This historical novel set in Michigan follows three generations of a Jewish family.
At the heart of the book is all-American teen Ben Friedman, living in small-town Michigan in 1975. When Ben falls into a fever dream (anaphylactic shock brought on by seafood at a bar mitzvah), he has a vision of his beloved Grandpa Mo, who tells him, “You’re guided by a light from within. I’ve done all I can. Now this mission is yours, but I’ll be with you.” When Ben wakes up, Mo has died. Ben’s tale shifts to his great-grandfather Dovid Weisman, living in war-torn Poland in 1915, where he attempts to protect his young family from the occupying Russian Cossacks. One of Dovid’s daughters will later play an important role in Ben’s life. The third storyline features Dr. Ira Rosen, Ben’s uncle, who’s been sent to prison for writing illegal prescriptions and who Ben blames for causing Mo’s fatal heart attack. Missing Mo, Ben asks Rabbi Silverstein to teach him about chassidus (Jewish mysticism). The teen, a star swimmer, longs to keep the Sabbath holy and avoid competing on Saturdays, which brings him into direct conflict with his lawyer father, who wants his son to win. So Ben must find a way to find his path without disrupting his family. He feels a need for something more authentic than a watered-down Judaism, but after he becomes more devout, his friends and family object. When immigrants choose to blend in to their new homeland, which is often hostile to newcomers, what are they giving up in the process? Schulman’s thought-provoking novel ably considers the tension between assimilation and tradition. And the plotline featuring Dovid and his clan provides historical context to Ben and his family. Ira’s prison subplot feels extraneous, adding little but predictability. Still, the extended Weisman/Rosen/Friedman family are enjoyable people to visit, and their struggles are continually involving.
An entrancing, layered coming-of-age novel.