Romance at any Age – The Goldie Standard

May 1, 2024 by Two Sues On the Aisle

By Sue Weston and Susan Rosenbluth, Two Sues on the Aisle

The Goldie Standard is a novel exploring the importance of family with a distinctly Jewish twist. Author Simi Monheit carefully weaves together a tapestry of perspectives across three generations of Mandell women. Goldie, the family’s matriarch who speaks with a familiar cadence belonging to every Bubby, reflects on the past while her granddaughter, Maxie anticipates the future. After Goldie finds herself alone in an Assisted Living residence, she dedicates herself to finding her brilliant Ph.D. granddaughter a Jewish doctor-husband.

The Goldie Standard deconstructs the prospect of spending long-anticipated golden years alone in Assisted Living, filled with walkers, schleppers, stale cookies, and watery tasteless food. ‘Counting the minutes between pills.’ The environment sounds like the social equivalent of high school with the residents falling into social cliques. But Goldie is good by herself ‘I’m not some nebbish who needs to be friends with the popular girls.’ Unexpectedly Goldie meets Harry, ‘A regular Clark Gable. With glasses and without hair. The ears, he has,’ who makes her feel special.

A Story Crossing Generations

The Goldie Standard moves back and forth through time from Goldie’s childhood in Germany in 1938, arriving in America, meeting Mordy, her future husband, following Goldie’s nostalgic memories but always returning to the present—the chapters alternate narrators between Goldie and Maxie.

By presenting events from different perspectives Monheit shows how each generation faces similar difficulties in deciding what is best for their families. Goldie’s parents sent her, alone, to America. They saw this as the only way to protect her, acting out of love and fear.  Years later when Goldie’s father joins her in America he is still filled with the fears-from-Europe and his need to protect his daughter. He could not understand Goldie’s viewpoint.  But, Goldie who saw herself as an American, wanted to celebrate the troops returning. She acted impulsively, climbing out her bedroom window ‘My life can’t wait no more for what Papa says.’

History repeats itself when, as a parent, Goldie tries to exert control, manipulating situations to provide the best for her daughters. The carefree live-in-the-moment attitude of her youth had been replaced by a parental mindset, she needed to guide her daughter and granddaughter for their ‘own good’. She was unaware of the potential repercussions of her actions. Goldie meddled to break up her daughter Tamar from her Italian high school boyfriend, first sending her to Israel. When that didn’t work, she accepted a ‘scholarship’ proffered by the boy’s family (something she could not afford). Tamar eventually found out about the deception and moved to California. Tamar tells Goldie ‘You’re so manipulative. It’s how you pull strings and force your opinion on everyone around you.’  Goldie counters ‘For you, it was all for you. So, you should have a good life.’

As a dutiful granddaughter, Maxie agrees to be Goldie’s medical advocate, accompanying her to doctor’s appointments.  What she doesn’t know is that this was a ruse, Goldie had researched Jewish doctors and then scheduled appointments for fake symptoms. Goldie’s plan to find Maxie a

The Mandell women all know exactly what they want, they understand the value and importance of family and want to do what’s best. They are headstrong, determined, and supportive.

Some Not So Fortunate

The Goldie Standard shows the importance of family. Goldie’s daughters and granddaughter frequently visit her, while Harry, like many other seniors, waits expectantly for their family who never show up.

Goldie finds a way to reconcile with her daughters and granddaughter. Slowly, she begins to understand their point of view.  Maxie explains “Safta, I’m not saying to get rid of traditions of learning. Or a way of life that I, I , love. But, the other stuff that makes us insular and – mean.”  Instead of judging people based on their appearance, she needed to look at their character. Did it matter if Maxie dated a Jewish doctor? It was more important that she found a good person. Goldie accepted Maxie’ Be’shert a long-haired sandal-wearing artist, who she knew loved her and would protect her.

The Golden Years Envisioned

The Goldie Standard explores the protective nature of every parent. It focuses on their need be open-minded, welcoming good people into their lives. Love can come from the most unexpected places, at the least likely times.

These conversations are so genuine, that they resonate as the unspoken subtext of familiar family conflicts, which include the need to control situations, keep secrets, and sadly withhold words of love and praise. The language is familiar, the context is relatable to parents’ responsibility to do what they need to protect their families.

Author Simi Monheit brilliantly combines two narratives, Goldie and Maxie, into a heartfelt celebration of life, relationships, family, and life that is inspiring.

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Two Sues on the Aisle bases its ratings on how many challahs (1-5) it pays to buy (rather than make) to see the play, show, film, book, or exhibit being reviewed. 

The Goldie Standard earned four Challahs