Drama at Work

A contemporary fiction collection

Hours spent in close proximity, sensitive power dynamics, tense deadlines, and conflicting goals: the workplace is prime for high-stakes drama. You might just be working to make ends meet, but there’s no escaping the collision of personality, opinion, and ambition that work brings to the fore. This collection features conflict at the workplace, but does the drama ever stop there

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Sundays@10, Dov Haller - A sharp and contemporary take on changing times told with humor and insight. Veteran menahel Shmuel Wohlberg runs a tight ship and keeps his adversarial board in check. When a young assistant arrives with new ideas, he’s determined to roll with the punches and learn from a very different approach. But when a bitter blogger and an inside source team up to tear down Rabbi Wohlberg, even his legendary passion starts slipping away.

A Veiled Truth, Etka Gitel Schwartz - Fish Kirschenbaum’s beloved Ateres Fradl Hall is facing a shutdown, and its staff declares war, determined to save it at any cost. But the new boss digs up bitter memories of Fish’s childhood, raising the stakes. Is the hall all he's fighting for? A one-of-a-kind laugh-out-loud adventure that combines an intricate plot with depth of character and nuggets of wisdom.

See You, Riva Pomerantz - A layered drama that pulses and turns until its satisfying conclusion. Esther’s career has always been about achieving and promoting perfection. When everything comes undone and she reevaluates, her newfound ideals push her to the edge and she struggles to find sustainable peace. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, can she sacrifice without surrendering herself?

Yardsticks, Esty Heller - Caught between ideals and family, where does one compromise? Working at a bridal boutique should be all joy and smiles, yet Mina sees past the glamour to the burden and competition. But working to combat the growing communal challenge brings her head to head with her sister and risks her daughter’s future. A fun, fresh, and compelling read looking beyond aspirations to consequences and choices. 

Beneath the Surface, Sara Weiderblank - A fast-paced, suspenseful, and thoughtful family drama about holding on and letting go. Avraham, Chava, Shula, and Hillel enjoy the satisfaction of their hard-earned careers. As the status quo turns on its head for each of them, they know just how to deal with it. But when instincts fail, can they look beyond their nature and forge a new path?

It’s a Learning Curve, Gila Arnold - A down-to-earth novel about regular life that balances easy dialogue and everyday struggle with meaningful themes and character development. Three women overcome their insecurities to achieve a lifelong dream, but the stress of managing a therapy agency introduces sharp dynamics into their friendship and brings their biggest differences to the fore.  

Flashback, Riva Pomerantz  - Michal is a satisfied homemaker until her workaholic husband Ashi loses his job, and his dignity and drive along with it. As she enters the foreign world of the workforce, the couple faces judgement, shifting priorities, and a collapsing home front. A dramatic, emotional, and thought-provoking exploration of an elusive work-life balance and the societal norms that hold us back.

Amen Allowed, M.C. Millman - Aryeh Rudniski’s life is spiraling out of control as his dating life turns bizarre and his new seventh-grade class runs circles around him. It takes a complete reimagination of what his classroom looks like to get his students’ attention, but by then his radical methods have taken on a life of their own. A colorful collection of characters and laugh-out-loud humor camouflage insight and wit.

Deception (Part 1 of 2, followed by The Last Lie), Libby Lazewnik - Something’s fishy in Nina’s beloved ER, and her healthy patients are increasingly developing cardiology complications. As Nina begins to probe this curious trend, her social life and career at the hospital are threatened. Meanwhile, Nina’s long-stagnant dating life is reawakened, but more question marks lie behind each bend. Mystery combines with family drama in this fast-paced and compelling thriller. 

Coming next time: A Peseach Release Roundup! There’s a lot of great reading to look forward to, and reviews are coming soon. If you have any questions about your Pesach book-buying before then, email frumbooks@substack.com.