Goyhood - Reuven Fenton
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Reuven Fenton''s novel Goyhood is 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up in a series of increasingly surreal adventures, Mayer grapples with a God who betrayed him and an emotionally withdrawn wife in Brooklyn who has yet to learn her husband is a counterfeit Jew.
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up in a series of increasingly surreal adventures, Mayer grapples with a God who betrayed him and an emotionally withdrawn wife in Brooklyn who has yet to learn her husband is a counterfeit Jew.
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
"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
Central Avenue Publishing 2025, paperback
