Astheydoeveryyear,YosefZinman,awell-to-doTelAvivgrocer,andhisbelovedwifeZippiplanavacationduringtheholidayofSukkottoSeefeldinthemountainousTirolsregionofAustria.Thisyear,Zippidecidestoinvitehersister,whohasfallenonhardtimeswithafailingperfumerybusiness.Soon,moreandmorerelativesjoininonthetrip,andtheexpensesquicklybegintoaddup.Togatherallthefundsneeded,thefamilygoesintothebusinessofinexpensiveclothingandfashionshowsforworkers’unions.Thesummerpromiseshandsomerevenues,butastheZinmanfamilynearstheirgoal,theybecomeincreasinglyvexedbytheircompetinginterests.Atragic-comicnovelinitsessence,PettyBusinesschroniclesayearinonefamily’slife,setagainstthebackdropofTelAviv’srapidlychangingglobaleconomyintheearly1990s.Pinkus’sbitingcritiqueofTelAviv’sprovincialcharacteranditsresidents’shtetlmentalityisdeliveredwithaperfectcombinationofwit,humor,andtenderpathos.
