PHOTO SOURCE:
TYPORAMA
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THE VERY UNREMARKABLE LIFE OF MRS. ETTY BLOOM
An extraordinary work of historical literary fiction from award-winning writer Talya Jankovits that explores the beauty and lasting meaning of an ordinary life.
It’s a novel readers will carry with them long after the final page.
June 15, 2026
Running Wild Press
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PRAISE FOR THE VERY UNREMARKABLE LIFE OF MRS. ETTY BLOOM:
“A beautifully sad and unexpectedly funny representation of the myriad ways women retain a sense of self in the midst of a patriarchal society.”—Sarah Yahm, author of Unfinished Acts of Wild Creation
“Etty’s story is deftly and deeply crafted, and her very particular voice—at times hilarious, at others despondent—will haunt you long after you finish the book.”—Jessica Elisheva Emerson, award-winning author of Olive Days
“With great humor and pathos, author Talya Jankovits reveals that all life, no matter how ordinary or small, is extraordinary when lived fully. Etty Bloom is not only full of life, she is remarkable.”—Zeeva Bukai, winner of the Goldberg Prize for Debut Fiction for The Anatomy of Exile
“Jankovits is a talented poet, and readers will be dazzled by her eloquent, moving, laugh-out-loud hilarious, and sparkling prose in this fantastic debut novel…This lovely gift of a story inspires one to recognize all there is to love about even the most unremarkable life.”—Toni Ann Johnson, Flannery O’Connor Award-winning author of Light Skin Gone to Waste
“Talya Jankovits’ secret ingredient is compassion—even when Etty is being a bit meshuggah, Jankovits writes her with so much love and care, we can’t help but love her (and the fire inside her) too. Etty and her family will forever be part of the mishpucha of my heart.”—Gayle Brandeis, PEN/Bellwether Prize-winning writer and author of Drawing Breath: Essays on Writing, the Body, and Loss
Talya Jankovits delivers the delicious goods in her new novel…Powerful, poignant, and joyful, The Very Unremarkable Life of Mrs. Etty Bloom is nothing short of remarkable!”—Diane Gottlieb, editor of Manna Songs: Stories of Jewish Culture & Heritage
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ABOUT THE VERY UNREMARKABLE LIFE OF MRS. ETTY BLOOM:
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.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Photo Credit: Leah G Photography
Talya Jankovits is the author of the poetry collection, girl woman wife mother.
Her essays, fiction, and poetry have appeared in many publications.
She currently resides in Chicago with her husband and their four daughters.
The Very Unremarkable Life of Mrs. Etty Bloom is her debut novel.
