Books : Choosing My Religion: A Memoir of a Family Beyond Belief (P.S.)
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 200
EAN: 9780061132995
ISBN: 0061132993
Label: Harper Perennial
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 368
Publication Date: November 07, 2006
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Release Date: November 07, 2006
Sales Rank: 851191
Studio: Harper Perennial
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Choosing My Religion is a luminous memoir, crafted with the eye of a journalist and the art of a novelist by New York Times Magazine writer and editor Stephen J. Dubner. By turns comic and heartbreaking, it tells the story of a family torn apart by religion, sustained by faith, and reunited by truth.
Amazon.com Review:
"Choosing My Religion," Stephen Dubner's 1996 cover story for The New York Times Magazine, described his conversion from Catholicism to Judaism. The drama and complexity of Dubner's conversion were intensified by the author's unusual religious history: before Dubner was born, his parents had made an equal and opposite conversion from Judaism to Catholicism. Dubner's memoir, Turbulent Souls, expands the story he first told in the Times essay. In the book's prelude, Dubner explains that he began his wandering toward conversion in the 1980s when he moved to New York City, "the most Jewish city outside of Israel." There a certain disquietude began to take root inside me. I could not name this force, but neither could I make it leave me. And so I followed the noise inside my soul, and before long it led me back to my parents. I became consumed with a desire to know how a pair of young Jews named Florence Greenglass and Sol Dubner had become my Catholic parents. Turbulent Souls is full of loving, witty anecdotes about his childhood in rural New York state (he refers to Mrs. Ferry, a catechism teacher who gave him Doublemint gum, as "Blessed Angel of the Sugar Deprived") and his efforts in adulthood to reconstruct both his and his parents' pasts. The best reason to read this book is Dubner's well-balanced thirst for explanation and reverence for mystery; it's a model of the equilibrium every one of us has to attain if we want to make peace with our families, our home towns, and our selves. --Michael Joseph Gross
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
Dubner's highly interesting family history frames the tale of his own decision to "return home" to his Jewish roots, after his parents, both raised as traditional Jews, converted to Roman Catholicism in their unmarried days. His parents bring up Stephen Dubner and his siblings as deeply-devout Catholics, and all-but turn their backs on their own heritage after the time of their conversion. Dubner tells of about his life growing up attending Mass and living in suburbia in the 1960's and '70's, and about how he gradually took notice of the deep pull within him that directed him to reunite with the Jewish faith after his return to New York City following his college years in the south and elsewhere. He stresses that his return to Judaism was not a conversion, it was a restoration of who he truly always was. A uniquely interesting tale, told with honesty.
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Fine price, treasure of a hard cover book in new condition. I could not be more pleased!
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Turbulent Souls gives a fine account of the many journeys that took place within the Dubner Family Tree. Stephen Dubner traces his family roots which amazingly were rooted in Judaism. Its quite interesting how both of Stephen's parents became Catholics. In the case of Stephen's father, Sol(later Paul)it seemed as if he was rebelling against his overbearing father. Paul's story shows you that you cannot force feed religion into a young soul trying to emerge.
As for Stephen's mother, Florence(later Veronica) the religious influence was fairly weak at home. Not to mention any sort of guidance as Veronica recalls rarely spending time at home during her teen years. Therefore, Veronica became a willing convert.
Very compelling is the effects this dual conversion had upon this future couples family. In Judaism very often a period of mourning takes place and surely Paul became lost to his original family. Amazingly Paul and Veronica seemd to become perfect Catholics to the point of almost totally denying any past affiliation with their Jewish roots.
Stephen's life goes through many turbulent periods. His exposure to the Catholic religion is a lot at first. Whereas he does not reject these teachings, over time Stephen develops other interests most notably the desire to become a musician. Like his parents, he encounters people who encourage him to explore his roots. When he finally does, Stephen becomes enamored with his family history and researches ... Read More
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I was raised Catholic and really not happy with the Church so I was a little wary of the book when it came time to read it for my book club. I could not have been more wrong about how this book would affect me! It was absolutely wonderful. The author was able to write with detail without being long-winded. The feelings that he had about his religions/cultures, both Catholic and Jewish I could relate to by the way he wrote. With each step in his spiritual journey I felt like I was cheering him on to find out what his truth was and where he felt he belonged in his religious life. It gave me many things to ponder both from what he wrote and what he quoted from others, Jewish and Catholic. I highly reccomend this book to anyone who is unsure of their faith. It will not answer your questions, but it will help you answer them on your own. It is also a wonderful book for anyone with a strong faith of their own.
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I have to say the main reason I bought this book was because I too am from the little town The Dubner's lived in and I remember Stephen since he was my youngest brother's age and the thing everyone knew about his family was that they were probably the most devout catholic's in our area so it was very interesting to learn of his families true roots. I had no clue of his lineage since as Steve describes our town was not very diverse for the most part it was an all white community in the middle of nowhere anyone new was noticed right away and everyone knew what everyone else was up to there is the Our Lady of Fatima church and 3 other presbyterian and episcopalian churches in the area but no temples. I had no clue until reading this book that he had such an interesting lineage and I applaud the fact that he chose to find out about and return to his heritage it took alot of courage to defy his mother on this subject!!!! I only hope that now he has found the answers he was looking for and lives a long and happy life!!!!!!
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