A brilliant debut about a devoutly Orthodox Jewish man who discovers in middle age that he's not, in fact, Jewish, and embarks on a remarkable road trip to come to grips with his fate; it's Chaim Potok's The Chosen meets Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
When Mayer (née Marty) Belkin fled small-town Georgia for Brooklyn nearly thirty years ago, he thought he'd left his wasted youth behind. Now he's a Talmud scholar married into one of the greatest rabbinical families in the world - a dirt-poor country boy reinvented in the image of God.
But his mother's untimely death brings a shocking revelation: Mayer and his ne'er-do-well twin brother David aren't, in fact, Jewish. Traumatized and spiritually bereft, Mayer's only recourse is to convert to Judaism. But the earliest date he can get is a week from now. What are two estranged brothers to do in the interim?
So begins the Belkins' Rumspringa through America's Deep South with Mom's ashes in tow, plus two tagalongs: an insightful Instagram influencer named Charlayne Valentine and Popeye, a one-eyed dog. As the crew gets tangled up in a series of increasingly surreal adventures, Mayer grapples with a God who betrayed him and an emotionally withdrawn wife in Brooklyn who has yet to learn her husband is a counterfeit Jew.
About the Author
Reuven Fenton has been covering breaking news for the New York Post since 2007, and has earned national recognition for his exclusive reporting on myriad national stories. He is a graduate of Yeshiva University and Columbia University School of Journalism. Goyhood is his debut novel.
Industry Reviews
"A big-hearted novel about the enduring importance of faith and family . . . overall, a lot of fun." — Associated Press
"A unique story of identity and redemption that examines no less of an issue than the essence of Judaism." — The Jerusalem Post
"A sweet-natured, fast-paced picaresque, the narrative blends the fun of an impromptu, disaster-laced road trip across the American South with a more serious inquiry into American Jewish identity." — The Forward
"Fenton has a knack for the telling and visually arresting detail. His character sketches, too, are to be relished." — Atlanta Journal Constitution
“If you’re looking for a fun novel about the very real subjects of faith and brotherhood, then you must read Goyhood.” – National Public Radio
Fenton “writes with skill and verve, and his experience as a journalist shines through in the detail and texture of his writing and in his ear for dialogue.” – Jewish Book Council
“A riotous, tongue-in-cheek romp of a road trip through the American South…fascinating, funny and soulful.” – Hadassah Magazine
“The prose flows with easy cadence and sly wit. And Fenton’s personable touch is an essential virtue here…Goyhood is, by turns, a rambunctious romp and a novel of ideas.” – The Arts Fuse
* A Zibby Summer Reads Selection
"Nothing is authentic except the quest for the authentic and it's just such a quest that speeds-way-over-the-legal-limit through the pages of Reuven Fenton's remarkably funny and compassionate novel about Goys, Jews, and that most crisis-prone of contemporary identities: the male at middle-age." — Joshua Cohen, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Netanyahus
"Bravo, Reuven Fenton, for finding humor, heart, and meaning in a lost soul’s religious ups and downs. Are Mayer and his twin Jewish? Will happiness win over self-doubt? Goyhood is funny, stirring, smart and beautifully written. Such lovable characters! Such a profoundly delicious book!” — Elinor Lipman, author of Ms. Demeanor and The Inn at Lake Devine
"A surprising and compelling novel written with the authenticity of an insider, the evocative precision of a journalist, and the heart of an audacious romantic." — Jonathan Tropper, author of NYT Bestseller This is Where I Leave You
"A novel with plenty of spritz." — Kirkus Reviews
"With its intricate character development and evocative storytelling, Goyhood is a must-read for those who seek a story with depth, humor, and heart.” — The American Israelite
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