In the
comfort of her Brooklyn basement bra shop, Sima Goldner teaches other women to
appreciate their bodies, but feels betrayed by her own. Shamed by her
infertility and by a secret from her youth, she has given up on happiness and
surrendered to a bitter marriage. But then Timna, a young Israeli with enviable
cleavage, becomes the shop seamstress. As the two serve the colorful customers
of their Orthodox Jewish neighborhood, Sima finds herself awakened to adventure
and romance. Years after giving up on their marriage, Sima and her husband,
Lev, must decide if what they have is worth saving.
1. Beyond undergarments, what
does Sima’s shop provide her community? What does it provide her? Is she aware
of this?
2. For thirty-five years,
Sima’s seen a range of women’s shapes and sizes in her store and because of
this, she is far more accepting of women’s varied body types. Do you think
women have more body anxiety than men? Why? Do you have any fears or concerns
about your own body image? If so, how do you confront them?
3. Sima believes that
good-fitting bras are the foundation of a good outfit. What item of clothing do
you think is indispensable? What item do you think is impossible to find in a
perfect fit?
4. Not having children created
a deep rift in Sima and Lev’s relationship. Did you feel any sympathy for
either of them? If so, who and why? Is Sima and Lev’s marriage worth saving?
5. Why did Sima keep her
secret from Lev for such a long time? Should she have told him sooner? If she
did, how do you think he would have reacted?
6. What do Timna and Sima
learn from each other? What is Timna’s greatest strength? What is Sima’s? Do you
have a friend who inspires or teaches you?
The most interesting part of
the conversation was about the Question #3 prompt. We all agreed that “indispensable”
clothing depended on where you lived, in which case, shoes were at the top of
the list. Many stories we’ve heard
and/or read related tales of people who knew if their shoes were taken during a
winter, they were dead. In
addition, coats and hats, if you live in a cold climate. Certainly finding the “correct”
undergarments are important, depending, on your body type!
