3.5/5 stars

This book is women's fiction/general fiction. It's about a Jewish grandmother named Goldie.

Goldie lives in an assisted living home in New York. Her husband is dead. But she has two daughters and a granddaughter.

I wanted to read this book because of the Jewish rep. And there is a lot of it. However this book is not what I was expecting. It's not a light funny read. Instead it deals with some serious issues. Yes Goldie does want to find her granddaughter Maxie a husband who is a doctor. But I was expecting a romcom or something much lighter.

The story goes back and forth in time. We see the 1940s, the 1970s and 2017 (the present). The book is full of lots of Yiddish words and references.

I enjoyed Harry, an older man who wants to date Goldie. That part was fun. And I did enjoy Goldie trying to find Maxie a husband. I liked T-Jam as Goldie's driver and Maxie's love interest.

The Goldie Standard looks at different generations. It is a very Jewish book featuring a wonderful and strong Jewish heroine. But the book was a difficult read. I definitely would have preferred a funnier lighter take on things.

jewish romcoms are some of my favorites. i liked goldie telling the backstory and the yiddishisms she sprinkled, moreso than maxine's telling. the dialogue was confusing at times but not enough to dislike it.

The Goldie Standard is an intense, often bittersweet read. Author Simi Monheit’s debut novel follows grandmother Goldie Mandell throughout her life in a mix of present-day scenes and flashbacks while also featuring Goldie’s granddaughter, Maxie, who finds herself at a crossroads of her own.

The description of the book doesn’t truly capture what the story is like. Yes, Goldie is determined to find her granddaughter a Jewish doctor to marry and yes, Maxie ends up falling for artist/driver/adjunct professor T-Jam Bin Naumann instead. But it’s not a romcom or even a comedic novel like I expected. Rather Goldie is switching back and forth between past and present. She was a child in Nazi Germany and we see what happened to her there, her escape, and her immigration to America. We follow her marriage, children, love and loss woven throughout, and now as a somewhat crotchety grandmother in an assisted living facility. Goldie isn’t the sweet and endearing type, but she is interesting. Maxie, in turn, is a modern Jewish girl getting her Ph.D. and one who doesn’t always understand her grandmother. The two learn about each other over the course of the book and both grow in ways they probably didn’t expect.

The Goldie Standard wasn’t an easy read for me and some of what was touched on reminded me of my relatives. It also isn’t generally the kind of story I read for fun. I didn’t love the characters exactly, but I found them honest and realistic. Goldie in particular was a layered, complex character. I wished for some more of that for Maxie and the supporting cast. I’m glad I read The Goldie Standard. It’s not my usual fare but Monheit did draw me in and delivered a strong, emotionally charged tale.

A very Jewish book, and as I am Jewish, I must say Goldie reminded me of my own grandmother. I also live in an area with many old people and assisted living facilities, so I appreciated the viewpoints.
In alternating chapters, we hear Goldie and her opinions, full of Yiddishisms and insights. We learn her background in escaping Germany, her marriage, her daughters, and now her granddaughter Maxie.
Maxie is a wonderful character, smart and caring. Her grandmother worries about her, so she sets upon a scheme to go to many doctors,with the hope that Maxie will fall for one.
That is the basic outline, but doesn't really give a clue to how involved the reader becomes in the outcome. I laughed and I cried, and really enjoyed Goldie.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC of this book.
This is my honest review and I hope you will read it.

This is a book that you may not want to judge by its cover nor by its description. I definitely did not find it "hilarious," but I did find it " unapologetically Jewish." This will be a difficult read for anyone who is born of Jews who lived through the horror of WWII. It may feel a bit more depressing, considering the troubles in the Middle East lately.

This was an intense, sometimes depressing read that was oftentimes confusing. The language on the grandmother's (Goldies) side is a deep mix of English and Hebrew, and it was difficult for a goy like me to understand. I felt like I wasn't getting the full impact of the story. However, it is perfect for those who speak the language!

The story was captivating, although I had to re-read many pages to fully grasp its direction and intent.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Sibylline Press, the author, and NetGalley.

This was so good I was absolutely hooked from the beginning. It was an absolute delight to read. I couldn't get enough of this book. I thought that this was a great book. I enjoyed this so much.
I just reviewed The Goldie Standard by Simi Monheit. #TheGoldieStandard #NetGalley
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I hear my grandmother speaking! Those of us with Jewish grandmothers and mothers will be smiling from the opening sentences. A book like this, your daughter should write. Kudos to the author for keeping up the Yiddish dialog and vocabulary throughout the book. It really does add flavor.
Due to the cover, I was expecting a cutesy chicklit story. And, I guess you could take it that way, except that the author brings up some difficult issues and the characters are slightly more pointed in their personalities. Some readers may have difficulty with keeping track of the storyline as it hops back and forth, but those of us who are older will probably get it. That begs the question of just who this book was written for and if Monheit has managed to capture readership from three generations.

It has great readability; I found myself unable to put it down until I reached the very end. This would be an excellent choice for a Jewish intergenerational book group, or any book group that enjoys a meaty discussion. I'd definitely serve blintzes and bagels for that!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I'll be happy to sing its praises!

Goldie Mandel, octogenarian and widow, resides in a New York Jewish assisted living facility. She is a woman who has definite views on things, including the other residents (old and trying too hard,) her daughters (Esti fusses too much, Tamar moved across country to California-God forbid,) and Tamar's daughter Maxi, a research PHD candidate who moved back to New York for a job at the hospital. Maxi is the light of Goldie's life-she's beautiful, brainy, and dearly loves her bubbe. She's also unlucky in love. But Goldie knows how to remedy that-she cooks up a plot with Harry, another resident who is starting to pay attention to her, to find as many unmarried Jewish doctors as she can, make appointments for herself accompanied by Maxi as her "advocate" and see if sparks fly. She likes the cute young driver of the assisted living van but not the van itself, so she hires the driver to get her and Maxi to the doctor's offices, and as the saying goes, "Man plans, God laughs."
The stories are told in alternating chapters by Goldie and Maxi. While Maxi navigates her successful work life and her rocky love life, she begins to deviate from the path that her Jewish heritage sets her on. Goldie and her beloved late husband Mordy were holocaust survivors and saw too closely the results of assimilation and the false sense of belonging to countries that turn on you. Goldie wants to make sure that before she dies and rejoins her husband, that Maxi's future is secure-and that her great-grandchildren remain Jews.
This is a beautifully written book, that while very humorous, also digs into issues of life, death, mourning, and carrying on. Monheit is definitely one to watch.

This is one of those books that I wish would let me rate 6 stars instead of one! What a wild ride. This book had me LOLing all the way through. You won’t regret reading it!

Liked how this has a dual pov: both of Goldie's and Maxie's. This made me feel a bunch of emotions that I needed a hug after reading this.

The definitive HEA is interesting as well as the whole character of Goldie.

Thank you, NetGalley and author, Simi Monheit for the ARC!

The Goldie Standard
Author : Simi Monheit

This amusing tale revolves around a grandmother’s quest to locate an appropriate Jewish doctor spouse for her PDH granddaughter.
Residing in an assisted living facility, she cherishes nostalgic recollections of her blissful married life, firmly believing that a compatible life partner is the key to navigating life smoothly.
The narrative takes a humorous turn when her granddaughter assumes the role of medical advocate for Goldie and now she can secretly work on her quest to find the perfect husband but also she also has to control an amusing romantic interest for herself from her past assisted living facility..

However her granddaughter has other plans and falls for Goldie’s long haired driver.
Will Goldie be successful?? This is a modern take on the concept of finding the life partner from a grandmother’s perspective..it shows the difference in generations and their take on love and life.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for this early access copy.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book only a couple of chapters in. The first person writing in broken English, with the third person POV for the woman who speaks English fluently was a really difficult choice as a reader.

It felt choppy and confusing to read Goldie’s perspective in poor English - I actually assumed the author didn’t speak English until I got to a Maxine chapter. I found it too confusing to continue, but would be happy to try again and leave public reviews if this is changed in the future.

Posted on Goodreads:

What a beautiful, poignant read. Following Goldie's well-intentioned but misplaced machinations to get her granddaughter paired off in a suitable relationship can be awkward and challenging at times, but also warm, touching, and from an obvious place of caring. Goldie just wants for Maxie what she herself had with her husband Mordy: The love of her life.

The complication is that Maxie's person is not the one Goldie would choose, which forces the older woman to reassess her world view in a way that is uncomfortable, yet admirable. There is pathos and genuine emotion woven into the assured writing, tempered with respect and, most importantly, humor. Because what is life if we can't cry, laugh, and laugh ourselves to tears? "The Goldie Standard" does all of this and more.

I cannot wait to share this book with my mother-in-law and her avid reader friends. It will ring all sorts of cultural bells with them. Ultimately, it feels to me like one last long, warm hug from my partner's beloved Jewish grandmother, and for that, I am grateful.

Happy to have received the ebook version from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinions.

The main character is depressed or just simply down. I tried a few chapters but did not enjoy the main character. DNF


****************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.*****************

Not a traditional romance novel -- more an amazing work of fiction that flashes back between Goldie's youth and present. It's dual POV with Goldie and her granddaughter, Maxie.

Goldie is living in an assisted living facility and decides that her granddaughter needs a good Jewish doctor as a husband - since Maxie is now single. Goldie schemes with Harry (another assisted living facility resident) to research and schedule appointments with Jewish doctors and have Maxie as her medical advocate. Goldie and Maxie meet T-Jam who is a Syrian refugee and adjunct professor of art --- and becomes Goldie's driver. Where will this scheme take Goldie?

The book is filled with memories that Goldie has of fleeing Germany as a child and what she endured as a Jewish girl -- and then as a Jewish mother trying to keep her children on the straight and narrow under their religion. The push and pull of the generations and how Goldie handles her family is interesting.

I felt sad after reading this book; it was just so many emotions and there was a definitive HEA. Worth the read but not a traditional romance story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simi Monheit for an ARC for an honest review!

I was thrilled to read this. I was excited to see the grandma's experiences and what she went through. I felt that this book had way to many characters and it got really confusing. I was hoping to get into the different generations and hearing everyone's story. I just couldn't do that and so this book turned into a dnf. My opinion and reviews will not be posted anywhere else. Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to receive this book in exchange for an honest review.

A book of reflection, spanning several different cultures and generations, as the main character explores their emotions, baggage, and family, as they near the end of their life.

Slightly confusing at times, with so many voices of dialogue throughout the book, but overall, a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for my honest opinions.

The Goldie Standard is like a world fair event. A place where you find sense surrounded by different cultures, and in the case of this book different generations as well.
Goldie is a jewish woman at the end of her life living in a facility. Her daily life takes her back and forth through memories of a well lived family life, her expectations and dreams for her two daughters and specially her beloved granddaughter, Maxie.
Her journey leaves lots of moments for us to reflect, like how we treat our older family members, how they feel in their old age, the family, religion and traditions baggage we all carry through our grandparents and parents. All is mixed in this book which actually may confuse the reader at times, to be honest. However, if you are willing to patiently allow yourself to reread some dialogues that may confuse you, then you will find a good source of insights to evaluate in your own life. If you also are looking for romance, you’ll also find different love relationships worth of reading.

This is a cute book that is a quick read. You can hear your Bubbe talking through Goldie. :-) Even though the ending is a bit predictable, the journey and all it's hijinks on the path to the end are a lot of fun!!