Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew by Emmanuel Acho

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was a really tough read. It was dense and hardly what I would call relaxing. With that said, I think the title is accurate as it made me uncomfortable, and I welcomed that discomfort into my space. I really appreciated that the tension between Emmanuel and Noa was not edited out. They certainly disagreed on certain points, which gave me permission to have honest dialogue with myself on the points where I found myself conflicted with what Noa was saying. To read this book right now, in this current moment, is tense--but it doesn't negate her experience at all. I likely would have had a totally different and more relaxing experience reading this book two years ago...but this isn't about my comfort. I appreciated the long, detailed accounts of the history of Jewish oppression and the diaspora. I often had my phone out to take deeper dives into the people and time periods she discussed. So this book took me beyond the words on the page and allowed me to learn even more than I counted on. I think this is an important read.



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