January 29, 2024
Adult brothers grapple with the revelation of a shocking family secret in the meandering fiction debut from journalist Fenton (Stolen Years). In the mid-1990s, rabbi Yossi Kugel arrives in Moab, Ga., to energize the town’s small Jewish population. Twelve-year-old twins Marty and David Belkin begin studying for their bar mitzvahs with the “gnome-bearded man in funeral garb,” who hires their mother Ida Mae as a secretary. Twenty years later, David lives a mostly secular life, while Marty, who’s changed his name to Mayer, is ensconced in a Brooklyn yeshiva and married to the devout Sarah. When Ida Mae dies, leaving behind a suicide note revealing that she’d lied about being Jewish, the brothers’ lives are upended. Estranged for years, they reunite for a road trip through the Deep South that’s described by a friend of David’s as a Jewish version of Rumspringa. There’s plenty of potential here: Fenton’s wry and ingratiating narration touches on rich themes of identity formation, belonging, and exclusion. Unfortunately, that promise is undercut by thinly developed characters whose dramatic inner transformations (such as Mayer’s quick turnaround from hyper-observant Torah scholar to seeker curious about the wider world) can feel unearned. This falls short of its intriguing premise. Agent: Murray Weiss, Catalyst Literary Management.
December 1, 2024
Journalist Fenton's vibrant debut novel takes listeners on a lively ride, following estranged twin brothers who grapple with shocking family secrets after their mother's untimely death. Mayer and David Belkin grew up in Moab, GA, where they dove into Judaism and prepared for their bar mitzvahs after a chance encounter revealed their Jewish heritage. Later, an adult David lives a secular life, while Mayer becomes a Torah scholar, marries a devout Jewish woman, and lives in a secluded orthodox Brooklyn community. When their mother dies, leaving behind a note that reveals she lied about being Jewish, the brothers' lives are turned upside down. Instead of sitting shiva, they hit the road, bound for Georgia, with Mayer determined to officially convert to Judaism before his return. Along the way, the brothers meet a fascinating array of people, adopt a stray dog, and reassess their relationships and their life trajectories. Narrator Mike Lenz offers an engaging performance, seamlessly incorporating the Hebrew and Yiddish phrases sprinkled throughout. He does occasionally use nonstandard pronunciations, which may pull some listeners out of the story. VERDICT Audiences will love this heartfelt, somewhat less-than-kosher version of the Odyssey.--Laura Trombley
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