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*Goyhood* by Reuven Fenton is a compelling exploration of identity, belonging, and the complexities of cultural intersection. Fenton's vivid storytelling immerses readers in the world of the protagonist, who navigates the challenges of growing up in a predominantly Jewish community while grappling with his own sense of self.

The characters are well-drawn and relatable, each bringing their unique perspectives to the narrative. Fenton’s writing is sharp and often humorous, balancing the weight of serious themes with moments of levity. The dialogue feels authentic, capturing the nuances of both friendship and family dynamics.

While the pacing occasionally slows, the rich detail and emotional depth more than make up for it. Fenton has a knack for weaving together poignant moments that linger long after the book is finished.

Overall, *Goyhood* is a thought-provoking read that invites reflection on culture and community. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in the intricacies of identity and the experiences that shape us.

(3.75 stars)
Goyhood immediately attracted me for its title alone. And I’m glad I got a chance to read it. There were lots of laughs and some very poignant moments along the way.

The set-up: twins Marty and David Belkin are 12 years old, living in Moab, Georgia, somewhere near Atlanta, when Chabad sets up in town. The Chabad Rabbi meets the boys’ mom, Ida Mae, and she tells him that they are in fact Jewish, which was news to the boys.

Marty becomes Mayer and becomes a learned Orthodox Jew, a Talmud scholar, and lives in Brooklyn. He is married to Sarah, the daughter of an esteemed rabbi, but their marriage, to me, felt very “pro forma”. This was definitely not a love match and it made me sad. Her character was never really explored in this book and I wish it had been. I particularly would have liked some explanation of why she was taking the pills she was (trying not to include spoilers is hard!).

When Ida Mae dies, Marty/Mayer and David see each other after many years apart. (Their very different lifestyles kept them apart, not any specific falling out.) Their mother left a letter for them, explaining that no, they really aren’t Jewish in the traditional sense (your mother has to be Jewish in traditional Judaism, for you to be considered Jewish, without having to convert). This throws Mayer’s sense of self into complete disarray and he is unmoored. David too, to a lesser extent, because he didn’t have the same life experiences as Mayer. Mayer tries to arrange a quick official conversion ceremony on the QT and hasn’t told his wife the news yet.

The idea to go on a sort of Rumspringa while in a sort of spiritual limbo, was an interesting one. David rents a car and off they go. Their adventures were delightful. I absolutely loved the character of Charlayne, an influencer that David knew, with whom they met up in New Orleans. Her character wound up having lots of layers revealed. Some of the best passages in the book take place while they are helping her get to the start of the Appalachian Trail, a bucket list item for Charlayne.

This book will probably work for those completely unfamiliar with Judaism and its practices, but some of it may be mystifying for them. There is a lot of Yiddish and Hebrew sprinkled throughout, and only some of it will probably be understood via the context. My copy of the book did not have a glossary of terms.

Thank you to Central Avenue Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Goyhood is a story about brothers whose lives changed in a moment - being told they're Jewish, each brother deciding to take totally different paths, and a statement made at death that changes everything, including brothers ending up on an outrageous adventure. Personally, I found this one of the best reads ever! Right from the beginning, I was laughing while being able to imagine how everything that happens could happen! If you love family stories, how people's lives can change in moments, and even stories of dedication, this book is for you! Loved it!

This is an unusual story, one that features twins who took very different life paths. Growing up in Georgia to a single mother, Marty and David are attached at the hip. Then they are introduced to a Chabad Lubavitch rabbi who’s set up a local synagogue at the age of 12, and their lives diverge. Marty goes to New York City and becomes an observant Jew, studying the Torah almost constantly and married. David is some sort of entrepreneur, living a very secular life. When their mother dies suddenly, they are reunited, discover that their mother lied about them being Jewish, and the journey really begins there. This means that the book took a bit to get started in terms of a plot, but the character development is so important. There are also some interesting side characters who are introduced that add most of the humor.

Overall, this is a funny but also sad story as Marty and David take a road trip from Georgia to New York City. It is a bit dark at points, and full of emotions. Marty and David are grieving, not just the loss of their mother but for Marty’s discovery that he isn’t who he thought he was. Both of them experience a lot of growth throughout the book, and I ultimately grew to really care about these characters. It would be a great book to read during your own road trip, or simply at home. I recommend this one. Thank you to Central Avenue Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced e-copy

A quirky, fun book. Not my usual sort of read, but I really enjoyed it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers.

This is a witty road trip book, where two estranged twin brothers discover that they have been living a lie. They thought that they were Jewish and they are not, and while this is a minor detail for one of the brothers, for the other it is potentially life changing.

The prologue shows the two boys growing up in their home town with a very nostalgic feel to a typical childhood played out during long summers. Thirty years later they have grown apart and away from that place and time. One brother becomes a very strict Orthodox Jew with his life and marriage built around his faith and so he has to find a way to deal with this. In true American style: road trip.

After the prologue the first few chapters are rather slow and a little heavy, and this is down to the words and phrases that relate to Judaism that are rather alien to me. For some repeated words I looked them up to find their meaning, others I skipped past but it led to a disjointed text for me. Other aspects of Jewish traditions that I could follow are very interesting and make a fascinating feature to the story.
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Once the road trip begins, the story lightens up and becomes an easy read. The pace is fairly good and the characters the brothers meet along the way are colourful, notably a female influencer (who causes concern for the religious brother) and a one-eyed dog. The dog steals the show, so to speak. Of course he does

A book about identity, family, faith and friendship, which makes a fun read but would be appreciated more by those who are familiar with Jewish life and customs.

Goyhood may be a novel centered on a Jewish character, but, being not Jewish and only loosely familiar with the people and their religion, I found myself really enjoying this one. There are a lot of phrases that aren’t translated that Mayer uses that might make more of an impact on a reader familiar with them, and I constantly felt like I was missing out on truly understanding, though. Mayer’s life is turned upside down when his mother passes and, while I got the devastation and gist of what he was going through, I still felt like I was missing out on a layer. But this was still a lot of fun to read and I had a delightful time on a road trip with two brothers, the stray dog they picked up, and their new friend Charlayne.

David and Marty are twins growing up in a small town in Georgia when a rabbi moves into town and their mother reveals they’re Jewish. David essentially shrugs it off, more interested in watching TV, but Marty feels like he’s finally found where he’s supposed to be. Years later, Marty has become Mayer, a Talmud scholar married to the daughter of a notable rabbi in New York City while David has drifted around, getting into trouble and earning and losing money. When their mother dies, Mayer travels back down to Georgia, joining David and discovering alongside the long-time rabbi there that their mother lied: they’re about as far from Jewish as they could be. Now finding himself in a religious and identity crisis, Mayer has no choice but to lie to his wife and try to get himself converted properly as quickly as possible. In the meantime, David convinces him they should drive to New York, making a number of stops where misadventure ensues, picking up a grieving Instagram influencer Mayer unexpectedly connects with and a dog, and reconnecting for the first time since they were children.

Goyhood is partly about a Jewish man in the middle of an identity and religious crisis and partly about two brothers reconnecting. While one was a little harder for me to understand as I know very little about the Jewish faith and people, I had massive fun with the other. These brothers were a lot of fun, being almost complete opposites but needing each other fiercely, whether they know it or not. Their road trip was delightfully fun, and I loved how it revealed so much about each man and what they really needed in their lives.

The story is told from Mayer’s perspective. He very much felt like the kind of Jewish man that usually springs to mind. He’s devout, wholly committed to his God and way of life, though his wife often felt more like a cold fish and was absolutely keeping secrets. But he seems comfortable and content in his way of life, which, after reaching the end of the novel, kind of felt a little sad. Which just shows just how much he needed the road trip with his brother. I felt awful for him when he world was flipped upside down and inside out, but I was actually kind of glad for him. It was fun to see how much he clung to what he knew while also being slowly opened up to new ideas and experiences. I loved watching his growth and the back and forth he went through.

David, Charlayne, and Popeye the dog round out his road trip crew. David certainly felt like Mayer’s opposite in a lot of ways. Unlike his brother, he never really put down any roots, drifting around, though now he’s finally made a good deal of money and isn’t shy about using it. He’s a lot more impulsive and spontaneous, living each moment as it comes and always trying to get his brother to loosen up. I loved him, and loved him with Mayer. As opposite as they are, the brothers really made a good team and I loved seeing them together. Charlayne was sweet and wonderful. Grieving her late husband, she’s determined to do a certain hiking trail, but is getting a late start. After picking her up in New Orleans, they agree to take her to the trail, but have a series of crazy misadventures on the way. These, though, managed to be a lot of fun and said a lot about all of them. I loved how much in common she and Mayer had, but they kept their relationship platonic despite a shimmering interest under the surface. I loved how alike they were and what a good team they made, but, of course, Mayer’s married and Charlayne is too good and sweet to interfere as well as a woman grieving the love of her life. Popeye is an abandoned one-eyed dog David convinces Mayer they should keep. He proved to be such a good dog, a loyal companion. It wasn’t always convenient having him around, but they never left him and always thought of him, and I just thought it was so sweet.

I had a lot of fun going on this road trip with them. Little by little, Mayer loosened up, and that was fun to see. With time and good company, his crises seemed eased at least a little to a point where he could enjoy the company he found himself in and the crazy things they did. Because they really were kind of crazy and almost unbelievable. But they also gave them all time to reflect on their lives and what they really wanted and needed. It gave Mayer plenty of time to think and experience a different way of living. It was so at odds with his firmly established routine, but gave him the opportunity to re-evaluate his entire life, to experience things that I gathered were forbidden, or close to it, for him to engage in. I really enjoyed seeing the small steps, the small changes, he allowed and made to make him into who he was at the end. The epilogue was an absolute delight and I loved the way it played out.

What I loved most, though, was the reconnection between the brothers. After years apart, they prove how much they still needed each other, which was really quite heartwarming. I loved that they had their mothers’s ashes with them the whole time, and so much of their story was tied into how they grew up and what their mother was like. But what I liked best was seeing how these two very different men could somehow meet in the middle and become a family again. No matter how angry and frustrated they could get with each other, their brotherly bond was strongly re-established, and it just made me so happy to read about. They’re a delightful duo, and I really appreciated the moments of raw honesty.

Goyhood is a really fun road trip novel. I loved feeling like I was in the car with them, traveling around the South and then up north. They got themselves into so many unlikely and wacky situations that watching them get out of them was the fun part. But there are also slower, quieter moments that really helped develop and grow their characters and their relationships. These were beautiful in so many ways, and I loved feeling that shift from who they were to who they became. While I wish more of the places they visited had been delved into a little more to really make them come alive, I did enjoy their journey and it was really the more personal journeys that were the stars.

I really enjoyed my time with Goyhood, even if I felt like I was missing out on something since I really had no idea what Mayer was talking about or saying at times. The story of these brothers reconnecting, though, stole my heart, and I just had so much fun with them. I loved that it was the central relationship while hinting at all the others. Despite such a strong Jewish character telling the story and wishing I understood his faith a lot more, I did find that I didn’t necessarily need to know any of it to enjoy this story. Mayer’s crises may have formed the foundation of this novel, but the relationship with his brother was really the heart, and that’s what I was here for, so I’m glad it did not disappointed in the least.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have mixed thoughts about this book.

It started out strong, with fresh, crisp writing and an interesting premise--what if everything you were told your whole life was a lie? Tie in a religious framework and two brothers who are polar opposites, and you've got a great setup for an emotional roller coaster and a journey of self-discovery.

That was until they started the journey.

From there, it took a different direction. Somehow, the journey wasn't as exciting as I was hoping for. Some of it was predictable, like the addition of a pretty girl.

I didn't really like the characters. The main character, Marty/Mayer, was a study in contradictions. He's at first painted as a kind of shlemiel who lets his wife run his life, so much so that he doesn't notice some major red flags in his marriage. He's a soft, bird-watching kind of guy. But over the course of the book we find out he has a silver tongue and stands up to bullies.

I felt that Mayer's character characterization was shallow. We see his devotion to Judaism through spouting verses and some behaviors, like not wanting to let go of his yarmulke. But the deep understanding about life and faith that he would have developed over the 20 years he learned Torah was missing.

The author has a good sense of Orthodox life, but whether through lack of knowledge or negative experience, it's not painted with much depth or positivity. In that sense, I found, as usual, negative stereotyping about orthodox Jews. They are mostly bad guys in this story, although the Chabad Rabbi was accurately portrait as warm and positive. I imagine readers wondering why in the world Mayer is so interested in that lifestyle. The non-Jewish Charlayne is the "good" person here, while the reform female Rabbi has all the wisdom.

The ending was not predictable, but not in a way that felt satisfying, more in a way that you're like "What just happened?" It was also very abrupt, although there's an epilogue that ties up the loose ends. The ending is meant to be inspiring, with the brothers figuring out new things about life.

This is my personal opinion, and I think my positive experience with Orthodox Jews paints how I perceive others' portrayals. They usually get my goat. The average reader will probably find this fun, refreshing, and interesting.

*Edited after further thought.*

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced copy for review.

This tale is about life, death, and discovering who you really are despite what you grew up believing.

Mayer is quite an intriguing character. He has devoted his life to studying the Talmud, but the passing of his mother opens a can of worms. I found Mayer very rigid, and perhaps that is how he should have acted, considering his life as a scholar. But, a few days with his twin brother opens up a new world for him. He resists it as much as he can, but accepting this twist in his life isn't easy.

David, Mayer's twin, has lived a somewhat carefree life. He has jumped from job to job but seems to have found his niche. He is the opposite of Mayer, but their relationship works. I think it helps loosen Mayer up from his rigid life, but at the same time, Mayer has a steadying influence on David. 

I loved their adventure from Georgia to New Orleans and then up to the Appalachian Trail. Each stop and the interactions with those they meet along the way are insightful and humorous. 

There is a dog in the book, one they affectionately call Popeye. I think there is more to Popeye's story, but we only know what we are told. 

I might attach the "coming of age" label to this book despite the fact that these are grown men. However, their adventure does help bring them into their own, even if it is 20+ years too late.

My only negative is the number of Hebrew words and phrases. It is to be expected since one of the main characters is Jewish (or so he believes). While the author does a good job interpreting them, it was a bit much for this non-Jewish person. It doesn't take away from the book, but I did tend to skim over those sections. 

This was a fun book to read, and I think it would be great for men hitting that mid-life crisis.

We give the book 4 paws up.

I was interested in the core premise of this story, since I wrote a story with the same core question at its center (despite having a different plot, theme, genre) and was curious to see how the author tackled it.
I liked the fact that the ending wasn't obvious at all, meaning that I was in suspense throughout reading the book.
The adult coming on age story and the relationship between the brothers was moving.
The depiction of Orthodox Jews and Talmudic study felt very authentic. I was dissapointed though that most of the only Ultra-Orthodox characters were depicted quite one dimensionally and did perpetuate some negative stereotypes. I would have preferred to have Sarah's character more fleshed out. I felt the ending was too abrubt and should have focused more on the protagonists relationship with his wife.
I'm looking forward to reading this author's next work of fiction. Genuine and authentic portrayals of the Jewish community in fiction are so important!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Marty Belkin’s life changed forever after a rabbi came to Moab, Georgia. While biking with his twin brother David, Marty spotted a massive menorah in the yard of a house decked with a “Chabad of Moab” banner. Returning home, they find their mother Ida Mae chatting with Yossi Kugel, who had dropped by after searching for “Jewish-sounding names” in the phone book.

“We’re not Jewish,” stated Marty, only to be informed by his mom that her mother was born to Jewish parents. Before long, Marty had changed his name to Mayer, and, at the tender age of 13, he left Georgia behind (along with David and Ida Mae) to study Torah at a New York yeshiva. A few years later, Mayer is married off to the rosh yeshiva’s daughter; despite the fact that they have not been blessed with children, he is content with his life, his wife, and the endless hours he spends in “holy labor” at the beis medrash.

One day, David calls to let Mayer know that their mother is dead, and summons him back to Georgia. Mayer reluctantly returns, and is immediately hit with two bombshells: first, that Ida Mae died by suicide; and second, that she lied about being Jewish. Which means Mayer’s life as a Jewish scholar is over, along with his marriage to Sarah: “She’ll be completely destroyed,” he tells David. “It’s as if she’d been eating treif meat for eighteen years because the butcher claimed it was kosher when it wasn’t.” His only hope is a stealth conversion, but it’ll take at least a week for him to get an appointment for a giyur.

David convinces Mayer to come with him on a road trip, accompanied by their mother’s ashes (“She said she wants to be sprinkled somewhere that’ll make her smile from the afterlife,” says David). From the den of iniquity that is New Orleans to the scenic beauty of the Appalachian Trail to a rather suspect fireworks store, David’s aim is to show his sheltered brother the joys of secular life—a sort of middle-aged rumspringa.

As indicated by the previous paragraphs, there are a number of Hebrew words and phrases sprinkled throughout the book, but as a non-Jew, I found it easy to figure things out from the context. Mainly, this is a story about coming to terms with your life after a great upheaval, one which in Mayer’s case requires rethinking everything he’s believed: about himself, about his marriage, about God.

At times, David comes across as a bit of a blowhard who doesn’t fully accept his brother’s faith, but it eventually becomes clear that his actions come from a place of loneliness—he misses his brother, and wants to take a chance and see if perhaps there’s some of the old Marty left underneath Mayer’s Orthodox exterior. (Plus, how can you dislike a guy who adopts a mangy stray dog and brings him along for the ride?) By the end of this heartfelt novel about brotherly love, both David and Mayer find themselves forever changed.

This book was a delight! The premise of estranged twins, one of whom has become a very orthodox Jew and one of whom struggled before becoming rich off e-cigarettes. They get together when their mother unexpectedly dies, discover they are not, in fact actually Jewish and mayhem follows. The tone of this book is just right, no judgement on different lifestyles, just an exploration of families, identity and meaning. The author is a master of showing rather than telling. It feels a bit like a companion piece to Abomination by Ashley Goldberg, as they both cover the same themes, albeit with very different outcomes. That was the only disappointment of the novel for me - the final scene was fantastic, and the epilogue (six months later) seemed both unnecessary and incongruous. A wonderful debut and I look forward to future books by Reuven Fenton.

Thanks to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

In a Nutshell: A contemporary coming-of-age novel, though the main characters are middle-aged. A good debut work, but somewhat uneven in execution. This book didn’t gel with me for various reasons, but it does have its merits and ought to work better for the right reader, preferably a Jewish one.

Plot Preview:
Twins David and Marty were pretty close in childhood, but have been estranged since many years. They live almost contrasting lives. Marty, who now goes by Mayer, is a Talmud scholar married into a rich rabbinic family from Brooklyn. David lives a hedonistic life, focussed more on material enhancement than on spiritual development.
When their mother dies and the brothers come together to plan a funeral, they are totally unprepared for the shell-shocking revelation in her final missive: she was not Jewish. And as per Jewish law, if your mother isn’t Jewish, neither are you. This obviously impacts Mayer much more than David. Mayer’s only solution is to convert to Judaism before his wife finds out, and hopefully convince her to marry him again as their marriage is no longer valid. With the earliest date he can get for the conversion being a week away, David suggests a road trip n the interim, with their mom’s ashes in tow.
The story comes to us in the limited third person perspective of the twins.

When I read the blurb of this book, I was quite intrigued by the concept of a faith crisis. Who are we after we are stripped of the religious identity given to us in childhood? Food for introspection! But somehow, the execution of the plot and the character development didn’t click well for me. I have read a few Jewish fiction books, and enjoyed them all. This one is going to be the first exception, to my utter regret.

Bookish Yays:
😍 The initial chapters, until just before the road trip begins – quite interesting.
😍 Plenty of pop culture references appropriate to the era.
😍 The writing flow and grasp of the language – quite strong for a debut novelist, and not surprising, considering the author’s background as a journalist.
😍 The exploration of the connection of faith and identity – so thought-provoking! Also loved how some of the characters explained why God works the way he does. Very interesting!
😍 Popeye the one-eyed dog. Need I explain why!

Bookish Mixed Bags:
😐 The contrary personalities of the siblings – one cool, one geeky – makes for an intriguing experience. The bond between the brothers also comes out well. However, I find it tough to connect with characters who are written as cool through their materialistic tendencies.
😐 The road trip was great and gives ample opportunity to get to know the twins. However, the writing makes the trip appear episodic, with disconnected jumps across events through the journey.
😐 The book has plenty of humour, some sardonic and situational, which works for me and some crass and/or somewhat sexist, which is never to my taste.
😐 While the characters – both lead and supporting – are atypical to a great extent, I couldn’t really get a hang of many of their personalities. I could see what they do, but couldn’t figure out the whys. They all seemed to be ‘in the moment’ decision-makers, which made them appear rather capricious. I especially wish that Mayer’s wife had been better fleshed out. Her character had so much potential, but we barely got to understand her.
😐 The story focusses much on Orthodox Jewish beliefs. This was a learning experience, as well as a befuddling one. Some part went above my head. For instance, I did not know that “goy” meant “non-Jew”. After I Googled this, the title makes sense. There are many such instances in the book where I felt like I missed out on the essence of something because I didn’t get the exact nuance of the word used, though there is some contextual elaboration in many cases. I didn’t want to keep on searching online because there were too many such words and looking them up was breaking my reading flow. I’d have appreciated a glossary at the start of the book for all non-English words.
😐 The pace is fairly steady, but the middle section drags a bit.


Bookish Nays:
☹️ Somehow, the book feels more slapstick than realistic, even though the story has serious moments. There are many exaggerations of ordinary situations. These might lead to a great movie adaptation, but as a reader, this type of OTT content doesn’t work for me.
☹️ For some reason, I couldn’t connect with the character of Charlayne, the Black influencer. She was too perfect to feel authentic, so she felt like an anomaly in this book. (This could also be chalked down to my bias against influencers.) Those long conversations with her spouting the truths of life didn’t work for me.
☹️ The ending was quite disappointing to me. Without going into spoilers, all I can say is that it came out of nowhere and didn’t fit the original character trajectory.

All in all, many of my issues stem from the lack of connect with the Jewish terms and the character choices. At the same time, I feel like this will work better for the right reader. Mine is an outlier review, so feel free to take the above with a pinch of salt.

Such books make me feel like there should be a genre called “Men’s Fiction”. It is unfair that there is Women’s Fiction and not Men’s Fiction, right? And this book would be perfect for such a label: male characters, male sentiments, coming of age even when you are middle-aged,… almost every bit of this novel is geared towards the male reader. That doesn’t mean women won’t enjoy it. But I think men will be able to connect better with it.

Recommended to those readers who are more familiar than I am with Jewish terms, and enjoy male-centric road trip books.

2.75 stars. (3 stars means “I liked it”. So this rating means that I came close to liking it.)

My thanks to the author, Central Avenue Publishing, and NetGalley for the DRC of “Goyhood”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This is a delightfully written tale of estranged twin brothers, Marty and David Belkin, reconnecting after the death of their mother. They were close as young boys, growing up poor in Moab with a single mother, enjoying making their own fun and adventures. However, after learning from their mother that they are Jewish, Marty went on to embrace his faith eventually moving to Brooklyn to become a great Talmud scholar and marry the daughter of a highly esteemed Rabbi. Meanwhile David embarked on enjoying the good life of wine, women and illicit substances while making and losing fortunes in risky businesses until he eventually hitting paydirt getting in on the ground floor with the advent of vaping.

Now middle aged, it’s years since the boys have seen each other but they both travel to Moab for their mother’s funeral where David is keen for them to reconnect. Their mother has left them a letter with life altering new that will send them reeling on a road trip together through the Southern states in a red Charger called Daisy.

Their road trip becomes a journey of discovery as both brothers confront issues regarding their faith, identity and paths in life. It’s full of very funny moments as well as touching ones. The trip is a huge eye-opener for Marty who has led a very sheltered and limited life and is finding it hard to grapple with what his mother has told them and how it will affect his life.
Adding to the fun, they adopt a stray dog along the way and meet a remarkable woman planning on walking the Appalachian Trail. They have some excellent adventures and mishaps, reminding both brothers of how much they meant to each other as children. A very enjoyable, quirky read with great characters, guaranteed to make you smile!

This book was an unexpected pleasure. It was not that I did not expect to like it but I am not sure that I expected to quite enjoy it as much as I did.
This is about two twin brothers who are pursuing their lives very differently: one is living his life as an Orthodox Jew and the other leads a very hedonistic life in Georgia, where they had both started out. They are reunited when their mother dies and they go on a road trip where they hope to spread her ashes in a place she would love. In an effort not to give too much away, I will just say that there are questions regarding Judaism, relationships (both between the brothers and between the religious brother and his wife) that both need to sort out while experiencing adventures and mishaps that are perhaps just a bit far fetched but entertaining, including some soul searching about what each wants in life.
I learned a good deal about Orthodox Judaism. Just enough. There was, however, great characterization and themes that were raised without being too heavy handed. This is a book that I may just pick up again at some point.
By the way, I think this needs to be made into a movie. I was creating the scenes in my head as I read (not something I often do).
Thanks to and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.
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Hold on to your yarmulkes! Reuven Fenton’s Goyhood is part of a series of books published recently by different authors that have combined the road trip genre with explorations of the Jewish faith. First came The Men Can’t Be Saved by Ben Purkert, which saw a young man travel to be close to a girl he has designs on, befriending an Orthodox rabbi en route. Then came The Golem of Brooklyn by Adam Mansbach, saw a young New York man take off for western Kentucky in pursuit of a giant Golem he had created. Now comes Goyhood, which forms a trifecta with the two previously mentioned books. Goyhood is about two brothers — Mayer and David — who find out they’re Jewish as young boys. Mayer (née Marty) leaves home shortly thereafter to become an Orthodox Jewish student in New York City while David would go on to have a successful e-cigarette business after many failed attempts at cashing in on whatever craze may be out there. However, when their mother dies and both men travel back to their childhood home for the funeral, they find out that their mother wasn’t Jewish after all (in fact, her father was a Nazi) and both men find themselves on a road trip in a 1969 Dodge Charger across the Deep South looking for a way out of their predicament. Along the way, they pick up a dog as a traveling companion and meet a Black woman named Charlayne whom Mayer may or may not be falling for. There is also an incident at a fireworks store that nearly blinds Mayer. In the end, the brothers wind up bonding closer together as they determine a way for Mayer to truly become Jewish.

Goyhood is more than a book that is about Orthodox Jewish people and what it means to be strictly observant of the faith. It’s a book about brotherhood and family, and the things that make non-strangers lives tick together. While some of the promotional copy compares Goyhood to the zaniness of the Marx Brothers, it is less cartoonish than the Marxes and is closer in spirit to The Odd Couple. David is a dope-smoking, freewheeling spirit while Mayer is more reserved and dutifully obedient to his spiritual side. He is also committed to his wife, though his brother puts him in the path of temptation to challenge and shake his hard-fast faith and marriage — such as detouring to New Orleans during Mardi Gras, where Mayur winds up getting an eyeful on the city streets. (Which later turns into Mayer nearly losing an eye possibly as a direct punishment for his inhibitions.) What’s remarkable about Goyhood is that it shares a similar tone to that of Seinfeld – there’s a touch of Larry David in the humor of this book. In addition, it also shares a similar sense of humor to the two books previously mentioned in this review. If I didn’t know any better, I would say that Fenton had fused his mind to both Purkert’s and Mansbach’s to come up with a tale that was reminiscent of their books, but additionally completely original in approach, too.

I did have questions, though, when it came to incidents in Goyhood. (This may be just me missing something as I was reading, but it’s worth bringing up in case it’s not.) We’re shown early on that David is wealthy enough to afford a car with a chauffeur that has military grade A/C, but for some reason that I must have overlooked, David and Mayer wind up renting that aforementioned Charger to drive throughout the southeastern United States. So, there seems to be the occasional plot hole that crops up in the pages of this novel. However, it is enjoyable despite the deficiencies. It’s a very Jewish book — more so than the previous two books mentioned in this review as it deals with the more Orthodox side of the Jewish faith. As a Christian, I’m sure that some of this went over my head, but the use of frequent Hebrew and religious concepts gives the book a characteristic flavor. In the end, Goyhood is a terrific blend of the sacred and the secular, as personified separately in each brother, and may make you smile from time to time with its trenchant humor. (My favorite bit in the book is the traffic stop featuring a sarcastic cop.)

Finally, I can say that you should go out and read Goyhoodand support this author because, as it would turn out, the author reached out to me to review this book and seems like a nice enough fellow. I know that while you-know-what-holes can create works of great art, I don’t know about you, but I’d rather support artists who have more of a positive temperament than not. In any event, I told Fenton that the review might be delayed due to a looming death in the family, and I was told to put Goyhood out of my mind and reach out and spend time with the dying individual. While I’m physically distanced from the individual in question, I did write an email to them upon receiving Fenton’s advice. Thus, the guy has his priorities in the right place, and I appreciate his patience with me. In any event, my recommendation is to turn Goyhood into a sort of trilogy read. It can be read in tandem with The Men Can’t Be Saved and The Golem of Brooklyn, as much as it can be enjoyed on its own. Whether or not you read all three books is up to you, but one thing is for sure: Goyhood, by itself, is a wild and turbulent ride through some sardonic wit, and you’re bound to like it regardless of your faith.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I requested this months ago and was surprised to receive it. I was intrigued by the premise (and I like to support Jewish books). When I started reading it, I then became skeptical. And then I liked it! Really liked it!

The story follows twins Mayer/Marty and David Belkin who grow up in a hardscrabble household in a small town in Georgia with their ne'er do well mom, Ida Mae. When they meet the local Chabad rabbi as kids and their mother tells the boys they are Jewish, Mayer finds his calling as an Orthodox Jew. Mayer moves to New York, becomes a yeshiva bocher, and marries the rabbi's daughter. David on the other hand does a lot of drugs and women, engages in criminal activities - the stereotypical bad boy.

When Ida Mae dies, the brothers are thrown back together and they find out that actually are not Jewish. As Mayer spirals, David takes him on a road trip where they have a ton of adventures and misadventures.

I found the book was very well-written but I have to think for folks who are not familiar with the Jewish terms and traditions it might be a confusing read.

Shakoyach, Rav Fenton.

Thanks to Central Avenue Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC of 'Goyhood' by Reuven Fenton.

Twin (though very different) brothers live a precarious existence in small town Georgia until an Orthodox rabbi arrives on their doorstep on day in their early teens and it's revealed that the brothers are Jewish.

Until their mother's written deathbed confession reveals that they're not after we've caught up with Marty/Meyer 30 years later, a lauded Brooklyn Talmudic scholar and his brother David who's led a very different life.

What follows is a very warm and funny round-trip through the American south where the brothers connect with some new friends and reconnect with each other as they all find their future paths together. Their adventures are funny and deal with rapacious and hypocritical pop stars, racists, their erstwhile family and friends, as they make their way back to Brooklyn to Mayer's unsuspecting but sharp as a tack wife who has her own secrets. It's really a comic novel about discovery - the main characters, all of them, are on a journey of self-discovery while discovering America.

Throughout the book there's a reasonably deep dive into Jewish scripture and history and while I found it interesting I was glad of the Wikipedia function on my Kindle app! It illuminated much of what I was reading.

I liked this a lot and found the writing to be really engaging but found David's development towards the end a bit unlikely.

I enjoyed Goyhood. very much. Although it is a road trip book, (a genre I rarely read) it has a lot of heart. Two estranged brothers (one a religious Jew) meet at their mother's funeral and find out secrets she had been keeping. Along with a woman friend of one brother, they embark on a car trip across the south and get reacquainted.
You need to know about the Jewish religion to enjoy this book fully. I am Jewish and am familiar with the sect of Judaism that the religious brother practices, so it was interesting to see what the author attempted to show.
The ending didn't sit well with me, and without giving away any spoilers, I'll just say that the portrayal of one of the brother's wives was completely unrealistic and would rarely occur. I thought the author had a bias against that sect of Judaism.
However, I liked the book and am glad I read it.

Reuven Fenton's debut novel, "Goyhood," offers a compelling exploration of identity, faith, and familial bonds through the divergent paths of twin brothers, David and Marty Belkin. Set against the backdrop of a life-altering revelation, the narrative unfolds with rich complexity and emotional depth.

Upon learning of their Jewish heritage at a young age, David and Marty embark on distinct journeys shaped by their individual beliefs and circumstances. While David remains close to home, embracing a worldly existence, Marty, known as Mayer, immerses himself in the study of Talmud in New York, leading a sheltered life within his marriage and familial community.

The sudden death of their mother shatters the foundation of Mayer's reality, as he grapples with the revelation that their Jewish identity was all a lie. Bereft and feeling abandoned by God, Mayer's desperate attempt to reclaim his faith through conversion sets the stage for an exploration of existential crisis and self-discovery.

Meanwhile, David seizes the opportunity to reconnect with his estranged brother, embarking on a road trip through the American South. As the brothers navigate through a landscape of introspection and revelation, they confront the fundamental questions of faith, truth, and the essence of their own identities.

Fenton's narrative is thought-provoking, weaving together themes of deception, redemption, and the resilience of the human spirit. Through vivid characterizations, he invites readers on a journey of self-exploration and reconciliation, where the bonds of brotherhood serve as a foundation amidst the turmoil.