Eleanor Moskovitz is having a rough time - the man she thought could be the one left her with no warning, she's having a hard time finding purpose at work, and she still lives with her overprotective Jewish mother. To make matters worse, on her way to a new job interview, her taxi is rear-ended by one of New York society's most popular socialites, Patricia Bellamy. Patricia insists Eleanor come up to her apartment to freshen up. There she meets Margaux, Patricia's sullen teenage daughter, still trying to deal with her new life after recovering from polio. Eleanor and Margaux take to each other, and when Patricia finds out Eleanor was a teacher, she hires her to tutor her daughter. Margaux blossoms under Eleanor's tutelage, and Patricia is thrilled that her daughter has come back to life. So much, that Patricia invites Eleanor to come with them to their summer home in Connecticut as Margaux's companion.

Spending her summer with the Bellamys starts out well enough: easy lessons with Margaux, lunch at the club, and dinner parties with the neighbors, but Eleanor knows Patricia is keeping Eleanor's Jewish heritage from her haughty WASP friends. She also can't help but feel Patricia's husband, Wynn, thinks she's a bad influence on Margaux. But when Patricia's bohemian brother Tom comes to stay, Eleanor is smitten, and it seems Tom is, too. But if Patricia finds out, will she still want Eleanor to work with Margaux? And can the Park Avenue set really accept Eleanor as one of their own?

NOT OUR KIND by Kitty Zeldis is an enjoyable and witty novel! Set a couple of years after WWII, Eleanor is a young woman on the brink of independence in a changing world. While she'd never do anything to truly hurt her mother and her family values, Eleanor wants to live life on her own terms, and making a career change to a private tutor for a rich family is just the first step. On the other hand, Patricia is dealing with a strained marriage and her daughter's attempts to return to their old life. Both Eleanor and Patricia are tested throughout this book, and they both have to figure out what matters most to them: what is expected, or what will make them happy. Zeldis' descriptions of 1940s sophisticated fashion, glitzy decor, and flashy parties bring the world fully to life. Even with a breezy tone, more serious matters are explored with care and intrigue. A thoughtful and dazzling historical fiction novel!