Review by Booklist Review
Franny Steinberg doesn't quite measure up to the expectations of her friends and family in the 1950s Chicago suburbs; instead, she dreams of performing stand-up at the infamous Blue Moon Club. She's got to know if she, like other female comedians, has a -Showstopper--the magical reaction a successful act elicits from the women in the audience. She struggles to fit in with the other comedians as well, but a painful secret is holding her back. Once she accepts her past, Franny notices how many other people seem to feel out of place too, including her brother Leon, still traumatized by his WWII experience. Perhaps humor has the power to heal others and maybe even herself. Robins' debut is a sharply funny, heartwarming story with strong female characters, exploring religious, racial, and gender identity. At times, Franny's discomfort makes for a jarring narrative, but as the story unfolds it all comes together. For fans of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel or Lauren Graham's Someday, Someday, Maybe (2013).
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In Robins's smart and nuanced debut, a stand-up comedian draws inspiration from her pain in 1940s Chicago. After Franny Steinberg catches a female comic's set at the Blue Moon comedy club, she wants nothing more than to launch a stand-up career of her own. But that's a lofty goal in postwar Chicago, where she's expected to get married and have children. After fits and starts, Franny transforms into stand-up comedian Peggy Blake, determined to find humor in her brother's trauma as a POW during WWII and her own rape by a close family friend: "My twenty-first birthday, a family friend decided to make a woman out of me.... He had his finger blown off in the war--and by the end of the night, I wished he had lost... a different appendage. Sadly, they don't call him Peter for nothing." Robins overlays her convincing illustration of mid-century social repression of women with a stirring portrayal of Franny, who succeeds because of her willingness to speak frankly about taboo subjects. Supporting characters, especially fellow comics Hal and Boopsie, add texture. Readers will fall in love with this one. Agent: Cameron McClure, Donald Maass Literary. (Nov.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT Chicago-based author Robins offers an insight into life in Chicago after World War II and in the early 1950s. Franny Steinberg, a young Jewish girl uncertain of her place in the world, is out to discover who she is and what she wants to do with her life. The title of this novel is appropriate, not only metaphorically as Franny learns to stand up for herself, but also literally, as she tries her hand at being a stand-up comedian. This new life, which she conceals from her family and friends, pushes her out of her comfort zone to find out what she genuinely believes. In the process, Franny learns what she can stand up for. Further, she learns that communication can be the key to resolving conflict and that holding back can be incredibly damaging to relationships. Themes such as homosexuality, racism, war, trauma-induced guilt or fear, and questioning sex roles are all explored through Franny's experiences. VERDICT With complex, relatable characters, this novel is so much more than one particular genre, but it would be a useful addition to any library's LGBTQ collection. Fans of TV's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel may enjoy.--Keri Youngstrand
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