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.

In the mid 1990s, when 12-year-old Marty Belkin was living in Moab, Georgia, no one would have predicted he'd grow up to be a Talmud scholar. While Marty's mother Ida Mae entertained men in the house, Marty and his fraternal twin brother David would ride around on their battered Schwinn bikes, eat convenience store ice cream sandwiches, and smoke cigarettes.

When the 'Chabad of Moab' appeared in town, with a huge menorah in front, Marty recognized the candelabrum as something to do with Jews, and wondered if any Jews lived in Moab. Marty and David soon learned that they themselves were Jews. A rabbi called Yossi Kugel came to their house, having found them by looking for Jewish-sounding names in the phone book. Much to the boys' surprise, their mom Ida Mae acknowledged that her mother was Jewish, which meant that (in Jewish law) Ida Mae and the boys were Jewish as well. Marty and David had bar mitzvahs, and Ida Mae got a job as Rabbi Kugel's secretary.

Being a Jew was REALLY meaningful to Marty (now called Mayer), and he left Moab at the age of thirteen, to study Talmud at a top yeshiva in Brooklyn, New York. Skip ahead almost three decades and forty-year-old Mayer is still studying Talmud, and has been married to Sarah for eighteen years. Sarah is the daughter of the revered Jewish Talmudist Yaakov Drezner, who arranged the marriage himself.

While Mayer was living as an Orthodox Jew, his brother David was doing the exact opposite. As a young man David used illegal drugs, stole cars, got into bar fights, slept with lots of women, contracted STDs, and more. Afterwards, David tried various get-rich-quick schemes, all of which failed, and got into trouble with moneylenders. Now that David is forty, though, his luck has changed, and he's become wealthy from the e-cigarette business.

Forty-year-olds Mayer and David haven't seen each other for eight years when a tragedy draws them together. Their mother Ida Mae, who's 'clinically obese and two teagaritas away from a liver transplant,' commits suicide. This incident turns Mayer's life upside-down. When Mayer flies to Georgia for his mother's funeral, a suicide letter from Ida Mae reveals that her mother was NOT Jewish, and in fact was descended from Nazis.

This means Mayer is not Jewish, Sarah is not his wife, and Sarah will be distraught when she learns she's been living with a gentile (and one-eighth Nazi) all these years. The solution: Mayer will secretly convert to Judaism. The ritual, scheduled to take place in New York in one week's time, will (presumably) ease the pain when Mayer has to confess everything to Sarah and her father.

The situation sparks an idea in David's mind. Now that Mayer is a gentile, David insists the brothers take a road trip through the South 'on their way' to New York. So Ida Mae is cremated, and Mayer, David, and Ida Mae (in an urn) embark on a kind of 'Rumspringa' jaunt through the Confederate states.

The trip is something to remember!

In Mississippi, the brothers rescue a one-eyed dog called Popeye, whom they find starving, tethered to a pole. And in New Orleans, David's acquaintance Charlayne, an African-American social media influencer who plans to hike the Appalachian Trail, hitches a ride north.

The travelers' adventures, which range from amusing to life-threatening, lead to brotherly bonding, new friends, and Mayer learning about life outside his sheltered Orthodox community. Through it all, Mayer, though technically not Jewish, does his best to stick to Jewish laws. He won't touch a woman, even to shake hands, and he eats kosher crackers and sardines from Publix, when David and Charlayne dine on cheeseburgers and sweet potato fries.

Though Mayer is uncomfortable traveling with a woman, he and Charlayne bond over their shared interest in bird-watching, and Charlayne gives Mayer helpful advice when she suggests, 'When you go back to your old-slash new life, make it a point to ask God why he did this to you.....God did this to you with full intent, and it was good intent.'

The author's descriptions of the southern flora, fauna, and geography add a nice touch to the novel, and the ancillary characters - including a white supremacist called Clete and a woman rabbi named Debbie Teitelbaum - are authentic and compelling.

One of my favorite characters is Popeye the dog, who turns out to be a hero.

You don't need to be Jewish to enjoy the novel, though you might want to Google some of the terms. I would have liked a little more resolution at the end of the story, but that's a minor quibble. This is a very good book, highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley, Reuven Fenton, and Central Avenue Publishing for a copy of the book.

Quirky and well-written and who doesn't love a descriptive wacky road trip! There's not another book that I could compare this one to, so that says something about how unique it is. It's not for everyone, but if you're Jewish and you enjoy reading about different manifestations and issues related to being Jewish, you would surely enjoy this. If you're not Jewish, you may still enjoy it because the road trip is just so darn good.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's very memorable!

CW: An offensive Yiddish word for Black person is used twice in this novel. The character who says the word is not a sympathetic one, and the author goes out of his way to show that the two MCs are not racist. The novel's most important secondary character is a Black woman. But even with all of those modifiers, that word left a lingering bad taste in my mouth.

From the blurb, I was expecting an "estranged twin brothers take a road trip, hijinks and reconciliation follow" plot, and Goyhood does offer several set pieces with humorous elements. The overarching mood however is serious, as Mayer (formerly Martin) wrestles with his commitment to Orthodox Judaism and his long-held belief that studying Jewish texts to the exclusion of everything else is the most exalted way to live. The so-called comic relief comes from the contrast with Meyer's twin David, who has wasted his life on drugs, women, and shady business deals that never paid off. For a good part of the book, the voice of reason is Charlayne, a beautiful Goldman Sachs financial analyst turned Instagram brand ambassador and would-be Appalachian Trail hiker. I guess if you're a white Jewish author writing a token Black character, you might as well make her perfect.

The Orthodox Jewish laws and customs are not always explained well, so I don't think this book will appeal to non-Jewish readers. It barely appealed to me before the offensive language took me out of the story for good.

ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.

Most of the books I read with Jewish characters are Holocaust-related stories, so it was nice to read a book that was more uplifting. This novel centers around Mayer, a young man studying the Talmud who reconnects with his twin brother after many years apart. A tragic event reunites them, and they end up going on a road trip together. The adventures they have and their relationship results in Mayer questioning his Orthodox faith and the life he's led so far.

I loved all of the characters in this novel. They make some pretty stupid decisions, but they're so heartwarming that it makes their mistakes endearing rather than annoying. My favorite part was the true celebration of Jewish culture. Through the characters' journeys, the story touches on themes of spirituality and our connection with the world at large. I loved learning additional insights into the Jewish faith (I'm not Orthodox, so I wasn't aware of some of the finer points that Mayer brings up.) The only downside to the story was that it dragged a bit in a few spots in the beginning, but by the second half of the novel, I was super curious to continue along Mayer's path with him.

I'll be recommending this read - it's perfect for anyone that's questioning their faith or their life path.

Marty Belkin is growing up in a small town in Georgia. His mother sends him to the new rabbi, who recently arrived in their small town. She explains to Marty that they are Jewish. Marty is an excellent student and has the opportunity to leave and move to Brooklyn to continue his studies. Years pass as Marty, now called Mayer, is deeply ensconced in the Jewish community as a Talmud scholar. He receives a call from his brother asking him to return to Georgia to help him with their mother's funeral. After arriving for the funeral, Mayer and his twin brother David learn that they are not Jewish. Marty needs to convert to Judaism but it will be a week before the ceremony is possible. In the meantime, David decides to take Marty on a trip. Their trip through the South is one of discovery and clarification.

Reuven Fenton's Goyhood is a delight to read. The imagery and description of their trip paints a vivid picture of two brothers long overdue to reconnect. Marty identifies himself as a Jew. Losing that long-held belief is devastating. Marty's identity is gone, leaving him shattered. It is fascinating to see Marty's strong adherence to Jewish law despite not being Jewish. He wouldn't have to follow Jewish law and tradition until he officially converts but Marty continues practicing his faith. His strength of conviction pulls him from his spiritual confusion as Marty realizes that life continues. Both boys see their mother's death not as a crossroads but more as a pause allowing them to appreciate their lives.

In the spirit of The Golem of Brooklyn, Goyhood, by Reuven Fenton, takes the reader along for a ride of self-discovery and repair of relationships past, present, and future. Following the death of his mother, Mayer, who has lived his younger adult life as a Talmudic scholar with this wife Sarah, returns to a world known only to his worldly twin brother, David. As a religious twist waylays the best laid plans, the two brothers set off on a road trip through the American south, finding, along their path, a host of other people and even a four-legged friend, each hiding their own secrets and facing their own challenges, both physical and spiritual.