The Good People of New York

by Thisbe Nissen

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 Nebraskan–yet fall for him she does. So begins Thisbe Nissen’s breathtaking debut novel, a decidedly urban fairy tale that follows Roz and Edwin as they move from improbable courtship to marriage to the birth of daughter Miranda–the locus of all Roz’s attention, anxiety, and often smothering affection.
As Miranda comes of age and begins to chafe against the intensity of her mother’s neurotic love, Roz must do her best to let those she cherishes move into the world without her. On crowded subways, in strange bedrooms, at Bar Mitzvahs, in brownstone basements and high school gymnasiums, Nissen’s unforgettable characters make their hilarious and wrenching way–and prove, indeed, that good things thrive in New York City.

Genres: Fiction, Coming Of Age, New York, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Collections, Novels

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Thisbe Nissen is the author of three novels, Our Lady of the Prairie (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018), Osprey Island (Knopf, 2004), The Good People of New York (Knopf, 2001), and a story collection, Out of the Girls' Room and into the Night (University of Iowa Press, 1999, winner of the John Simmons Short Fiction Award). She is also the co-author with Erin Ergenbright of The Ex-Boyfriend Cookbook, a collection of stories, recipes, and art collages. Her fiction has been published in The Iowa Review, The American Scholar, Seventeen, and The Virginia Quarterly Review, and anthologized in The Iowa Award: The Best Stories 1991-2000 and Best American Mystery Stories. Her nonfiction has appeared in Vogue, Glamour, Preservation and The Believer, and is featured in several essay anthologies.

She has been the recipient of fellowships from the James Michener-Copernicus Society, The University of Iowa, Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, Yaddo, and the MacDowell Colony, and was the 19th Zale Writer-in-Residence at Tulane University. She has taught at Columbia University, the Iowa Writers' Workshop, Brandeis University, The New School's Eugene Lang College and in the low residency MFA program at Pacific University. These days, she teaches undergrad, MFA and PhD students at Western Michigan University.

She and her husband, Jay Baron Nicorvo, are parents of two rescue cats, many sprightly chickens, and one intriguing human child. They dream, one day, of raising goats.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 life fail miserably, drawing the reader in and making them wonder what happens to this person next, without the use of cliffhangers at all. The reader becomes invested in these characters and wants their success and happiness. This is such an obvious thing for a book, but few actually obtain the level of interest necessary without a device like a mystery to solve. Very much recommended.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't think people wrote "New York" novels any more but I was wrong. It's a pleasant, light read. Meaning, at least partly, that I'm not sure why it was written. The characters come alive most of the time, and the narrative is strong enough to pull you into the next chapter. The biggest failing is the elisions in character development. For example, it's never quite clear what is at the root of the core conflict between Roz and Miranda. I enjoyed reading it, but I'm not sure why.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Good People of New York, Thisbe Nissen presents the story of Roz and her daughter Miranda. While the initial focus of the story is on Roz and her circle of friends in New York, this expands to include Miranda, especially as she becomes an adolescent. The story is light and sometimes humorous and it is a nice, easy read. In addition, it presents a picture of everyday, non-glitzy New York beginning in the 1970s.

[Andrea Paul Amboyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Tyra · Rating 2 out of 5]

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

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chick-fiction! Great break from life in this book. Romance, upset teenagers, divorce; you name the chick-like drama; its probably in there.

[Natalie Grange · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ehh. The beginning seemed promising, but by the end I just wanted to smack all the selfish characters. I should have put this book in the give away bag before I opened it up.

[Lynnsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nissen’s voice is so strong and perceptive. There were multiple times where I actually laughed out loud while reading this. This is definitely a character driven coming of age story. The characters were spunky and complex; I really enjoyed getting to know them. While this glimpse into the lives of these characters was engaging and a pleasant read, I find that I wasn’t all that impacted by this novel once I closed the book.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes I find a book so good, I can't believe it's been sitting on the shelf for over twenty years, and I had no idea!!! I LOVE New York stories, so while I was browsing for Celeste Ng books and I happened across Thisbe Nissen's book titled The Good People of New York, it looked too good to be true. But it wasn't. I loved it. Go find it.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Smart, witty, chatty. Another set in NYC book that covers a time span I can relate to, and people I sort of recognize. Excellent parallel plots of mother- daughter. Twisty relationships, perhaps not truly NY in tone, but fun to read. Debut novel-- I will keep reading Nissen, off to a good start.

[Kaye Arnold · Rating 1 out of 5]

I struggled to push through this book. I could find no plot and no gripping bits to make me want to finish it. But I did finish it......with fingers crossed it would get better. It didn't. I can't recommend this to anyone I know....it would be a disfavour.

[Liliana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title is so cringe that I was embarrassed walking around New York with this book but it was cute I suppose.. idk what the plot was really? Roz finding a man? Bad ending and what was Miranda’s deal? Just some dramatic flair?

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tijdens het lezen er nooit helemaal achter gekomen wat ik van het boek vind..

[Sanne Van Wanzeele · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5
a fun read

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong characters. A bit scattered with relationships but held my interest. Although set in NY City, it could have been anywhere.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this was just a simple, good read. It wasn’t riveting or a “must-read” but it was solid and had good characters. It’s probably more of a 3.5

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely one of those books that lies on your shelf until you almost give it away, then when you take the time to read it, it surprises the heck out of you.

The novel begins with Roz Rosenzweig, a snarky and cynical New York Jew, crawling on her hands and knees outside of her friend's apartment for a key in the bushes, where she meets her future husband, the Nebraska-born Edwin Anderson. Roz is no-nonsense and doesn't take anything too seriously, including, at first, Edwin. But Edwin's quiet sincerity wins her over, and they soon marry, much to the humorous chagrin of Roz's mother Adele (which culminates in a hilarious meeting between Adele and Edwin at a kosher deli). After having an awkward conversation with Gert, one of Edwin's many young alphabetized nieces/nephews, Roz has the sudden realization that she wants a child.

Miranda Gert Anderon becomes the center of Roz's life, surpassing everything and everyone else in importance. In a pivotal scene while Roz is on a skiing vacation with Edwin, she realizes that all she wants is to be with her baby girl, who is at home with the sitter. Nothing, not the free time with her husband, not the cute ski instructor, can change that. This is when we really see into Roz for the first time- she has something that will always be hers, that will always be there. And she loves her unconditionally. This intense love for Miranda overshadows her love and need for Edwin, and their marriage dissolves, Edwin moving back to Nebraska.

As Miranda grows up, the novel begins to center more around her, which disappointed me a little, because Roz is a really interesting and multi-dimensional character. Miranda is popular and outgoing, born to be a stage actress, and her maturity is something that her mother and father deal with in different ways. Roz is a very attentive but not overly worried mother. She always wants to know where her daughter is, but doesn't flip out over a joint or a beer. Miranda isn't a character I loved, mostly because she has a long line of tragic and pretentious love stories (the older high school boy when she was TWELVE, her pseudo step-brother, her ex-teacher) and she's a bitch to her mom. But I can't fault her for that, because she was written as a realistic high school girl who loves her mom but cannot comprehend her mother's deep, smothering love for her. They do not have a Gilmore Girls relationship, but the way they interact is in no way strained. This is he first novel I've read to portray a real, true, enviable relationship between a mother and her daughter. No matter who comes in and out of their lives- the SS, their hippy boarder Wing, Miranda's best friend Darrin from Denver- they always have each other.

This is a great book club read. It is fast, has interesting and believable characters, and it is suprisingly funny. I'd love my mom to read this and tell me what she thinks- it truly is a love story, but not a romance. It is a love story between a mother and daughter.

[Jaclyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I debated b/t one and two stars on this one, b/c I usually save the 1 star ratings for the books I truly hate and I didn't hate this book. However, by GR definition, 1 star means "I didn't like it" and 2 stars means "it was ok" and I didn't like this book. I also wouldn't recommend it to anyone - there are so many better mother-daughter stories out there.
The story is mainly based on a mother and daughter and their journey through life. This concept appealed to me a lot but the story never caught for me. The mother (Roz) is one of those moms who feels it's better to share everything with your daughter and to have no secrets. She also prides her self on not acting like a typical mom would and tries to be her daughter's friend more than her mother. I don't agree with this parenting philosophy and in my opinion, this book is a perfect illustration of why. The daughter (Miranda) ends up losing her virginity at 13 to an older boy, sleeping with her near step-brother while his dad is cheating on her mom, sleeping with a teacher, and doing drugs. She doesn't end up telling her mom any of these things (except a little about doing drugs b/c at one point she not only allows her to do it in the house with her knowledge, but suggests it), and this "friendship" they have is nothing more than a friendly shell of a relationship.
There was more I didn't like, but this was the main reason. This isn't a bad book, but it's not good either and with so many good books out there, why waste time on a mediocre one?

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Actually I would give this three-and-a-half stars if the system allowed such finer levels of delineation.] This book turned out to be an unexpected surprise and pleasure. I simply found it at random, by chance, on the shelf at the library, and decided to check it out and give it a try. I'm glad I did. No doubt the author's distinctive, unusual, rare and very unique, intriguing first name drew me in as well. I've never before come across anyone named Thisbe. (The author, by the way, is another product of the Iowa Writer's Workshop.) While it's nothing profound, this is still quite a good read, with the story full of characters one comes to really care about, written with an engaging style. There are bits of philosophy about life woven into it, which is something I enjoy if I fell it's been done well, as is the case here. Sometimes there are cultural references that I'm sure must have no meaning to readers in generations younger than my own. "She said his name like June Cleaver talking to Wally's friend, Eddie Haskell." I know what's being referred to, but I think many might be clueless as to what that's about. While some parts of the book are quite funny, others are quite serious and moving. All in all, worthwhile and recommended. (The last time this happened to me --- taking a chance on a randomly found book and finding it quite rewarding, was "The Handyman" by Carolyn See.)

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roz and Edwin are an unlikely match. She is an outgoing, Jewish, Manhattan girl four years older than Edwin. Edwin is quiet, Protestant and Nebraska-born. But they complement each other in spite of those differences and manage to work through their marriage until their daughter, Miranda, enters fifth grade. After a fairly amicable divorce, Miranda and Roz wend their way through the mother-daughter relationship as they tell each other everything, keep secrets from each other, lean on each other, and pull away from each other. The book isn't about Edwin and Roz. It's about a single mother and her nontraditonal parenting style as she tries to prepare her daughter for adulthood.

While I enjoyed the character of Edwin, it was apparent that he was only a necessary character as the father of Miranda. It was Roz and Miranda who stood out. As I read the dialogue between them, it was as though I was standing in the same room with them, looking at first one and then the other as the interacted. I didn't agree with the all the actions of either of them, but then, who agrees with all the actions of their own mother or daughter?

As the book closes, I finally sighed with relief that Roz may have finally found the right man and that Miranda may finally be on her way to maturity as she makes her way through college. The only problem is, I want a sequel just to be sure!

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 exception of Edwin and Ben) come and go, and they're rendered in such a real way that we miss them and want them to come back.

[Risa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast-paced book with some insightful moments. I bought it because one of my favorite authors, Elinor Lipman, gave it such an enthusiastic blurb. Not sure it hangs together in the end, and my guess is that one's overall reaction to it will have much to do with where one is in one's one life at the moment. To wit: I loved the mother; the teenage daughter who takes over the narrative midway through - I wanted to just shake her and shout, "Get Over Yourself! Stop being so self-involved and so rude to your mother!"

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished reading The Good People of New York by Thisbe Nissen this afternoon. This book was truly a mother-daughter story of Roz and Miranda. The book starts when Roz meets Miranda's father, Edwin, and continues to follow the life of Roz and Miranda after Roz and Edwin divorce. Nothing truly Earth shattering happens in this story, but overall, I really did enjoy it. And, I appreciated at the end that Miranda finally understood and appreciated her mom for who she was.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

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).

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

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.