Almost Perfect Moment, An
A Novel
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On Sale:
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03/02/2005
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Formats:
Trade paperback
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In Brooklyn, in the Age of Disco, Valentine Kessler -- a sweet Jewish girl who bears a remarkable resemblance to the Virgin Mary of Lourdes -- has an unerring gift for shattering the dreams and hopes of those who love her. Miriam, her long-suffering mother, betrayed and anguished by the husband she adores, seeks solace in daily games of mah-jongg with The Girls, a cross between a Greek Chorus and Brooklyn's rendition of the Three Wise Men, who dispense advice, predictions, and care in the form of poppy-seed cake and apple strudels. When her greatest fear for Valentine is realized, Miriam takes comfort in the thought that it couldn't get any worse. And then it does.
Sagacious, sorrowful, and hilarious, An Almost Perfect Moment is a novel about mothers and daughters, star-crossed lovers, doctrines of the divine, and a colorful Jewish community that once defined Brooklyn. This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.
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Author Extras
Reading Guides:
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Critical Praise for
Almost Perfect Moment, An
“What a unique and wry and poignant and altogether lovely book! Binnie Kirshenbaum creates characters at whom you first laugh, but then end up adoring. This is a story about the complicated nature of love, life, longing and loss by an extremely talented author who—make no mistake about it—does very difficult things and makes them look easy. In addition to being a great pleasure to read, An Almost Perfect Moment is a novel that will very likely make you think about your own life in unexpected ways.”
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Elizabeth Berg, author of Open House and Say When
“A novel heartbreakingly suffused with all the awkwardness and mystery of love, and the aching inadequacy of the passions that shape our destinies for better and for worse. Binnie Kirshenbaum has aimed high, weaving threads of eternity into an entirely vivid tapestry of present-day Brooklyn, risking depths of myth and archetype where angels fear to tread, and we are all the richer for her venture sub specie aeternitatis.”
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Tim Farrington, author of The Monk Downstairs
“A unique, wry, and poignant story about the complicated nature of love, life, longing, and loss by an extremely talented author. An Almost Perfect Moment will very likely make you think about your own life in unexpected ways.”
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Elizabeth Berg, author of Open House and Say When
Praise for Hester Among the Ruins
“Champagne—the driest, with giddy pinpoint bubbles—to accompany death row’s last meal. As best as I can manage, this is the disturbing double effect of Binnie Kirshenbaum’s enticing, brainy, and dark novel.”
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New York Times
“Binnie Kirshenbaum is a tremendous talent. Her novels are sexy, intelligent, complex, and provocative; they press against your heart the way old lovers do.”
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Junot Díaz
“Hester Among the Ruins is a splendid accomplishment…a compelling story.”
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Maureen Howard
“In probing the histories of two people, Binnie Kirshenbaum presents a succinct, foreboding commentary on modern history itself. Her new novel should be read as such: one shard off a dark yet sparkling mirror in which, among many ghosts, we find our own images. It is a wonderful book.”
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Nicholas Christopher
“Binnie Kirshenbaum is a magician. With a sleight of her hand, she combines an irreverent, sexy look at a doomed relationship with a wrenching, powerful exploration of history and forgiveness.”
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Tova Mirvis
“Here is a strange, and strangely compelling, admixture of the light-hearted and haunted. Hester’s passionate compulsions are both giddy and grief-laden, and what rises from the ruins is the presence of the past.”
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Nicholas Delbanco
“Here amidst the ruins of modern history is Hester Rosenfeld, a fierce, wry, inimitable narrator, who sets out to search for sense within senselessness, illuminate farce in the unlikeliest places, and track lost stories that deserve to be remembered. Binnie Kirshenbaum has given readers the gift of a beautiful and necessary novel.”
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Joanna Scott
“Kirshenbaum brings believable complexity to her portrayal of Jewish life in contemporary Munich.”
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Publishers Weekly
Praise for A Disturbance in One Place
“Not many young female novelists can deal with sex, the appetite for it, and the loss of such appetite with as much candor, lack of self-protection, and humor as Binnie Kirshenbaum.”
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Norman Mailer
“Mordantly witty…. The narrator is genuinely funny, imbued with the power of the body…. The question is not when did she lose her innocence but rather did she lose it at all?… Kirshenbaum has created a woman who is neither corrupted nor cynical, and we yearn, like the author, to set her free.”
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New York Newsday
“Kirshenbaum titillates the reader with a clever novel…. Hightly recommended.”
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Library Journal (Starred review)
“A Disturbance in One Place is funny, quirky and surprising.”
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Iowa Press Citizen
“[Kirshenbaun] refuses to corral what is funny or sad into separate camps, but allows one to flip over into the other, creating unexpectedly poignant effects…. What at first seemed like a sexual travelogue deepens into a litany of longing, at once unsettling and deeply moving.”
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San Francisco Review of Books
“Kirshenbaum seems at times to be on a comic spree, but in the end this is a dark and powerful look at a troubled spirit.”
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Publishers Weekly
“[Kirshenbaum is] a serious, intelligent writer with a keen sense of humor and strong sense of purpose.”
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Tulsa World
“A perfect blend of merriment and melancholy”
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San Antonio Current
Reader Reviews from First Look
"As soon as I started reading the book, I simply couldn't put it down. I felt such a sense of connection to the characters, their place, their time, and their culture. I loved the dialog of the novel; it rang so true. And I enjoyed the tone and voice of Kirshenbaum. There's something about this novel that reminded me of John Irving (the highest praise I can offer). It might have been the amusing look at the sexuality of the characters as well as the various other desires that drove them, or it might have been the general affection that came through for these flawed individuals. Overall I found this to be a warm and amusing story, and at times laugh-out-loud funny. Thank you for this introduction to Binnie Kirshenbaum. Not only will I recommend her work, I'll look forward to reading her previous and future novels too."
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Susan (San Francisco, CA)
"As soon as I started reading the book, I simply couldn't put it down. I felt such a sense of connection to the characters, their place, their time, and their culture. I loved the dialog of the novel; it rang so true. And I enjoyed the tone and voice of Kirshenbaum. There's something about this novel that reminded me of John Irving (the highest praise I can offer). It might have been the amusing look at the sexuality of the characters as well as the various other desires that drove them, or it might have been the general affection that came through for these flawed individuals. Overall I found this to be a warm and amusing story, and at times laugh-out-loud funny. Thank you for this introduction to Binnie Kirshenbaum. Not only will I recommend her work, I'll look forward to reading her previous and future novels too."
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Susan (San Francisco, CA)
"This was an extraordinary book. The way that the author weaved the several story lines together was absolutely beautiful. I think that the author's description of the ordeals the teenage characters experienced were perfect. She really captured the emotions that a young girl goes through during this difficult time of growing up. It was a privilege to be given the chance to experience this book."
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Heidi (Augusta, GA)
"An Almost Perfect Moment immediately grabbed my attention. I did not put this book down until I had finished. This book, while sometimes sad, is gripping and holds your attention while you want so much to help the characters. This author allows you to know the characters personally and hurt for them. I recommend this book and hope that this author has more to come."
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Tricia (Marshall, TX)
"Binnie Kirshenbaum's An Almost Perfect Moment captures everything controversial and sensational in the early nineteen seventies. Kirshenbaum keeps us reading with her unique third-person style and courage to bring in new characters as needed."
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Lindsey (Kalamazoo, MI)
"I am loving this book, what a great writer Ms. Kirshenbaum is. It has a lot of twist and turns and not just one-dimensional characters, very complex. The book is easy to follow. I will finally read her other book Hester Among the Ruins."
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Susan (Little River, SC)
"Binnie Kirshenbaum brings quirky characters to life and moves them along in a story about belonging and fitting-in. It's full of humor, love, loneliness and support."
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Tammie (Berrien Springs, MI)
"This story takes you on a whirlwind trip with strongly developed characters and is one that makes you think. It is a unique look at all kinds of relationships and loses by a very talented author who has a way of getting inside your head and your heart. Most of us will be able to relate on some level with at least one of the characters and finish the book taking a deeper look inward at how we are perceived not only by others, but also by ourselves. An Almost Perfect Moment is my first book by Ms Kirshenbaum, and it won’t be my last."
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Evelyn (Crescent City, FL)
"Binnie Kirshenbaum has created a character masterpiece in An Almost Perfect Moment. Each and every character came to life through her words. Regardless of how despicable or unfortunate her characters were, she shed humanity and understanding onto their plights. This is a rare novel where the reader cares not just for the fate of the lead character, Valentine, but also for each and every person in the young girl's life."
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Sharon (Kawkawlin, MI)
"Ms. Kirshenbaum has a real talent for making the characters come alive."
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Linda (Tallahassee, FL)
"Through mere glimpses into the lives of several ordinary people living rather mundane existences, this somber novel offers us well-developed characters and weaves symbolism and imagery very well to subtly force the reader to ponder what life is really about. An Almost Perfect Moment illustrates well the day-to-day pretense of self-deception and isolation within the characters' seeming connectedness. "
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Nina (Kenner, LA)
"This is a very engaging book that is beautifully written."
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Naomi (Bradenton, FL)
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