Lovesong: Becoming a Jew

Plot

From Publishers Weekly
Lester, son of a black southern Methodist minister, writes of the eventful odyssey that culminated in his conversion to Judaism. The private journey was often at odds with his public life. As writer, radio commentator in New York and college professor at the University of Massachusetts, Lester's outspoken and unconventional views often angered blacks as well as whites, and placed him in a political and philosophical fray between blacks and Jews. His spiritual quest, begun here with a lovingly detailed sketch of his southern heritage, took many turns, involving visits to sites of faith (Gethsemani Abbey, Wounded Knee, Shakertown) and intensive exploration of religious cultures, until he acknowledged the pull of the Jewish faith. He discusses his interracial marriage and fatherhood, and pays moving tribute to the fulfillment he finds in celebrating the Jewish faith. Lester is the author of Look Out, Whitey! Black Power's Gon' Get Your Mama! and To Be a Slave.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Well-known author, academic, and former civil rights activist Lester takes the reader on an extraordinary spiritual odyssey that starts in the Forties with his childhood in segregated Nashville; continues through his years of avowed atheism and civil rights work, with accusations of anti-Semitism by whites and betrayal by blacks; and concludes with his conversion to Judaism. His search for meaning and faith lead him to Thomas Merton, Wounded Knee, and Protestant sources; his early discovery that his grandfather was Jewish eventually sparks his search for a Jewish identity. The path to conversion is difficult, but the result- ing "lovesong" to God is powerful and beautifully written. Recommended for wide audiences. Molly Abramowitz, Silver Spring, Md.