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Turbulent Souls: A Catholic Son's Return to His Jewish Family
Turbulent Souls A Catholic Son's Return to His Jewish Family Author:Stephen J. Dubner Two years ago, Stephen J. Dubner wrote a cover story for the New York Times Magazine called "Choosing My Religion." It became one of the most widely discussed articles in the magazine's history. Turbulent Souls, the book that grew out of that article, is an intimate memoir of a man in search of a Jewish heritage he never knew he ha... more »d. It is also a loving portrait of his parents.Stephen Dubner's family was as Catholic as they come. His devout parents attended mass at every opportunity and named their eight children after saints. Stephen, the youngest child, became an altar boy, studied the catechism, and learned the traditional rituals of the Church -- never suspecting that the religion he embraced was not his by blood.
Turbulent Souls is Dubner's personal account of his family; tumultuous journey from Judaism to Catholicism -- and in his own case, back to Judaism -- and the effects, some tragic, some comic, of those spiritual transformations. His parents were Jews, born in Brooklyn to immigrant parents, but -- independent of each other and, indeed, before they met -- each converted to Christianity, only to be shunned by their families. After their marriage, they closed the door on Judaism so firmly that their children had no inkling that their background was far different from what it seemed: They didn't know, for instance, that their mother had a first cousin named Ethel Rosenberg, who was executed for treason in one of the most controversial cases of the cold war era.
Stephen Dubner's is a story about discovery: of relatives he never knew existed, of family history he'd never learned, and of a faith he'd never thought of as his own and, in fact, knew nothing about. It's a fascinating, thoughtful, and thought-provoking exploration of a subject of intense interest to spiritually minded men and women everywhere.« less
Excellant biography of a man raised Catholic by his convert parents. When he is grown he goes in search of his Jewish heritage. A must read for anyone considering converting to Judaism.
Eileen B. reviewed Turbulent Souls: A Catholic Son's Return to His Jewish Family on
I read the book for a book club that meets in January. I liked the book very much, it taught me some things I didn't know. The pictures and history gave me insight to growing up in my parent's generation.
Loved it! True story that reads like a novel. From the book cover: "...By turns comic and heartbreaking, it tells the story of a family torn apart by religion, sustained by faith, and reunited by truth."
This is a very good book. It was very interesting how he described his parents conversion to the catholic faith and his back to the jewish faith. It was very thought out and clearly brought out the ideas based on their conversions.
I will not review the content of the book. Religion, faith, and our transformation because of it is an individual path and an individual choice.
As a story, I thought this was an amazing book. I felt for the individuals and couldn't stop reading to find out what came next. I felt like I became part of their journey of discovery and family. My only wish (an impossible one) is that we could have also heard the story from the perspective of Mr. Dubner's parents.
Alejandro C. (Alejandro) reviewed Turbulent Souls: A Catholic Son's Return to His Jewish Family on
In the midst of ordinary living, some extraordinary things happen. In this case, a man's conversion, and his relationship with his mother create an interesting, if not absorbing, story. Well written, this book takes the reader through several generations of immigrants in the United States.
One remarkable link the book explores relates to Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. That alone makes the book worth reading.
