the main character in Simi Monheit’s Kirkus star reviewed debut novel, The Goldie Standard.

Monheit draws Goldie with a fine and loving pen, imbuing her with a wisdom and fire that frustrates, confounds, and ultimately delights. Widowed following a long and passionate marriage, Goldie determines to arrange things for her granddaughter so that she, too, will enjoy such love. From feigned illnesses (to set Maxie up with an appropriately credentialed doctor husband), to spirited interchanges with her necessary-but-resented helpers, to her own December-December flirtation, Goldie’s late-in-life wranglings with romance prove it’s never too late for Cupid’s dart to strike home.1 Yay1 review

Goldie’s cutting humour and poignant flashbacks kept me somewhere between laughing out loud and crying at all times. I’m making all my friends read this. 20241 Donna58 2

Goldie Mandel, octogenarian and widow, resides in a New York Jewish assisted living facility. She is a woman who has definite views on things, including the other residents (old and trying too hard,) her daughters (Esti fusses too much, Tamar moved across country to California-God forbid,) and Tamar's daughter Maxi, a research PHD candidate who moved back to New York for a job at the hospital. Maxi is the light of Goldie's life-she's beautiful, brainy, and dearly loves her bubbe. She's also unlucky in love. But Goldie knows how to remedy that-she cooks up a plot with Harry, another resident who is starting to pay attention to her, to find as many unmarried Jewish doctors as she can, make appointments for herself accompanied by Maxi as her "advocate" and see if sparks fly. She s the cute young driver of the assisted living van but not the van itself, so she hires the driver to get her and Maxi to the doctor's offices, and as the saying goes, "Man plans, God laughs."
The stories are told in alternating chapters by Goldie and Maxi. While Maxi navigates her successful work life and her rocky love life, she begins to deviate from the path that her Jewish heritage sets her on. Goldie and her beloved late husband Mordy were holocaust survivors and saw too closely the results of assimilation and the false sense of belonging to countries that turn on you. Goldie wants to make sure that before she dies and rejoins her husband, that Maxi's future is secure-and that her great-grandchildren remain Jews.
This is a beautifully written book, that while very humorous, also digs into issues of life, death, mourning, and carrying on. Monheit is definitely one to watch. Jess B103 2

Not a traditional romance novel -- more an amazing work of fiction that flashes back between Goldie's youth and present. It's dual POV with Goldie and her granddaughter, Maxie.

Goldie is living in an assisted living facility and decides that her granddaughter needs a good Jewish doctor as a husband - since Maxie is now single. Goldie schemes with Harry (another assisted living facility resident) to research and schedule appointments with Jewish doctors and have Maxie as her medical advocate. Goldie and Maxie meet T-Jam who is a Syrian refugee and adjunct professor of art --- and becomes Goldie's driver. Where will this scheme take Goldie?

The book is filled with memories that Goldie has of fleeing Germany as a child and what she endured as a Jewish girl -- and then as a Jewish mother trying to keep her children on the straight and narrow under their religion. The push and pull of the generations and how Goldie handles her family is interesting.

I felt sad after reading this book; it was just so many emotions and there was a definitive HEA. Worth the read but not a traditional romance story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simi Monheit for an ARC for an honest review!arc Megan McDonald7

What a beautiful, poignant read. Following Goldie's well-intentioned but misplaced machinations to get her granddaughter paired off in a suitable relationship can be awkward and challenging at times, but also warm, touching, and from an obvious place of caring. Goldie just wants for Maxie what she herself had with her husband Mordy: The love of her life.

The complication is that Maxie's person is not the one Goldie would choose, which forces the older woman to reassess her world view in a way that is uncomfortable, yet admirable. There is pathos and genuine emotion woven into the assured writing, tempered with respect and, most importantly, humor. Because what is life if we can't cry, laugh, and laugh ourselves to tears? "The Goldie Standard" does all of this and more.

I cannot wait to share this book with my mother-in-law and her avid reader friends. It will ring all sorts of cultural bells with them. Ultimately, it feels to me one last long, warm hug from my partner's beloved Jewish grandmother, and for that, I am grateful.

Happy to have received the ebook version from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinions.1 Ruth Lanton135 Read

I was really excited about the premise-older-person romance as well as a more traditional "20 something romance" all in one book! 3 generations of Jewish women interacting with one another, with special focus on the grandmother/granddaughter relationship. Meddling relative trying to fix up another single relative. These are all tropes I enjoy.

But I didn't where the story ended up. I just wasn't expecting grandma's beau to suddenly die, or for her to become gravely ill. I wanted a happy ending for Grandma, or for her to at least outlive her new man.

I'm also bitterly disappointed that the granddaughter ended up with a non-Jew. Would it have been that hard to make the driver a non-religious Jew? Fine, make him of Syrian descent while the other protagonists were all Ashkenazi, make him non-observant enough to have all the tattoos, but why make him Muslim? I just don't consider "a Jew ending up with a non-Jew" to be a "happy ending" unless the non-Jew wants to convert.

I thought this was going to be a sappy romance, with happy endings all around with the extra fun of the inter-generational stuff. But neither main protagonist got her happy ending. Fernanda Granzotto625 130

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

DNF 23%

I could finish reading this book but I'm simply not enjoying the reading experience and I know that in the end it won't be a more than 2 stars book.
My big problem with this book was the author's writing, at first I thought it was just a lack of editing due to this being an advance copy of the book, but as I read it I realized that it was actually the author's writing style and that I was not really liking and had difficulty reading and connecting with the story.
Also the story had several problematic lines even though I read only the beginning of the book (and I even though I understand that we have a old lady as the protagonist who will have old-fashioned worldviews, so to speak) but it bothered me a lot while I was reading.
So I decided that I don't have much time to read anymore so I prefer to read things that are at least good reading experiences! Suzanne1,712 39

First, this is not a rom com, or lighthearted novel, with a Jewish grandmother engaged in silly behavior while she seeks a husband for her granddaughter. The cartoon cover and the description of the plot is misleading. THE GOLDIE STANDARD is a visit with a Holocaust Survivor, living in an Independent Living Community, struggling with loneliness and moving back and forth in her memories and present time. The characters are all realistic and struggling in their daily lives and the plot is well-developed and engaging. Just be prepared to experience a full range of emotions while you read about Goldie’s life and her growth and development along the way. I received my copy from the publisher through edelweiss.fiction first-reads jewish-life Anesa Miller14

Simi Monheit’s novel is charming and poignant. It transcends the confines of a single era, a single perspective, and a single set of assumptions about how to deal with family and others who populate our changing world. The colorful characters perform a dance of generosity and collision as they attempt to manipulate each other with love, if not always with understanding and rarely with objectivity. This is a story of people intimately involved with one another on multiple levels that bring out the depths of history as well as personality. It is a smart and lovely book that I highly recommend.
1 Kathleen RyderAuthor 46 books847

A book of reflection, spanning several different cultures and generations, as the main character explores their emotions, baggage, and family, as they near the end of their life.

Slightly confusing at times, with so many voices of dialogue throughout the book, but overall, a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for my honest opinions.
Linda Goldfinger1 review

I can't imagine how challenging it must be to tackle the voice of an elderly female Jewish Holocaust Survivor, but Simi Monheit did it perfectly. The sprinkling of Yiddishisms worked well and brought my mother and her sisters back to life! Goldie is a complex character, but full of determination and love. Reading this novel is an experience guaranteed to delight !!1 Me1,224

The main character is depressed or just simply down. I tried a few chapters but did not enjoy the main character. DNF


****************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.*****************dnf reese ?161 10

d how this has a dual pov: both of Goldie's and Maxie's. This made me feel a bunch of emotions that I needed a hug after reading this.

The definitive HEA is interesting as well as the whole character of Goldie.

Thank you, NetGalley and author, Simi Monheit for the ARC!2024-loves arcs Barbara Prescott180

This book will make you laugh and move you to tears. Goldie is a bigger than life character. Very good read. R. DanielsAuthor 1 book10

Autor del comentario:
=================================