Not our kind by Kitty Zeldis

Name of Book: Not Our Kind

Author: Kitty Zeldis

ISBN: 978-0-06-284423-1

Publisher: Harper

Type of book: New York, 1950s, one year, fashion, religion, Judaism, class hierarchy, anti-Judaism, appearances, teaching, coming of age, Polio 

Year it was published: 2018

Summary:

With echoes of The Rules of Civility and The Boston Girl, a compelling and thought-provoking novel set in postwar New York City, about two women—one Jewish, one a WASP—and the wholly unexpected consequences of their meeting

One rainy morning in June, two years after the end of World War II, a minor traffic accident brings together Eleanor Moskowitz and Patricia Bellamy. Their encounter seems fated: Eleanor, a teacher and recent Vassar graduate, needs a job. Patricia’s difficult thirteen-year-old daughter Margaux, recovering from polio, needs a private tutor.

Though she feels out of place in the Bellamys’ rarefied and elegant Park Avenue milieu, Eleanor forms an instant bond with Margaux. Soon the idealistic young woman is filling the bright young girl’s mind with Shakespeare and Latin. Though her mother, a hat maker with a little shop on Second Avenue, disapproves, Eleanor takes pride in her work, even if she must use the name “Moss” to enter the Bellamys’ restricted doorman building each morning, and feels that Patricia’s husband, Wynn, may have a problem with her being Jewish.

Invited to keep Margaux company at the Bellamys’ country home in a small town in Connecticut, Eleanor meets Patricia’s unreliable, bohemian brother, Tom, recently returned from Europe. The spark between Eleanor and Tom is instant and intense. Flushed with new romance and increasingly attached to her young pupil, Eleanor begins to feel more comfortable with Patricia and much of the world she inhabits. As the summer wears on, the two women’s friendship grows—until one hot summer evening, a line is crossed, and both Eleanor and Patricia will have to make important decisions—choices that will reverberate through their lives.

Gripping and vividly told, Not Our Kind illuminates the lives of two women on the cusp of change—and asks how much our pasts can and should define our futures.

Characters:

Main characters include Eleanor Moskowitz Moss, a bright and beautiful woman who wants more from her life. She has attended Vassar and is looking for a job. She is talented and passionate when it comes to literature and also ambitious. Patricia is a bit of a blue blood who is passive and is very devoted to her only daughter. She strongly believes in keeping up appearances and doesn't like it when things go off the rails. However she can be generous and understanding. Margaux is Patricias daughter who suffered from Polio and is often ashamed of herself and of her body. There is also Tom, Patricias free spirited brother who seems to take his status and privilege for granted, as well as Wynn, Patricias husband who has dark secrets of his own. 

Theme:

I did read story from cover to cover, but I am not sure what theme might be; fitting in? Staying true to SELF? 
Plot:

The story is told in third person narrative from Patricias and Eleanors points of views. The tale begins with a car accident and what seems to be a propitious meeting between the two women. However, Eleanor will have to make a lot of personal sacrifices in order to fit in into Patricias blue blood world, and while in theory Patricia is ok with Eleanors presence, there will be limits as to how far Eleanor can climb in this new life. The detail and emotion in the story is also top notch. 

Author Information:
(From the book)

Kitty Zeldis is the pseudonym for an author of books for both adults and children. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York.

Opinion:

So I am having some issues in articulating my thoughts towards this book. First of all its a good novel and I loved how she captured the nuance and play between anti-Judaism as well as class struggles. But it is a bit troubling on how difficult it is to separate the two. Also, I am not sure that romance should have been there, and I think the story would have been better off without romance. I loved the women characters, namely Eleanor, Patricia and Patricias daughter. I also loved the place Eleanor occupied: that of a modern or secular Jew, yet at the same time she is inhabiting a place in a low hierarchy. Minus the romance, it's a great story. 

This was given for review 

4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)