Turbulent Souls: A Catholic Son's Return to His Jewish Family

by Stephen J. Dubner

Book Overview

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 had. It is also a loving portrait of his parents.

Stephen Dubner's family was as Catholic as they come. His devout parents...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688151809
• ISBN13: 9780688151805
• Release Date: October 1998
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A Fascinating Spiritual Journey

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 his roots to the point of exploring towns which were touched by the Holocaust.In spite of the difference of opinion with his mother's own spiritual path, Stephen is able to keep this relationship positive. Furthermore, he creates strong bonds with other family members both Catholic and Jewish. Whereas Stephen's articles meet with feedback both good and bad, at least our hero can say he was able to evolve spiritually while touching others along the way.I highly recommend this biography which interweaves the spiritual journey of a family over the course of this past century.

This book has changed my life

This is, very simply, an amazing book. I am the daughter of a Catholic mother and Jewish Father who for the past 10 years has been searching for some semblance of spirituality in my life. I could have written many of the passages in this book, as they tell so accurately how I feel about my mixed background. On Jesus Christ: "...how shabbily he had treated me, leaving me to trudge between the mountains of belief and disbelief, too uninspired to climb the first, too timid to climb the latter." I had to stop when I read that as it is exactly how I feel! I always thought I was crazy because I feel so almost magnetically pulled toward my Jewish heritage, but now I know it is because I have "curling around somewhere inside me a neshuma, a Jewish soul." According to Jewish halachah (law), I am not Jewish because I am patrilineally descended...but, thank you, Stephen Dubner, for validating my Jewishness and letting me know that it's OK to follow my soul's longing for Judaism no matter what obstacles may stand in my way.

Excellent, heartwarming, and inspirational.

Mr. Dubner, through an intensely personal experience, has managed to impart a wonderful gift to all willing readers. His book tells the story of three soulful, complicated people who, at particularly vulnerable times in their lives, could not, or would not, ignore their inner voices. From the moment the book begins, in Brooklyn, New York, pre- World War II, you are drawn to the two Jewish characters, Florence and Solly, who would eventually become Mr. Dubner's Catholic parents, Veronica and Paul. Mr. Dubner's heartwarming description of his strict Catholic upbringing is enough to keep your attention but the true gem of this memoir is found once Mr. Dubner attempts to discover his once hidden Jewish roots. From the first page to the last, for the ultra-religious to the non-believer, this is a book not to be missed. This book will urge you to (re)discover your own roots.

Best book I've read in years

Off the bat, I'm happy to say that Turbulent Souls by Stephen Dubner is the best book I've read in several years. In fact I can't remember a book I've liked better over the last several years for all its combined readability, complexities, and just good plain story. I read a lot-let's face it what else is there to do in Miami?--and Dubner really has the goods here as an author, writer and thinker to make Turbulent Souls a big hit, which I think it is already.I had a bunch of friends read the book after me; most already knew giblets of the writer's story from the cover story Dubner wrote for the New York Times Magazine on conversion. (Dubner became a Jew, or shall I say became the Jew he never had an inkling growing up he actually was.) The report back I got from everyone was that they loved the book too. I knew this not just because they said so, but because they didn't want to give it back.What I learned from them was that whether you're a Talmudic scholar or box of rocks or anything in between, Turbulent Souls is just as rewarding. You don't even have to be Jewish to like this book, because the story is a memoir of some unique and pretty remarkable events and life changes that are what we all think about no matter what our religion, history, heritage, or family.You might be saying, " oh no, not someone else's life story." I know what you mean-every book these days seems to be about some writer blaming their mean parents for the mess their lives have turned into. I asked why, and the kids who work at the bookstore down the street told me yesterday that we're in the "age of memoir." That also puts us in the age of bad memoir, they told me, because by the time publishers figured out it was "the age of memoir," all the good ones had already been written. All but Dubner's Turbulent Souls, that is. His turned his life swell, and he ain't self-pitying over anything.I don't want to tell too much of the plot because I hate when people ruin the good parts. In brief-Dubner, a New York Times journalist, uses his reporter skills to first fully trace back the life story and secrets of his parents Veronica and Paul, who while Stephen was growing up were upstanding and charismatic leaders of the Catholic community where they all lived in upstate New York. But seems there were previous lifetimes for these two. Once, Dubner's parents-- the devout rural Catholics--had been Brooklyn-born Jews named Solly Dubner and Florence Greenglass. They'd converted, for fascinating reasons that Dubner tells better than I can, but let's just say World War II had a little to do with it. None of this did Dubner have any idea of until he was an adult.I don't know-some surprises are not worth knowing, but I'm glad Dubner chased all secrets down. Seeing the skeletons in his family's closet didn't torment him, but set him free. And with that, they weren't even skeletons anymore.And what secrets! Sometimes Stephen writes in the third person i