All Afternoon - a homemaker in 1978 is torn between her family responsibilities and her own dreams.

Meet Marilyn Weisfeld. It's 1978 and she's 39 years old with four daughters, living in the Modern Orthodox Jewish community of River Ridge, New Jersey, close to New York City. Although she graduated summa cum laude from City College with aspirations of becoming a writer, Marilyn is a homemaker, caring for her children and supporting her egotistical husband Jerry, an economics professor at a local college, by hosting dinner parties and managing everything for him. But what about Marilyn's needs? As other women in the community begin launching their own businesses, Marilyn is reminded of her unrealized dreams. Henry Goldfarb, an old friend of Jerry's and a successful author, encourages Marilyn to start writing again. She finds reasons to travel into the city weekly to secretly meet with Henry, who assists her. And because of her passionless marriage, Henry awakens forbidden feelings in Marilyn. 

All Afternoon is Susan Kleiman's impressive debut novel. She has created a poignant story of a woman facing a huge dilemma. Can Marilyn's hopes and dreams take precedence over her family's? While a serious story, Kleiman has also added humor. Marilyn's daughter Sharon, with her love for musical theater, creates charming lyrics for every occasion, drawing inspiration from shows like A Chorus Line and The Sound of Music. But when Sharon expresses her fear of divorce to her mother after a friend's parents split up, Marilyn's anguish feels very real. Amid all the turmoil, Kleiman has done a great job recreating the period, which, for some of us, is not just historical, but vivid memories. 

Many thanks to the author for providing an advance of her insightful and delightful book.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Historical Fiction | Literary Fiction.

Publication Date: April 21, 2026.

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