The Very Unremarkable Life of Mrs. Etty Bloom

by Talya Jankovits

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.

358 pages, Paperback

Expected publication June 15, 2026

About the author

Talya Jankovits is an award-winning writer of poetry, essays, and fiction. Her poetry collection, girl woman wife mother (Kelsay Books, 2024), received First Place in Contemporary Poetry in the 2024 Bookfest Awards. Her novel, The Very Unremarkable Life of Mrs. Etty Bloom, (Running Wild Press) is forthcoming in June 2026. She holds her MFA in Creative Writing and resides in Chicago with her husband and four daughters.