Sign in with Facebook
Jean Meltzer's Reviews > Behind Every Good Man
Behind Every Good Man
by
by
Mazal tov to my amazing and talented friend Sara Goodman Confino on the birth of her book baby today--Behind Every Good Man.
Beyond Every Good Man takes place in 1962, and tells the story of Beverly, a perfect model housewife to a political maven. When Beverly discovers her husband cheating, she promptly kicks him out! Even though it's 60s, and her options as a Jewish woman and mother to two are limited, she's determined to beat her spouse at his own game... by entering politics.
Some reasons I loved this book:
1. In typical Confino style, it’s quick, fun, and an easy read. I blew through this tale in one setting, because I was just so damn interested to know what would happen next! And yet, for as fun as this book is, it handles important topics, such as antisemitism, inequality in politics, and perhaps my favorite part of this book, the emotional labor of being a woman.
2. For my Jewish romance lovers, this book has plenty of swoon. What starts as a revenge fantasy (in all the best ways, honestly) soon becomes a love story. The hero of our story is also Jewish, hot, relatively successful... and most important to Beverly, someone who hears rather than just listens. And while I’m trying not to give away any spoilers here, lovers of Jewish joy will be pleased with this satisfying and happy ending.
3. This is a story about an older woman, a mother of two, going through a divorce, who in the process... truly finds herself and her voice. It was so relatable. I loved the frank discussion on the power dynamics in marriage. Beverly has been the dutiful Jewish daughter and wife—striving her entire being for perfection--sacrificing her own dreams and happiness to uplift her husband. There’s this great line on page 157 which reads, “He knew the woman who did everything to make HIS life comfortable.” I found myself nodding my head, and underlining pages worth of quotes, because it was all so relatable.
4. In my humble opinion, there is only one person ON THE PLANET who could write a story about 1960s politics—during a contentious political season in 2024--and make it STILL feel fun and lighthearted. And that person is SARA GOODMAN CONFINO. Honestly, I have no idea how she did that.
5. I adored how Jewish this was, how Judaism was POSITIVELY represented, and as your purveyor of Jewish Joy Books, I’m pleased to report that no Jews died at the end! I also really appreciated how Behind Every Good Man showcased the political allyship between the black and Jewish communities in the 1960s. Helen Walker was a truly stupendous character. There’s also a lovely theme that runs through this book which is the difference between someone listening versus being heard.
6. I often think that truly great writers don’t just arc their primary characters, but the characters around their hero/heroine. I loved how so many characters in this book changed and grew because of their relationship with Beverly. From her mother, to the mistress, to the people who work with her and Michel in politics—this is a beautiful tale about how “we’re all going to be okay because we did this together.” (Page 313)
If it’s not obvious, I freaking loved this book. I didn’t think Sara could get better after Don’t Forget to Write, but this book truly tops even that. And yes! For those of you who are big Confino fans, you may recognize some characters from previous books!
I positively LOVED Behind Every Good Man by Sara Confino. It’s a book that made me laugh, rage, and swoon, and yet, it’s a book that never feels preachy or overwritten. It’s fun enough for a beach read, yet deep enough for a book club pick, tackling topics as large as politics, misogyny, motherhood, identity, and antisemitism. It carefully and deftly explores the role of women, rights and being heard. It’s fiercely and proudly Jewish, and for my romance lovers, there’s definitely some great swoon to be had. There is literally so much to love about this book that I don’t have nearly enough time or words to fit here.
All of which to say, buy a copy for yourself. And then, make sure you give one to both your sons and daughters. Behind Every Good Man by Sara Goodman Confino is a book that you do not want to miss!
Beyond Every Good Man takes place in 1962, and tells the story of Beverly, a perfect model housewife to a political maven. When Beverly discovers her husband cheating, she promptly kicks him out! Even though it's 60s, and her options as a Jewish woman and mother to two are limited, she's determined to beat her spouse at his own game... by entering politics.
Some reasons I loved this book:
1. In typical Confino style, it’s quick, fun, and an easy read. I blew through this tale in one setting, because I was just so damn interested to know what would happen next! And yet, for as fun as this book is, it handles important topics, such as antisemitism, inequality in politics, and perhaps my favorite part of this book, the emotional labor of being a woman.
2. For my Jewish romance lovers, this book has plenty of swoon. What starts as a revenge fantasy (in all the best ways, honestly) soon becomes a love story. The hero of our story is also Jewish, hot, relatively successful... and most important to Beverly, someone who hears rather than just listens. And while I’m trying not to give away any spoilers here, lovers of Jewish joy will be pleased with this satisfying and happy ending.
3. This is a story about an older woman, a mother of two, going through a divorce, who in the process... truly finds herself and her voice. It was so relatable. I loved the frank discussion on the power dynamics in marriage. Beverly has been the dutiful Jewish daughter and wife—striving her entire being for perfection--sacrificing her own dreams and happiness to uplift her husband. There’s this great line on page 157 which reads, “He knew the woman who did everything to make HIS life comfortable.” I found myself nodding my head, and underlining pages worth of quotes, because it was all so relatable.
4. In my humble opinion, there is only one person ON THE PLANET who could write a story about 1960s politics—during a contentious political season in 2024--and make it STILL feel fun and lighthearted. And that person is SARA GOODMAN CONFINO. Honestly, I have no idea how she did that.
5. I adored how Jewish this was, how Judaism was POSITIVELY represented, and as your purveyor of Jewish Joy Books, I’m pleased to report that no Jews died at the end! I also really appreciated how Behind Every Good Man showcased the political allyship between the black and Jewish communities in the 1960s. Helen Walker was a truly stupendous character. There’s also a lovely theme that runs through this book which is the difference between someone listening versus being heard.
6. I often think that truly great writers don’t just arc their primary characters, but the characters around their hero/heroine. I loved how so many characters in this book changed and grew because of their relationship with Beverly. From her mother, to the mistress, to the people who work with her and Michel in politics—this is a beautiful tale about how “we’re all going to be okay because we did this together.” (Page 313)
If it’s not obvious, I freaking loved this book. I didn’t think Sara could get better after Don’t Forget to Write, but this book truly tops even that. And yes! For those of you who are big Confino fans, you may recognize some characters from previous books!
I positively LOVED Behind Every Good Man by Sara Confino. It’s a book that made me laugh, rage, and swoon, and yet, it’s a book that never feels preachy or overwritten. It’s fun enough for a beach read, yet deep enough for a book club pick, tackling topics as large as politics, misogyny, motherhood, identity, and antisemitism. It carefully and deftly explores the role of women, rights and being heard. It’s fiercely and proudly Jewish, and for my romance lovers, there’s definitely some great swoon to be had. There is literally so much to love about this book that I don’t have nearly enough time or words to fit here.
All of which to say, buy a copy for yourself. And then, make sure you give one to both your sons and daughters. Behind Every Good Man by Sara Goodman Confino is a book that you do not want to miss!
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
Behind Every Good Man.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
Finished Reading
July 23, 2024
– Shelved
