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Sima's Undergarments for Women
Read Ilana Stanger-Ross's posts on the Penguin Blog.
A heartwarming tale of an unlikely friendship amid love, loss, and lingerie
In the basement of her Brooklyn apartment, Sima Goldner welcomes women of all shapes and sizes with warmth, acceptance-and a bra that gives them the support and lift they need. But Sima, regretfully childless at sixty, and harboring a secret that has embittered her marriage, can't seem to do the same for herself. Then Timna, a young Israeli with enviable cleavage, arrives in search of a demi-cup and stays on to become the shop's seamstress. As they laugh, gossip, and sell lingerie, Sima finds herself awakening to hope and the possibility of happiness in this beguiling story of New York's underground sisterhood, and one woman's second chance.
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A heartwarming tale of an unlikely friendship amid love, loss, and lingerie
In the basement of her Brooklyn apartment, Sima Goldner welcomes women of all shapes and sizes with warmth, acceptance-and a bra that gives them the support and lift they need. But Sima, regretfully childless at sixty, and harboring a secret that has embittered her marriage, can't seem to do the same for herself. Then Timna, a young Israeli with enviable cleavage, arrives in search of a demi-cup and stays on to become the shop's seamstress. As they laugh, gossip, and sell lingerie, Sima finds herself awakening to hope and the possibility of happiness in this beguiling story of New York's underground sisterhood, and one woman's second chance.
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304 pages, Hardcover
First published February 5, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
July 7, 2011
There’s a social situation which has always interested me, both in life and in literature. It’s when a person, usually older and more competent in one or more ways, takes a younger and more vulnerable person under his wing, motivated at least as much by his own desire for a protégée as by genuine interest in the younger person’s perceived need. Of course, the relationship goes awry. Janice Erlbaum’s memoir “Have You Seen Her?” is a great description of such a situation; the novel “What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal” is another one.
“Sima’s Undergarments for Women” also tries, with partial success at best, to explore a similar dynamic between two women. Sixty-something Sima is the owner of a successful Boro Park basement lingerie store who is haunted by her infertility and childless state. The improbably named twenty-year-old Timna (Timna is an ancient biblical city – it’s like naming your child Bethlehem) is a beautiful Israeli woman who ends up working in Sima’s store. Sima immediately (and I do mean immediately; not gradually which might have been easier to understand) develops an unhealthy obsession with Timna though the nature of the obsession is unclear. Sexual? Wanting to live vicariously? Wanting to see Timna as the daughter she would have had? The fact that we don’t get much of a sense of Sima’s inner life, despite continual recounting of her painful struggles with infertility and her desperate wish for a child, doesn’t help. We see a lot of obsessive behavior on Sima’s part – stalking, desperation to give Timna something valuable, overinvolvement in Timna’s lovelife (Sima is bizarrely invested in Timna’s relationship with a long-distance high school sweetheart Sima has never laid eyes on) – but don’t get much insight into where this comes from. Other than Timna’s beauty and apparent charisma and charm (in sixty-odd years of living Sima’s never met anyone like this?), it’s also unclear what role Timna might play in inviting or allowing this.
I also tend to be critical of novels depicting Orthodox Jewish characters and this one was no exception. Sima’s religious behavior was highly inconsistent. With a name like Sima, it’s hard to believe she didn’t grow up Orthodox. In fact, she is described as being Orthodox in the early years of her marriage with no sense that this was new to her; I have to assume it was merely a continuation of her upbringing. Oddly, though, her Orthodox observance consisted solely of attending synagogue on Saturday with her husband and serving a meal afterward while her lack of attention to other basic aspects of Jewish observance was pretty strange. Gradually Sima and her husband are described as drifting from Orthodoxy, a rather undramatic transition which consists entirely of cessation of their synagogue attendance. No other physical or psychological changes appeared to accompany this transition. It’s not that I assume that every Orthodox Jew’s experience mirrors my range of experience, but I have to be able to buy the inconsistencies and here I just couldn’t.
The situation is a fascinating one, and though I felt Sima could have been better developed, she was also not a flat character. She reminded me of the title character in Olive Kitteridge, actually. So this book had its merits, but unfortunately did not work for me.
“Sima’s Undergarments for Women” also tries, with partial success at best, to explore a similar dynamic between two women. Sixty-something Sima is the owner of a successful Boro Park basement lingerie store who is haunted by her infertility and childless state. The improbably named twenty-year-old Timna (Timna is an ancient biblical city – it’s like naming your child Bethlehem) is a beautiful Israeli woman who ends up working in Sima’s store. Sima immediately (and I do mean immediately; not gradually which might have been easier to understand) develops an unhealthy obsession with Timna though the nature of the obsession is unclear. Sexual? Wanting to live vicariously? Wanting to see Timna as the daughter she would have had? The fact that we don’t get much of a sense of Sima’s inner life, despite continual recounting of her painful struggles with infertility and her desperate wish for a child, doesn’t help. We see a lot of obsessive behavior on Sima’s part – stalking, desperation to give Timna something valuable, overinvolvement in Timna’s lovelife (Sima is bizarrely invested in Timna’s relationship with a long-distance high school sweetheart Sima has never laid eyes on) – but don’t get much insight into where this comes from. Other than Timna’s beauty and apparent charisma and charm (in sixty-odd years of living Sima’s never met anyone like this?), it’s also unclear what role Timna might play in inviting or allowing this.
I also tend to be critical of novels depicting Orthodox Jewish characters and this one was no exception. Sima’s religious behavior was highly inconsistent. With a name like Sima, it’s hard to believe she didn’t grow up Orthodox. In fact, she is described as being Orthodox in the early years of her marriage with no sense that this was new to her; I have to assume it was merely a continuation of her upbringing. Oddly, though, her Orthodox observance consisted solely of attending synagogue on Saturday with her husband and serving a meal afterward while her lack of attention to other basic aspects of Jewish observance was pretty strange. Gradually Sima and her husband are described as drifting from Orthodoxy, a rather undramatic transition which consists entirely of cessation of their synagogue attendance. No other physical or psychological changes appeared to accompany this transition. It’s not that I assume that every Orthodox Jew’s experience mirrors my range of experience, but I have to be able to buy the inconsistencies and here I just couldn’t.
The situation is a fascinating one, and though I felt Sima could have been better developed, she was also not a flat character. She reminded me of the title character in Olive Kitteridge, actually. So this book had its merits, but unfortunately did not work for me.
September 18, 2010
Reading Ilana Stanger-Ross's debut novel Sima's Undergarments for Women is an exercise in anxiety, primarily because the reader is so thoroughly immersed in main character Sima Goldner's uncertain, self-conscious thoughts. Sima is one of the most skillfully developed characters to enter the world of fiction in a long time. Stanger-Ross writes in third-person narrative, but the novel's voice is so completely Sima's that it seems as though she narrates herself. The marginal distance third-person point of view gives the author allows the reader to see Sima both as she sees herself and as others see her.
Sima is timid is many ways, but she has found her place in her own shop -- Sima's Undergarments for Women -- located in the basement of the Brooklyn home where she and husband Lev reside. She floats along, slightly dissatisfied but unwilling to change, for many years -- until a young Israeli woman enters her store and flips Sima's world upside down. For childless Sima, the energetic Timna is a breath of fresh air. The beautiful girl offers Sima a chance to care for and enjoy a young person. However, Timna is an independent spirit with dreams and a life of her own, as well as a mother back in Israel. The lessons Sima learns through their friendship cross over into Sima's relationship with her husband, and ultimately her ability to love -- even to love herself.
Stanger-Ross delves deep into Sima's psyche, as well as the history of her marriage, in this novel. It is not an action-packed or plot-driven book, but rather a character study expertly executed. Some reviewers have expressed dismay at the lack of any one climatic moment in the novel, but in my view it proceeded exactly as it should have -- with the primary focus on Sima, rather than on any revelations surrounding Timna. While Timna provides the perfect foil to Sima's character, actions on her part are purely secondary to the interior thoughts and decisions made by Sima.
Ilana Stanger-Ross writes her own blog discussing all things Sima, as well as her recent completion of midwifery school.
Sima is timid is many ways, but she has found her place in her own shop -- Sima's Undergarments for Women -- located in the basement of the Brooklyn home where she and husband Lev reside. She floats along, slightly dissatisfied but unwilling to change, for many years -- until a young Israeli woman enters her store and flips Sima's world upside down. For childless Sima, the energetic Timna is a breath of fresh air. The beautiful girl offers Sima a chance to care for and enjoy a young person. However, Timna is an independent spirit with dreams and a life of her own, as well as a mother back in Israel. The lessons Sima learns through their friendship cross over into Sima's relationship with her husband, and ultimately her ability to love -- even to love herself.
Stanger-Ross delves deep into Sima's psyche, as well as the history of her marriage, in this novel. It is not an action-packed or plot-driven book, but rather a character study expertly executed. Some reviewers have expressed dismay at the lack of any one climatic moment in the novel, but in my view it proceeded exactly as it should have -- with the primary focus on Sima, rather than on any revelations surrounding Timna. While Timna provides the perfect foil to Sima's character, actions on her part are purely secondary to the interior thoughts and decisions made by Sima.
Ilana Stanger-Ross writes her own blog discussing all things Sima, as well as her recent completion of midwifery school.
March 15, 2020
Interesting, different, and very real.
I began this because of the story idea: Sima has been selling sensuous lingerie since decades, yet has no sensuousness left in her life. In comes attractive Timna, soon working as a seamstress for her. The rest is about their lives, introspections, challenges.
There’s not a great story going on here, but it’s just so true - could happen to anybody. And you know how in novels people always find the happily ever after that’s so unbelievable? Here the changes are so subtle, the minute transformation in conversations, in body language, in revelations - that it’s a pleasure to read. I liked that part best, the characters all grow and change and morph, and it’s just like real life, relatable. Parts where Sima was happy about others’ misfortune because it made her feel needed, she could mother them: that is just good psychoanalysis.
It can get drawn-out and lengthy, there was no need to stretch the story out so much. But it’s still good and enjoyable.
I began this because of the story idea: Sima has been selling sensuous lingerie since decades, yet has no sensuousness left in her life. In comes attractive Timna, soon working as a seamstress for her. The rest is about their lives, introspections, challenges.
There’s not a great story going on here, but it’s just so true - could happen to anybody. And you know how in novels people always find the happily ever after that’s so unbelievable? Here the changes are so subtle, the minute transformation in conversations, in body language, in revelations - that it’s a pleasure to read. I liked that part best, the characters all grow and change and morph, and it’s just like real life, relatable. Parts where Sima was happy about others’ misfortune because it made her feel needed, she could mother them: that is just good psychoanalysis.
It can get drawn-out and lengthy, there was no need to stretch the story out so much. But it’s still good and enjoyable.
March 28, 2019
Anders als der Titel vermuten lässt ist "Die geheime Welt der Frauen" weder ein Erotikroman, noch ein Roman aus dem von mir wenig geschätzten Genre der leichten Frauenunterhaltung.
Es geht hier um Sima, eine verheiratete, aber kinderlose Frau Mitte 60, die in Brooklyn im Umfeld der orthodoxen jüdischen Gemeinde ein kleines Miederwarengeschäft betreibt. Sie stellt eine neue Ladenhilfe ein, die junge und sehr hübsche Timna, die gerade aus Israel angekommen ist. Der Roman berichtet davon, wie die Anwesenheit von Timna starken Einfluß auf Sima ausübt, in Rückblenden von Simas Leben und von den Kundinnen des Miederwarengeschäfts.
Auf der Rückseite des Buches steht "Anrührend, komisch und voller Lebensweisheit". Das deckt sich leider gar nicht mit meinem Empfinden. Ich empfand das Buch in erster Linie als eine traurige Geschichte der Vergeudung mindestens eines Lebens.
Mir erschien es beängstigend, wie Sima ihre Ehe hat auf Grund laufen lassen, nur um ja nicht gegen die gesellschaftlichen Moralvorstellungen zu verstossen (bzw. weil sie es gegenüber ihrem Mann nicht zugeben konnte, dass sie ein einziges Mal gegen die Anstandsregeln für jüdische Mädchen verstoßen hatte). Sima leidet furchtbar unter ihrer Kinderlosigkeit (kein Wunder in einem Umfeld, in dem die Aufzucht von Kindern die Kernaufgabe einer Frau ist) und bindet sich emotional sofort sehr stark an die junge Israeli. Diese Bindung nimmt nach kurzer Zeit schon fast pathologische Ausmaße an. Im Grunde genommen möchte Sima anderen helfen (insbesondere Timna), aber letztendlich mischt sie sich in Dinge ein, die sie nichts angehen. Ich persönlich hatte das Gefühl, als wollte sie unbedingt erreichen, dass Timna das Leben lebt, dass sich Sima für sich selbst gewünscht hat.
Sima ist traurig und einsam und erkennt, dass sie im Leben (speziell gegenüber ihrem Mann) auch viele Fehler gemacht hat, dennoch ist sie für mich kein sympathischer Charakter. Sie nimmt bestehende Konventionen unreflektiert hin und verstärkt sie, oftmals zum Schaden anderer.
Die Autorin schreibt sehr gut lesbar und die meisten Charaktere konnte ich gut nachvollziehen (Sima leider nicht so ganz). Sehr interessant war für mich die Beschreibung des stark jüdisch geprägten Umfelds, da ich in dieser Hinsicht selbst keinerlei Erfahrungen oder Kenntnisse habe.
Aus meiner Sicht solide 3 Sterne.
Es geht hier um Sima, eine verheiratete, aber kinderlose Frau Mitte 60, die in Brooklyn im Umfeld der orthodoxen jüdischen Gemeinde ein kleines Miederwarengeschäft betreibt. Sie stellt eine neue Ladenhilfe ein, die junge und sehr hübsche Timna, die gerade aus Israel angekommen ist. Der Roman berichtet davon, wie die Anwesenheit von Timna starken Einfluß auf Sima ausübt, in Rückblenden von Simas Leben und von den Kundinnen des Miederwarengeschäfts.
Auf der Rückseite des Buches steht "Anrührend, komisch und voller Lebensweisheit". Das deckt sich leider gar nicht mit meinem Empfinden. Ich empfand das Buch in erster Linie als eine traurige Geschichte der Vergeudung mindestens eines Lebens.
Mir erschien es beängstigend, wie Sima ihre Ehe hat auf Grund laufen lassen, nur um ja nicht gegen die gesellschaftlichen Moralvorstellungen zu verstossen (bzw. weil sie es gegenüber ihrem Mann nicht zugeben konnte, dass sie ein einziges Mal gegen die Anstandsregeln für jüdische Mädchen verstoßen hatte). Sima leidet furchtbar unter ihrer Kinderlosigkeit (kein Wunder in einem Umfeld, in dem die Aufzucht von Kindern die Kernaufgabe einer Frau ist) und bindet sich emotional sofort sehr stark an die junge Israeli. Diese Bindung nimmt nach kurzer Zeit schon fast pathologische Ausmaße an. Im Grunde genommen möchte Sima anderen helfen (insbesondere Timna), aber letztendlich mischt sie sich in Dinge ein, die sie nichts angehen. Ich persönlich hatte das Gefühl, als wollte sie unbedingt erreichen, dass Timna das Leben lebt, dass sich Sima für sich selbst gewünscht hat.
Sima ist traurig und einsam und erkennt, dass sie im Leben (speziell gegenüber ihrem Mann) auch viele Fehler gemacht hat, dennoch ist sie für mich kein sympathischer Charakter. Sie nimmt bestehende Konventionen unreflektiert hin und verstärkt sie, oftmals zum Schaden anderer.
Die Autorin schreibt sehr gut lesbar und die meisten Charaktere konnte ich gut nachvollziehen (Sima leider nicht so ganz). Sehr interessant war für mich die Beschreibung des stark jüdisch geprägten Umfelds, da ich in dieser Hinsicht selbst keinerlei Erfahrungen oder Kenntnisse habe.
Aus meiner Sicht solide 3 Sterne.
January 4, 2013
This book caught my attention when I spotted it at my local library. It had a different book cover than the one shown here, but the title itself was interesting and the blurb on the back piqued my interest.
Unfortunately, I don't think the book lives up to its cover. I didn't mind reading the book - parts were even enjoyable. I managed to get through it in two days, but it wasn't always a satisfying read. For starters, the main character of Sima was not particularly likeable. She's not only passive aggressive, but her actions throughout suggest that Timna may need a restraining order more than she needs a job. Even when she helps people, it seems more self serving than anything else. To show Timna how wonderful she is (and how it wasn't questionable to be staring at Timna's chest) she makes an extra special show of fitting a woman. When she's giving Timna advice, she praises herself and thinks of how her best friend would compliment her intuition and skill. And if that weren't enough, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her long suffering husband. At one point the author writes that Sima could not speak of her emotions and that Lev could not read the silence. I'm not particularly sympathetic to Sima in that scenario. Humans are not yet capable of telepathic communication and, as such, it is not fair to expect people to "just know" what you're feeling. It brings me right back to the first thing I found about the character - she's utterly passive aggressive.
The other qualm I had is with Timna. I never once saw throughout the novel what made Timna so very special. She's apparently quite beautiful and blessed, particularly in her the formation of her chest. As Sima repeats over and over and over and over again. Really, with the amount of time the author devotes to Sima pontificating about Timna's beauty, I really thought this novel was going to go in another direction - especially when you get to that scene on the stairs. I'm actually rather disappointed that the author didn't go there as it would make a lot of Sima's actions if not more sympathetic, at least a bit more understandable. To clarify, there's nothing wrong with Timna. She seems nice enough - charismatic and gorgeous - but I never quite grasp at why Sima was so enchanted with her from the moment she saw her breasts.
While I'm sure that it seems that I'm overly critical of the book, there were parts that I enjoyed. I liked reading about how the store came to fruition and made itself a part of the neighborhood. I found it interesting when the book explored the concepts of self doubt and insecurity in regards to the female form - Sima's interaction with her customers (most of the time anyway) was a unique read. I also enjoyed the flashbacks to Sima's past, which was often more interesting than the present day tale.
Generally, I enjoyed reading the book. I just didn't particularly like the concept of the meat of it. The side diversions and the background tended to be more entertaining and I would have preferred that the author explore them instead of focusing on Sima's obsession with Timna. The book is worth reading for those parts, but be prepared to shake your head at regular intervals due to Sima's exploits.
Unfortunately, I don't think the book lives up to its cover. I didn't mind reading the book - parts were even enjoyable. I managed to get through it in two days, but it wasn't always a satisfying read. For starters, the main character of Sima was not particularly likeable. She's not only passive aggressive, but her actions throughout suggest that Timna may need a restraining order more than she needs a job. Even when she helps people, it seems more self serving than anything else. To show Timna how wonderful she is (and how it wasn't questionable to be staring at Timna's chest) she makes an extra special show of fitting a woman. When she's giving Timna advice, she praises herself and thinks of how her best friend would compliment her intuition and skill. And if that weren't enough, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her long suffering husband. At one point the author writes that Sima could not speak of her emotions and that Lev could not read the silence. I'm not particularly sympathetic to Sima in that scenario. Humans are not yet capable of telepathic communication and, as such, it is not fair to expect people to "just know" what you're feeling. It brings me right back to the first thing I found about the character - she's utterly passive aggressive.
The other qualm I had is with Timna. I never once saw throughout the novel what made Timna so very special. She's apparently quite beautiful and blessed, particularly in her the formation of her chest. As Sima repeats over and over and over and over again. Really, with the amount of time the author devotes to Sima pontificating about Timna's beauty, I really thought this novel was going to go in another direction - especially when you get to that scene on the stairs. I'm actually rather disappointed that the author didn't go there as it would make a lot of Sima's actions if not more sympathetic, at least a bit more understandable. To clarify, there's nothing wrong with Timna. She seems nice enough - charismatic and gorgeous - but I never quite grasp at why Sima was so enchanted with her from the moment she saw her breasts.
While I'm sure that it seems that I'm overly critical of the book, there were parts that I enjoyed. I liked reading about how the store came to fruition and made itself a part of the neighborhood. I found it interesting when the book explored the concepts of self doubt and insecurity in regards to the female form - Sima's interaction with her customers (most of the time anyway) was a unique read. I also enjoyed the flashbacks to Sima's past, which was often more interesting than the present day tale.
Generally, I enjoyed reading the book. I just didn't particularly like the concept of the meat of it. The side diversions and the background tended to be more entertaining and I would have preferred that the author explore them instead of focusing on Sima's obsession with Timna. The book is worth reading for those parts, but be prepared to shake your head at regular intervals due to Sima's exploits.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2010
*** 1/2
I liked this one fine but not as much as I'd hoped to (I guess that's always the case.... why would we pick up books we might just like "okay"?) I don't know why, but I expected it to be funny rather than sad. The characters are well-developed and the plot is solid. It's anything but funny.
Sima is a complex character and I liked her much in the same way I liked Olive Kitteridge--I didn't always like her actions and thoughts, but you know that deep down inside is someone who is looking for the same things all of us are looking for. The reader can empathize. Her relationship with Timna is complicated. Timna is not just an employee but both an ersatz daughter and an object of physical desire (though the latter is never discussed or acknowledged--it's there.) Sima's relationship with Lev is complex as well, after 46 years of marriage.
I liked that the reader only sees Timna's life when she's with Sima, not when they're apart, so like Sima, we don't know what's going on with her when they're not together. (And the same is true with Lev--like Sima, we mostly just saw him upstairs reading or eating.) I'll be thinking about this one and it's complex relationships and characters for a while and may even revise my rating up a bit when I've had more time to process it.
I think my primary complaint (if you even want to call it that) with this book is that I had trouble early on determining Sima's age and when the book was set. Not that those are critical factors, but as you're forming mental pictures, it's helpful to have some sense. I knew Sima was considerably older than Timna but it was only near the end of the book with a mention that Sima and Lev had been married 46 years that I realized she was approaching (if not already) 70. I still never fully determined *when* this was set, but that's not critical I suppose.
(Funny, as I was posting this, I see marketing copy about a woman's "50-year-old secret." Had I seen that before, I probably would have worked out Sima's age much more quickly!)
I liked this one fine but not as much as I'd hoped to (I guess that's always the case.... why would we pick up books we might just like "okay"?) I don't know why, but I expected it to be funny rather than sad. The characters are well-developed and the plot is solid. It's anything but funny.
Sima is a complex character and I liked her much in the same way I liked Olive Kitteridge--I didn't always like her actions and thoughts, but you know that deep down inside is someone who is looking for the same things all of us are looking for. The reader can empathize. Her relationship with Timna is complicated. Timna is not just an employee but both an ersatz daughter and an object of physical desire (though the latter is never discussed or acknowledged--it's there.) Sima's relationship with Lev is complex as well, after 46 years of marriage.
I liked that the reader only sees Timna's life when she's with Sima, not when they're apart, so like Sima, we don't know what's going on with her when they're not together. (And the same is true with Lev--like Sima, we mostly just saw him upstairs reading or eating.) I'll be thinking about this one and it's complex relationships and characters for a while and may even revise my rating up a bit when I've had more time to process it.
I think my primary complaint (if you even want to call it that) with this book is that I had trouble early on determining Sima's age and when the book was set. Not that those are critical factors, but as you're forming mental pictures, it's helpful to have some sense. I knew Sima was considerably older than Timna but it was only near the end of the book with a mention that Sima and Lev had been married 46 years that I realized she was approaching (if not already) 70. I still never fully determined *when* this was set, but that's not critical I suppose.
(Funny, as I was posting this, I see marketing copy about a woman's "50-year-old secret." Had I seen that before, I probably would have worked out Sima's age much more quickly!)
January 29, 2016
Sima’s Undergarments for Women offers a straightforward, uncomplicated story about a simple, uncomplicated woman who is decidedly unliberated. She defines herself in terms of marriage and children and deems her life worthless because she can’t bear children. An Israeli woman, Timna, happens into her corset shop and Sima fixates on her like a doting mother, worrying, meddling, and projecting upon her, her own lost youth and femininity – as she defines it.
Structurally, the novel is divided into nine months, beginning in the summer and ending in to spring with the celebration of Pesach, the holiday of rebirth. Her troubled relationship with her husband, Lev, is reborn as she comes to realize that passionate sex does not define love as much as abiding acceptance, forgiveness, and companionship.
Given that Sima lives in an ultra-orthodox section of Brooklyn, it is not surprising that she would have such a narrow view of what it means to be a woman. She’s really stuck in her teenage years when an indiscretion (something positively taboo in orthodox culture) causes her infertility. Did the author mean to imply that Sima suffers some sort of divine retribution? I think Sima grows up during the course of the novel and moves past the self-centered egotism of adolescence to develop the capacity to look beyond herself and thereby see her husband and his wants and needs.
Lots of thoughts about the setting: Perfect place for a “woman’s” story; liberated women burned their bras – the women who frequent Sima’s shop still define themselves in terms of their shape, and obsess about that.
Structurally, the novel is divided into nine months, beginning in the summer and ending in to spring with the celebration of Pesach, the holiday of rebirth. Her troubled relationship with her husband, Lev, is reborn as she comes to realize that passionate sex does not define love as much as abiding acceptance, forgiveness, and companionship.
Given that Sima lives in an ultra-orthodox section of Brooklyn, it is not surprising that she would have such a narrow view of what it means to be a woman. She’s really stuck in her teenage years when an indiscretion (something positively taboo in orthodox culture) causes her infertility. Did the author mean to imply that Sima suffers some sort of divine retribution? I think Sima grows up during the course of the novel and moves past the self-centered egotism of adolescence to develop the capacity to look beyond herself and thereby see her husband and his wants and needs.
Lots of thoughts about the setting: Perfect place for a “woman’s” story; liberated women burned their bras – the women who frequent Sima’s shop still define themselves in terms of their shape, and obsess about that.
December 7, 2017
This is one of those books- those books that you will remember for its highs and its lows. It is a book that you at first think is devoid of love, of hope, but you learn that the very strongest love is present, no matter the terrible things that have happened. All it takes is a young girl to happen into a shop in Brooklyn, owned by a woman old beyond her years, to change everything. I wondered through the story, if Sima was attracted to Timna because she wished to be her mother (seems obvious), because she has the carefree type of life Sima started to have, but was cut short, (a little less obvious) or was there a sexual attraction the Sima couldn't admit (obscure, but there, I think). Or was it all three? At any rate, because of Timna, Sima and Lev begin to heal, and their trip at the end signifies a new beginning for them, even as they approach their later years. I loved what you didn't see also. you never meet Alon, you never find out what is wrong with Timna, you never talk to Timna's mother. But you do get glimpses into Timna's losses, as you get glimpses into what Sima's life could be like if she left Lev. The reader aches for the loss of Sima's children because of one indescretion, but then aches for Lev as he is shut out of even mourning for those unborns. There are a lot of emotions swirling in this book, but with an ultimate triumph in the end. Recommended.
April 10, 2025
Incredibly frustrating character arc. Hate how the characters caused me to feel so passionately at their choices.
December 4, 2020
This was way better than I thought it would be! I assumed it would be of the middle-aged women's book club cutesy genre, but it wasn't. It had some great turns of phrase and an original theme, I think. I also learned some interesting things.
September 19, 2022
Even though I feel I can only give this one three stars I enjoyed the writing and story. The characters were interesting and it had a message. The price is too high to be caught in past mistakes and miseries.
April 30, 2010
Sima Goldner owns and operates a bra shop in the basement of the home she shares with her husband Lev. Lev, a retired teacher spends his days reading the newspaper from cover-to-cover and drinking coffee. Sima teaches the women who frequent her shop, located in the Orthodox Jewish neighbourhood, how to look at their bodies differently and to appreciate what they have no matter what their size is. But Sima is still ashamed of herself for making a mistake when she was sixteen-years-old which resulted in her being infertile. Sima never told Lev why she was infertile and over the years their marriage has become unhappy and bitter.
One day out of the blue, a young 21-year-old girl from Israel named Timna wondered into Sima's bra shop and ends up working there with Sima as the stores' "seamstress". Timna, a beautiful girl with great cleavage is just the type of seamstress and extra sales person Sima needs as she could talk anyone, regarding their size, into buying everything she picked out for them.
As time goes on, Sima and Timna become very good friends but Sima takes one more step, thinking of Timna as the child she never had. She watched out for her and tried to give her good advice. Timna, on the other hand, didn't realize Simma felt like a mother to her. With Timna's boyfriend, Alon, in the army and on the other side of the world, Sima tries too hard to give Timna advice on love, but her own feelings of love for her husband Lev, had dissipated over the years. Now Lev and Sima need to decide if their own marriage can be saved or is even worth saving.
You'll be totally delighted at the wonderful cast of characters, aside from Sima and Timna, that you'll come to know in this novel. The story is well-written and flows like a river. This is a book you won't soon forget and I'd recommend it to everyone. For a debut novel, Stanger-Ross has hit the nail on the head. I hope another novel is forthcoming!!
One day out of the blue, a young 21-year-old girl from Israel named Timna wondered into Sima's bra shop and ends up working there with Sima as the stores' "seamstress". Timna, a beautiful girl with great cleavage is just the type of seamstress and extra sales person Sima needs as she could talk anyone, regarding their size, into buying everything she picked out for them.
As time goes on, Sima and Timna become very good friends but Sima takes one more step, thinking of Timna as the child she never had. She watched out for her and tried to give her good advice. Timna, on the other hand, didn't realize Simma felt like a mother to her. With Timna's boyfriend, Alon, in the army and on the other side of the world, Sima tries too hard to give Timna advice on love, but her own feelings of love for her husband Lev, had dissipated over the years. Now Lev and Sima need to decide if their own marriage can be saved or is even worth saving.
You'll be totally delighted at the wonderful cast of characters, aside from Sima and Timna, that you'll come to know in this novel. The story is well-written and flows like a river. This is a book you won't soon forget and I'd recommend it to everyone. For a debut novel, Stanger-Ross has hit the nail on the head. I hope another novel is forthcoming!!
May 2, 2010
Didn't like this book at all. The main character, Sima, was creepy to me. She was an older Jewish woman in NYC that had an undegarment business in her basement. There is nothing creepy about that. But she becomes totally obsessed with a young woman, Timna, from Israel who works for her. We hear in detail Sima describe Timna's figure, beauty, breasts and Sima even goes so far as to follow Timna around to see what she is up to. Sounds like a stalker to me. Although Sima is childless and we think that her maternal instincts might kick in in wanting to take care of and protect Timna, it's really an unhealthy relationship in the book (at least that is how I felt about it). At one point, the interactions with Timna make Sima want to have a better marriage and it awakens her sexuality. At the end, I figured out what the author was trying to do, but it didn't work. It left me creeped out and not satisfied with the book.
June 1, 2014
What a gripping book.. Sima is an older Jewish woman in New York. She has never had any children. She manages a shop in her basement that sells undergarments to women. She offers excellent fitting skills and quality products. Her husband, Lev, is a retired teacher. When the seamstress leaves, she encounters a new, young Jewish woman, Timna, recently arrived in the U.S. from Israel. She's also an able seamstress. Timna becomes like a daughter to Sima. The history of this woman's life defines her everyday existence. Lev is kind of adrift upstairs watching TV and reading. How her self awareness changes and how their relationship is affected is the plot of the story. I cried at the end. The frustrating question in your mind as you read..."why does she do this?" is explained and mostly resolved with room for her to grow.
February 6, 2011
This was a good solid read, featuring a very strong woman and a young woman that shows her to be more of herself.
It is a good book, but I don't know how memorable it will be a week from now.
I also wonder if Sima has lesbian tendencies. Read the book and tell me if you agree. Not that it bothers me. I just felt like she was a little confused about her own sexuality at times.
The other thing that kind of bothered me was the author describing the setting. I would have thought it to be some time in the fifties, if not for Starbucks and stuff like that. It was a little distracting, when my mind wanted to be in a different time.
It is a good book, but I don't know how memorable it will be a week from now.
I also wonder if Sima has lesbian tendencies. Read the book and tell me if you agree. Not that it bothers me. I just felt like she was a little confused about her own sexuality at times.
The other thing that kind of bothered me was the author describing the setting. I would have thought it to be some time in the fifties, if not for Starbucks and stuff like that. It was a little distracting, when my mind wanted to be in a different time.
January 2, 2011
There are books that you just don't like, and then there are books that are made all the worse because you expected them to be something different and uplifting, and when they turn out to be unhappy, it's that much worse. This was one of those books. For some reason I expected this to be a story of empowerment, a story about repressed women that come together to create lingerie and find their self worth.
Instead it is a story of a bitter old woman who tries to control her beautiful, young employee. It's not a happy book and I really disliked Sima.
Instead it is a story of a bitter old woman who tries to control her beautiful, young employee. It's not a happy book and I really disliked Sima.
November 13, 2020
The title is intriguing and there is some interesting relationships but I pulled my hair out over the way Sima treats her husband! Maybe it is coincidence that both people in this failing marriage are poor communicators. I feel Lev has the patience of Job and it seems his only enjoyment in life is the daily newspaper and his visits with Timna. I think she reminded him of who he thought he once married. It drags horribly and I managed to finish it by skimming some redundant episodes. Read at your own risk. You have been warned.
June 28, 2016
This book has been a go-to of mine for years. Its ability to navigate the complexities of relationships is poignant and hits home, no matter who you are. The relationships between husbands and wives, women old and young, women who have been friends for the majority of their lives -- these relationships are all explored and tested. The writing is simple, fresh, and not-too-flowery. I highly recommend this book!
May 12, 2010
I just didn't get this. Some old lady who has a bran store in her basement is obsessed with a new young chick that is working for her. It's not lesbian or even remotely erotic. It's just WEIRD. Either the old lady was jealous of the chick and wanted to BE her or perhaps she thought the girl was the daughter she never had. I lost interest and didn't care to find out.
August 7, 2017
It took me months to get through this. I found it a very slow read, it picked up near the end. Parts of it were captivating but mainly I wasn't super motivated to keep reading it for long periods of time.
June 4, 2017
Took me longer to finish this book than I planned (I was reading it just before bed at night and kept falling asleep - not from boredom but from exhaustion), so unfortunately I think I liked it less then if I had read it over a shorter amount of time. I liked the story , but had hoped I would like it more than I did.... it is a nice story , well developed characters. I liked the way it went back and forth from the present to the past. Sima's life is tinged with sadness (coloured by her past) despite her successful business. It is an interesting setting for a story, I would find myself interested in the stories of the different people but for some reason I kept forgetting that Nurit was a female character which would make some of the story seem odd but would then remember and continue with the story
July 12, 2020
I found the main character relatable and the story, although mainly taking place in a basement shop, intriguing.
The complex relationship we have with ourselves, our bodies and the way society limits our choices about them is the main theme. Love, longing, the need to connect and the fear of being intimate with ourselves and others is another feature.
It makes you think about the way you relate to freedom and fear in your own life, and where and how you allow one or the other to shape the choices that ultimately create your life.
The complex relationship we have with ourselves, our bodies and the way society limits our choices about them is the main theme. Love, longing, the need to connect and the fear of being intimate with ourselves and others is another feature.
It makes you think about the way you relate to freedom and fear in your own life, and where and how you allow one or the other to shape the choices that ultimately create your life.
April 2, 2022
Meh. Great title, interesting back cover synopsis, free book so perfect for vacation. But ultimately not very interesting until the very end. Sima Owns a lingerie shop in her basement in a Jewish borough of New York. Timna has just gotten out of the Israeli army and is traveling around America and until her boyfriend can join her. She takes a job working as a seamstress in Sima’s shop. Rumba’s youth and beauty become obsessions of Sima who basically gave up living after learning she could never have children
September 19, 2022
It's well written but, my God, I couldn't get into it. So many sad characters and Sima is just unsufferable. She is smitten to the point of obsessed or extremely envious of Timna. Like...follow her down the street and call the guys she hangs out with obssessed. The book compares her to a slightly overbearing mother, but really it's more like stalker-ish behavior. And she's so mean to Lev. It's like she simultaneously gets off on being a martyr but also on making people miserable with her. The girl needs intense therapy. Asap.
September 7, 2017
I was fascinated by this book because of its unique setting of a basement undergarment store in Borough Park Brooklyn. These hole and the wall stores and their owners are legendary in NYC and shrinking by the year. Sima is a very complicated and sometimes harsh protagonist who has built a lot of walls around herself. This book explores themes of envy, love, regret, jealousy, and longing. Would recommend.
November 18, 2017
I wish Sima's ability to fit a bra was available to all women. I've had my fair share of uncomfortable bras (even after a fitting.) But, Sima was such a whiner! At least at the end of the story, she realized that Lev wasn't the slug she thought he was. She was fortunate that he stayed with her considering her disrespectful treatment of him.
For Lev, the arrival of Timna was a blessing. For Sima and Lev, her departure was when they were able to see each other again through love's eyes.
For Lev, the arrival of Timna was a blessing. For Sima and Lev, her departure was when they were able to see each other again through love's eyes.
December 6, 2017
A thoughtful, quiet book that is no less engaging for those qualities. I listened to this on audio and enjoyed the narrator for the most part. Had to switch to reading in hard copy when the audiobook came due at the library. I'm really glad I read this. Sima's story may not be completely unique but I loved how the author presented her and the other cast of characters. I think this is a book that will "stay" with me for awhile.
July 18, 2023
Some things didn't make sense to me
For starters, why did the author put the plot of this story into Boro Park, Brooklyn without incorporating much of that neighborhood's unique characteristics into the story. For much of the story I really disliked Sima, the main character. Her obsession with Timna was unnerving at times. As I saw in several other reader's comments, the title of this book was just too catchy to pass up.
For starters, why did the author put the plot of this story into Boro Park, Brooklyn without incorporating much of that neighborhood's unique characteristics into the story. For much of the story I really disliked Sima, the main character. Her obsession with Timna was unnerving at times. As I saw in several other reader's comments, the title of this book was just too catchy to pass up.
March 17, 2018
I was looking for comfort in reading about intergenerational female friendships and the realities of long term relationships. Instead I found Sima WAY too obsessed with Timna, and Timna not a likable character and without character depth. I also found Sima way too harsh on her husband, in spite of her secrets.
April 12, 2020
Soma is a sixty-something owner of a lingerie shop, who has been in a lifeless marriage for years. One day, a young, vibrant Israeli tourist comes to her store and changes her life.
I really enjoyed this book. I guess I could relate to Sima- it can sometimes be easier to try to fix other people's lives rather than your own.
I really enjoyed this book. I guess I could relate to Sima- it can sometimes be easier to try to fix other people's lives rather than your own.
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