Single Jewish Male Seeking Soul Mate - Hardcover

Pogrebin, Letty Cottin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1558618864 ISBN 13: 9781558618862

Publisher: The Feminist Press at CUNY, 2015

Synopsis

Feminist icon Letty Cottin Pogrebin's second novel is the story of Zach Levy, the left-leaning son of Holocaust survivors who promises his mother on her deathbed that he will marry within the tribe and raise Jewish children. When he falls for Cleo Scott, an African American activist grappling with her own inherited trauma, he must reconcile his old vow to the family he loves with the present reality of the woman who may be his soul mate. A New York love story complicated by the legacies and modern tensions of Jewish American and African American history, Single Jewish Male Seeking Soul Mate explores what happens when the heart runs counter to politics, history, and the compelling weight of tradition.

About this title

About the Author

Letty Cottin Pogrebin is an author, activist, and national lecturer. She is a leading figure in Jewish and feminist activism.

A founding editor and writer for Ms. Magazine, Pogrebin is also the author of eleven books, including the memoir Getting Over Getting Older (1996), the novel Three Daughters (2003), and the groundbreaking How to Be a Friend to a Friend Who’s Sick (2013). She is also the editor for the anthology Stories for Free Children, and co-creator of Free to Be... You and Me and Free to Be A Family. Her articles, op-eds, and columns have been published frequently in a wide variety of magazines and publications, including the New York Times, Harpers Bazaar, and the Ladies Home Journal.

A leader in many social justice causes, Pogrebin has served as the President of the Authors Guild, Chair of the Board of Americans for Peace Now, and is the co-founder of various organizations focusing on topics such as women’s issues and Middle Eastern politics. She currently serves on the board in numerous organizations, including Americans for Peace Now, the Ms. Foundation for Education & Communication, and Brandeis University Women’s and Gender Studies Program.

Review

"Cleareyed, courageous." Kirkus

This smart, lyrical novel explores the complexity of keeping promises to those who came before us, even as we may be buoyed or bruised by life. Pogrebin has created an indelible protagonist and with bracing humor and political savvy, asks some of the most penetrating questions of our day.” Dani Shapiro, best-selling author of Devotion

From its stunning first paragraph to its poignant last sentence, Single Jewish Male Seeking Soul Mate manages to illuminate and educate, all while doing a novel's most important job telling a terrific story.” Ayelet Waldman, author of Love and Treasure

"Pogrebin is a writer of great depth and soulfulness, and with this book she catapults herself into the ranks of novelistic royalty. Her lovely prose gets to the very heart of what the heart wants, while also mining the legacies and commitments that define the rich history of African Americans and American Jews." Thane Rosenbaum, author of Second Hand Smoke and How Sweet It Is!

This bittersweet novel captures the struggle to honor one's ancestors and fulfill one's promises while recognizing the power, beauty, and burden of history as it shapes our lives and our choices about love.” Marcia Ann Gillespie, former editor in chief of Ms. and Essence

A beautifully written and heartwarming masterpiece. Letty Cottin Pogrebin sensitively captures dilemmas confronted by many children of Holocaust survivors while reminding us that respecting the legitimacy of the other’ is as important as remaining true to one's own past.” Menachem Z. Rosensaft, founding chair of the International Network of Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and editor of God, Faith & Identity from the Ashes

Pogrebin masterfully explores issues of race, gender, ethnicity, and religion through her characters who struggle with conflicting moral imperatives in a sea of clashing cultures. Her exceptional intelligence shines on every page.” Helen Fremont, author of After Long Silence

Single Jewish Male Seeking Soul Mate unflinchingly confronts the issue of Jewish continuity in a diverse and changing America. Most of all, though, it is a love story, delicious and sweet, and a book to be read with pleasure and savored long after the last page has been read.” Anne Roiphe, author and journalist

"Compelling, passionate, brave." Janet Dewart Bell, founder of the Derrick Bell Lecture Series on Race in American Society

"Cleareyed, courageous." ―Kirkus

“This smart, lyrical novel explores the complexity of keeping promises to those who came before us, even as we may be buoyed or bruised by life. Pogrebin has created an indelible protagonist and with bracing humor and political savvy, asks some of the most penetrating questions of our day.” ―Dani Shapiro, best-selling author of Devotion

“From its stunning first paragraph to its poignant last sentence, Single Jewish Male Seeking Soul Mate manages to illuminate and educate, all while doing a novel's most important job―telling a terrific story.” ―Ayelet Waldman, author of Love and Treasure

"Pogrebin is a writer of great depth and soulfulness, and with this book she catapults herself into the ranks of novelistic royalty. Her lovely prose gets to the very heart of what the heart wants, while also mining the legacies and commitments that define the rich history of African Americans and American Jews." ―Thane Rosenbaum, author of Second Hand Smoke and How Sweet It Is!

“This bittersweet novel captures the struggle to honor one's ancestors and fulfill one's promises while recognizing the power, beauty, and burden of history as it shapes our lives and our choices about love.” ―Marcia Ann Gillespie, former editor in chief of Ms. and Essence

“A beautifully written and heartwarming masterpiece. Letty Cottin Pogrebin sensitively captures dilemmas confronted by many children of Holocaust survivors while reminding us that respecting the legitimacy of ‘the other’ is as important as remaining true to one's own past.” ―Menachem Z. Rosensaft, founding chair of the International Network of Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and editor of God, Faith & Identity from the Ashes

“Pogrebin masterfully explores issues of race, gender, ethnicity, and religion through her characters who struggle with conflicting moral imperatives in a sea of clashing cultures. Her exceptional intelligence shines on every page.” ―Helen Fremont, author of After Long Silence

“Single Jewish Male Seeking Soul Mate unflinchingly confronts the issue of Jewish continuity in a diverse and changing America. Most of all, though, it is a love story, delicious and sweet, and a book to be read with pleasure and savored long after the last page has been read.” ―Anne Roiphe, author and journalist

"Compelling, passionate, brave." ―Janet Dewart Bell, founder of the Derrick Bell Lecture Series on Race in American Society

About this edition

• Publisher: The Feminist Press at CUNY
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1558618864
• ISBN 13: 9781558618862
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 296