The Peddler's Grandson - Growing Up Jewish in Mississippi

This memoir is sub-titled "Growing Up Jewish in Mississippi", which is pretty much all you need to know about it, except that the writing it good, and the author is a 3rd generation Mississippian. His struggle to reconcile his Southern roots with his Jewish heritage makes fascinating reading, especially since he lived through a lot of rugged history growing up in Jackson, MS, where his family operated a clothing store with a primarily black clientele. Since the Jewish community there was so small, assimilation was the norm, and orthodoxy rare, but the conflict was never far from Edward's awareness, even as a child. It's a fascinating examination of identity, loyalty, integrity and belonging.
Review written in March 2016

Although the title of this memoir describes its content, it belies the real universality of its themes. Cohen presents a boy learning about the unwritten rules of social norms outside his family and the struggles he has with where he belongs--in the community and larger world. Of course, we all must do this as we grow. In this case, the author is in a religious minority and a racial majority during a place and time that is going through tumultuous social change. His is both a sociological and a personal study, told with wisdom, humor and sensitivity. The ending felt a little trite to me, which is why I only gave it 4 stars. Overall, however, a very good read and much material for discussion and consideration.