By 
TORONTO, ON — October 30, 2026 — What happens when three fiercely independent women in their seventies and eighties, a secretly delivered baby, and a luxurious 1990s Florida retirement community collide? Chaos, cocktails, and unexpected emotional depth.
In Platinum Palms, her new novel arriving November 10, 2026, Toronto author Naomi Elana Zener blends outrageous comedy with a story of friendship, chosen family, intergenerational trauma, and antisemitism. The premise has been described as Three Men and a Baby meets The Golden Girls, with a distinctly Boca Raton twist.
The story unfolds in the lavish Platinum Palms enclave, where martinis flow freely, gambling is routine, and swingers’ parties appear on the social calendar. The only clear prohibition is children. Cookie Bregman, Ruthie Vijay-Silverberg, and Ethel Gold rule this world as a tight-knit trio known as the “Boca Bitches.” Armed with diamond-encrusted fists and fierce loyalty, they have mastered the art of senior living.
Their carefully ordered lives unravel when a baby arrives on Cookie’s doorstep for safekeeping and ends up with her arch-nemesis, Gertrude, a fiercely antisemitic neighbour. What follows is an increasingly outrageous mission to protect the child while concealing the truth from their nosy community.
Inspiration and Themes
Beneath the humour lies a personal tribute. Zener drew from her maternal grandmother’s circle of friends, many of them Holocaust survivors. She grew up watching women who had endured profound hardship yet preserved their humour, friendships, and zest for life.
“Through all the hardship, there was always humour and uproarious laughter,” Zener said. “I’ve found that in every dark experience there’s a comedic silver lining that gets us through and helps us find our way to the light.”
With so many of that generation now gone, she views Platinum Palms as both a celebration of their resilience and a way to pass their spirit forward, l’dor vador, from generation to generation.
The novel also explores grief, trust, antisemitism, and what family means. Gertrude, more than a simple antagonist, raises a pointed question: Can hatred be unlearned?
“Love is not the antidote to hate; education is,” Zener said. “People can change, and we should afford them the opportunity to do so.”
At its core, the story celebrates chosen family, the people who become sisters, protectors, and lifelines regardless of blood or background. Zener also deliberately portrays older women as fully alive: sexual, mischievous, independent, and unapologetically fun.
“Life doesn’t end until your heart stops beating,” she said. “I hope that if I live long enough, my senior years will do the Boca Bitches proud.”
“These women refused to let trauma define the rest of their lives,” Zener added. “They laughed, they loved, and they kept showing up for each other. That spirit is what I wanted to honour.”
About the Author and Publication
Naomi Elana Zener is the author of Deathbed Dime$ (2014, Iguana Books). A lawyer and writer, her work has appeared in HuffPost, Kveller, and Erica Ehm’s Yummy Mummy Club. She lives in Toronto with her husband and three children, whom she calls her bosses. Her husband, she notes, is another matter.
Platinum Palms is published by Rivkah Books, a traditional Canadian house founded by bestselling author Rebecca Eckler. The imprint focuses on fiction and nonfiction by Jewish authors and works exploring Jewish themes. “Rivkah,” derived from Hebrew, means “to bind” and “to connect,” reflecting the publisher’s aim to foster dialogue amid rising antisemitism.
