Goyhood Book Review
“So how does a boy from galus end up in Eden?”
“It’s a long story.”
Synopsis
Funny, poignant, and revelatory while plumbing the emotional depths of the relationship between estranged brothers, Goyhood examines what happens when one becomes unmoored from a comfortable, spiritual existence and must decide whether coincidence is in fact destiny.
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 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 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up in a series of increasingly surreal adventures, Mayer grapples with a God who betrayed him and an emotionally withdrawn wife in Brooklyn who has yet to learn her husband is a counterfeit Jew.
REVIEW
Goyhood by Reuven Fenton took me on a surprisingly amusing ride through the Deep South amidst a spiritual identity crisis and a bit of family drama. It has its funny moments, it’s poignant, and it’s got some heart, but it also has a few quirks that left me scratching my head. Mayer (formerly known as Marty) is a Talmud scholar who’s living his best Jewish life in Brooklyn until his mother’s death drops the bombshell that he’s not actually Jewish. Cue the freakout! With his spiritual (let’s be honest, whole) world turned upside down, Mayer has to wait a week to convert, and in the meantime, he’s road-tripping through the South with his estranged twin brother David, his mom’s ashes, an Instagram influencer named Charlayne, and a one-eyed dog named Popeye. Yeah, it’s as chaotic as it sounds.
I have to say, one of the things I loved most about this book, and that Fenton does a great job with, is the world-building. You really get a feel for the Deep South and the contrasting Brooklyn life Mayer left behind. But honestly, do we need to know the name of every single street they drive down? It felt a bit over the top at times. Something else that I had polarizing thoughts on was the context the story is set in – the Jewish faith. On the one hand, I truly enjoyed learning more about the religion and lifestyle; on the other hand, there were a lot of words, phrases, situations, etc. that took me out of the book as I had to research them to understand what was going on. This story is definitely one that would probably be best enjoyed – or at least understood – by someone who is already familiar with the religion, though one that can still be read by those of us who are not. Still, once you get past these issues, the writing is quite engaging.
The depiction of the characters is interesting as well. Without spoiling anything, some of the interactions between Mayer and Charlayne don’t seem to align with Mayer’s character, though I also appreciated seeing bits of Mayer’s (pre-religious?) personality peek out. David’s character too, seems a bit conflicting. He’s chill, seems to respect Mayer’s religious choices, and overall comes off as a pretty nice guy despite some questionable life decisions. Yet, there are some inconsistencies that I don’t quite buy, particularly in relation to a certain family member of his that he has no relationship with. I also wish that we got to know Mayer’s wife a bit more. She pops up fairly regularly throughout the storyline, though I didn’t feel as though I got to know her well enough given the focus on Mayer’s marriage and was left with too many questions about her. Finally, can we talk about the nickname “Ese”? David keeps calling Mayer that, but it’s never explained. I spent half the book trying to figure out what it means and why it’s significant, but nope, no answers there (unless I totally missed it?). It’s little things like this that left me somewhat frustrated and confused.
The book dives deep into Mayer’s crisis of religious identity, which is super compelling. But there are a few loose ends and unanswered questions (which I won’t list so as to not spoil anything). However, overall, Goyhood is a fun, heartfelt read with charm and some great character moments. If you love stories about family, faith, and finding yourself, give this one a shot!
Author Profile
Reuven Fenton has been covering murder and scandal for the New York Post since 2007, and has earned national recognition for his exclusive reporting on a myriad of national stories. Mr. Fenton was inspired to write “Stolen Years” after covering an unforgettable court hearing in 2013, in which a Brooklyn judge freed David Ranta, who had been wrongfully convicted for murdering a rabbi twenty-two years earlier. The sensational story sparked an investigation into misconduct by both the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and the lead detective in the case. Mr. Fenton is a graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, and lives in New York City with his wife and two sons.
TL;DR
- Rating: 3.5 stars | Genre: Fiction | Pages: 303
- Funny, poignant, with some heart
- Crisis of religious identity
- Journey of self-discovery
- Great world-building
