What do you think?
Rate this book
Joshua: A Brooklyn Tale
"Against a backdrop of racial tensions and spanning four decades, A Brooklyn Tale explores the entanglements of three Joshua Eubanks, a young black man struggling to overcome the crime, drugs, and despair of the streets; Rachel Weissman, daughter of a Hassidic rabbi, wrestling pangs of rebelliousness against the insular and restrictive practices of her religion; and Paul Sims, the product of a privileged Long Island Jewish family, yearning to escape his troubled past.
Joshua first encounters Rachel in the local synagogue, where he works as an assistant to the custodian. Over the years their bond intensifies, though their lives diverge. Rachel aspires to be a doctor, but surrenders to a strict Hasidic life, thus leaving her unfulfilled. Paul leaves his home to find solace in the Hasidic enclave of Crown Heights.
From different worlds and unaware they share a father, Joshua and Paul see their lives collide in a quest for Rachel’s love. Through these and other challenges, culminating with the 1991 Crown Heights riots, Joshua explores the tensions between two communities in close physical proximity, but still worlds apart. Through Joshua, Rachel, and Paul, a vision of hope is offered, but is tempered by the reality of human ignorance and tragedy."
Joshua first encounters Rachel in the local synagogue, where he works as an assistant to the custodian. Over the years their bond intensifies, though their lives diverge. Rachel aspires to be a doctor, but surrenders to a strict Hasidic life, thus leaving her unfulfilled. Paul leaves his home to find solace in the Hasidic enclave of Crown Heights.
From different worlds and unaware they share a father, Joshua and Paul see their lives collide in a quest for Rachel’s love. Through these and other challenges, culminating with the 1991 Crown Heights riots, Joshua explores the tensions between two communities in close physical proximity, but still worlds apart. Through Joshua, Rachel, and Paul, a vision of hope is offered, but is tempered by the reality of human ignorance and tragedy."
487 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
173 people are currently reading
1837 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
January 5, 2014
This is one of those books, you can't put down and then you are sorry when it is finished. Through three main characters, Joshua, Rachel and Paul/Pincas the reader is taken to Brooklyn, NY from the late 1950's to the 1991 Crown Heights riots. It describes the changing neighborhoods, the life of the Lubbavitcher Hasidic Jews , their isolation from main stream society and their relationship to the African American community. Prejudices are deep set not only between the Jews and the blacks, but even within, where the Lubavitcher Hasids do not accept other Jewish denominations and Caribbean blacks do not accept African Americans as their own. I highly recommend this book.
November 28, 2017
This review has been extremely difficult to write - and not because I didn't love it. I did. But my feelings changed about an important aspect of it over time.
The book tells the story of three characters - Joshua, an african american youth with bright possibilities, but that gets pulled into trouble on the streets. Rachel, the daughter of a Hasidic Rabbi, who secretly dreams beyond the confines of what is possible for a young hasidic girl, and Paul, a privileged Jewish kid, from a background with parents who shunned their past. The setting is Crown Heights New York, and the three main characters and families, their lives entertain throughout the book, as each deals with their conflicts and moves towards their destinies.
A book is considered historical fiction if it takes place at least 50 years before the present day, and indeed the book starts out in that time period. But as it grows toward its conclusion, it becomes apparent that the book is not just about the three characters, but about what led to the very difficult tensions and violence between the African American community and the Hasidic Jews, and the very traumatic and violent riots of 1991. The reason the book is difficult for me to review - and indeed I loved it, is because I am not proud of the way facets of my own culture behaved, and one thing I was really appreciating about the first two thirds or three fourths of the book, was how positively the Orthodox Jews were portrayed. This year, I read Disobedience, about a young gay daughter of a very observant rabbinical leader, and too, appreciated that the Orthodox were allowed to be portrayed as good people, thinking moral people, who cling to their faith and their ways, but understand that others have their paths - and ultimately love their children and others, despite that they may not think, feel, or believe, the same things. They find a way. Rachel's father and parents made me proud to be a part of this tradition, and I liked that the Orthodox were not panned here... On the other hand, there are factions of my culture historically and in the present, that are capable of great violence, and mis-perception, and misinterpretation of what God or the Torah wants and needs and expects us to do. For that, I am not proud, and am deeply sorry and grieving. And I am embarrassed that I didn't know this piece of history. Now I do.
Joshua - I'm half in love with this guy. Who is passionate, and decent, and loving, and bright, moral, ethical, thinking, and is the total package. He too, had to deal with a fanatical leader on the African American side, and had to make his own decisions about what his path and destiny would be. And the three characters, they each had to find out who they were, who they would be, and find their own way. I just loved it through and through. Troubled - but yes, loved it. 4.5 stars.
The book tells the story of three characters - Joshua, an african american youth with bright possibilities, but that gets pulled into trouble on the streets. Rachel, the daughter of a Hasidic Rabbi, who secretly dreams beyond the confines of what is possible for a young hasidic girl, and Paul, a privileged Jewish kid, from a background with parents who shunned their past. The setting is Crown Heights New York, and the three main characters and families, their lives entertain throughout the book, as each deals with their conflicts and moves towards their destinies.
A book is considered historical fiction if it takes place at least 50 years before the present day, and indeed the book starts out in that time period. But as it grows toward its conclusion, it becomes apparent that the book is not just about the three characters, but about what led to the very difficult tensions and violence between the African American community and the Hasidic Jews, and the very traumatic and violent riots of 1991. The reason the book is difficult for me to review - and indeed I loved it, is because I am not proud of the way facets of my own culture behaved, and one thing I was really appreciating about the first two thirds or three fourths of the book, was how positively the Orthodox Jews were portrayed. This year, I read Disobedience, about a young gay daughter of a very observant rabbinical leader, and too, appreciated that the Orthodox were allowed to be portrayed as good people, thinking moral people, who cling to their faith and their ways, but understand that others have their paths - and ultimately love their children and others, despite that they may not think, feel, or believe, the same things. They find a way. Rachel's father and parents made me proud to be a part of this tradition, and I liked that the Orthodox were not panned here... On the other hand, there are factions of my culture historically and in the present, that are capable of great violence, and mis-perception, and misinterpretation of what God or the Torah wants and needs and expects us to do. For that, I am not proud, and am deeply sorry and grieving. And I am embarrassed that I didn't know this piece of history. Now I do.
Joshua - I'm half in love with this guy. Who is passionate, and decent, and loving, and bright, moral, ethical, thinking, and is the total package. He too, had to deal with a fanatical leader on the African American side, and had to make his own decisions about what his path and destiny would be. And the three characters, they each had to find out who they were, who they would be, and find their own way. I just loved it through and through. Troubled - but yes, loved it. 4.5 stars.
June 21, 2015
I hated this book. I felt committed to finishing it once I'd started because the plot had promise, and I had ILL'd it from a distant library after hearing it was good. It was so predictable though - every time a scene started out nice, with an optimistic description, something terrible would happen. That got very repetitive. The characters' dialogue was terrible. It was flat and unbelievable. The author would also do this annoying thing where a character would say something, like "I don't know" and the author would follow it with one word, like "tentative." Don't tell us the characters are tentative - that should be evident in what they say and do! It was just so poorly written.
March 20, 2015
The time period and setting of this story are what interested me in this book - so much happened in that time period that I was intrigued. The framework of the story was very good but unfortunately I found no depth to the characters or the events as they were told. I needed a better connection with Joshua and Rachel to really give meaning to living in Brooklyn at that time with the very difficult and very real racial tensions, because we do know that they were very difficult and very real.
January 5, 2015
Warning: Spoilers:
I was really looking forward to reading this book and it started off great. The story has a lot of potential. The backdrop for the story were the racial tensions and riots in Crown Heights in the early 1990s and that continued well through the book and was interesting. I really had no idea about this portion of Brooklyn history. The main story, however, never developed. The main characters were subject to one tragedy after another with no end. The story became predictable and trite. Because of the subject matter, I want to give it five stars but because of the predictability of the story, I have to give it a poor recommendation.
I was really looking forward to reading this book and it started off great. The story has a lot of potential. The backdrop for the story were the racial tensions and riots in Crown Heights in the early 1990s and that continued well through the book and was interesting. I really had no idea about this portion of Brooklyn history. The main story, however, never developed. The main characters were subject to one tragedy after another with no end. The story became predictable and trite. Because of the subject matter, I want to give it five stars but because of the predictability of the story, I have to give it a poor recommendation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2015
It's really a 3.5, but no half stars on Goodreads. While it was an enjoyable read, especially since I grew up in Crown Heights and felt like I was right in neighborhood, I wanted more from the book. Joshua and his mom were fabulous characters. I felt less so about Rachel, Paul and the others. Interesting stories that came together at the end, but I wanted more.
August 14, 2014
Wow. Love story mixed with the never ending issues between race and religion. Historical fiction ... Makes you wonder how such events could happen but based on current events I guess it's not so unbelievable.
September 30, 2015
this book was brilliant... multi-layered, complicated, engaging, page-turning... spanned several decades across bed-stuy and crown heights, brooklyn, into long island, exploring racial tension and engagement between black and hasidic communities. tragic and beautiful. absolutely loved it.
July 22, 2017
What a moving book! Winds through so many societies and impressions and the efforts of many waves through and try to make corrections – individual corrections where societal corrections far too distant.
The main characters, a Hasidic woman, a black man, a gentleman who is trying to become Hasidic, and various rabbis as well as spouses (and family members) of those characters. A picture is painted of how all of these people interact with each other and react to their changing community. There are bittersweet relations and relationships throughout, and the reader is caught up in the desires, hauntings, and disappointments in the characters' lives. Because everything doesn't work the way that's happiest, and because of some major tragedies, it's not an overall "happy" ending represented in the book, but there is reality and the recognition that reality, whether one wants to call it "God's will or just plain happenstance, is the final decider.
And the end does demonstrate that life goes on, and although there are losses, there is still hope. There is always something to work from! I really loved this book!
The main characters, a Hasidic woman, a black man, a gentleman who is trying to become Hasidic, and various rabbis as well as spouses (and family members) of those characters. A picture is painted of how all of these people interact with each other and react to their changing community. There are bittersweet relations and relationships throughout, and the reader is caught up in the desires, hauntings, and disappointments in the characters' lives. Because everything doesn't work the way that's happiest, and because of some major tragedies, it's not an overall "happy" ending represented in the book, but there is reality and the recognition that reality, whether one wants to call it "God's will or just plain happenstance, is the final decider.
And the end does demonstrate that life goes on, and although there are losses, there is still hope. There is always something to work from! I really loved this book!
April 2, 2018
The topics covered were fascinating. The book covers a 30 year period in Brooklyn and really does a great job covering the changing neighborhoods and racial tensions between the black community and the Hasidic community that climaxes with the Crown Heights riots in 1991. I learned a lot about Hasidic Judaism and the author does a great job explaining the religion and culture without being judgmental. I did find the writing verbose and the author had a very annoying habit of explaining mood after dialogue ie: "would you like to go out" tentative. A good author does not say the tone or mood he creates it. But overall a very informative read. If you grew up in the New York area in the 1980s you will love this book.
March 12, 2019
I think this may be my first bout with historical fiction that I lived through. The Crown Heights riots were an awful culmination of decades of racial strife. Kane does a wonderful job of telling the history through 3 very different characters who are right in the mix. Though I found the platonic romance between Joshua and Rachel unrealistic, I appreciated that it was elevated to a deep mutual understanding and respect.
August 19, 2018
Sensitive, absorbing read about a sensitive and ongoing issue -- racial and religious tensions in Brooklyn, particularly in Crown Heights
February 25, 2020
Perhaps I'm being too harsh with my rating, but I could not wait until I'd finished the novel. The author depended on melodrama, stereotyping and sentimentality rather than on astute analysis of race relations that I had hoped to find. Kane depicted several decades in Crown Heights, a suburb of NYC and the troubled home to Hasidic Jews and African-Americans, ultimately leading up to the infamous riots in mid-1991 and the death of Australian scholar, Lubavitcher Yankel Rosenbaum by a group of approximately 15 black men.
Although Kane used a backdrop of historical situations and events hopefully to "enhanc[e] understanding and sensitivity in a broad and meaningful way", his narrative was primarily a Romeo and Juliet-love story between Joshua, an African-American, and Rachel, a Hasidic young woman, who bridge the distance between their cultures with their deep friendship. There was not one "rule" that the friends did not knowingly break, not one tragedy that did not befall them or their families, and not one heartache that they did not suffer. By the end, I wondered what message Kane wanted to convey about the possibility of such a love. His other characters included stereotypes of the street kids, of the discrimination by the police, of the antisemitism and racism that plagued the lives of all the residents, of the exploitative political activists, and of the heroism and integrity of those who had risen beyond the racial/religious/cultural expectations others had of them.
A disappointment...
Although Kane used a backdrop of historical situations and events hopefully to "enhanc[e] understanding and sensitivity in a broad and meaningful way", his narrative was primarily a Romeo and Juliet-love story between Joshua, an African-American, and Rachel, a Hasidic young woman, who bridge the distance between their cultures with their deep friendship. There was not one "rule" that the friends did not knowingly break, not one tragedy that did not befall them or their families, and not one heartache that they did not suffer. By the end, I wondered what message Kane wanted to convey about the possibility of such a love. His other characters included stereotypes of the street kids, of the discrimination by the police, of the antisemitism and racism that plagued the lives of all the residents, of the exploitative political activists, and of the heroism and integrity of those who had risen beyond the racial/religious/cultural expectations others had of them.
A disappointment...
August 21, 2013
My favourite books always tell me a little something about a time or place I don't know enough about and bring me into that world - as well as having great plot and characterisation. This book ticks all those boxes. If I was to find any faults it would be that Paul/Pinkus' character was hard to understand after the first half of the book...otherwise brilliant!
February 6, 2014
I gave this book 4 stars - not because it is wonderfully written but it is a good story - set in Brooklyn when there was a lot of tension. Found both the history and the story interesting although a little implausible but again - truth can be strange then so can fiction. In all - did enjoy reading this book.
March 19, 2015
It took me awhile to get to know and keep the characters straight. I enjoyed the story but it made me sad to read about such racial tension. Growing up in New York I was able to relate to the diversified neighborhood however I never witnessed the problems as in the book. I was very sad at the end however. I didn't really expect that ending.
April 5, 2016
The story started slow and it took me a week or so to really pick it up and read it regularly. I enjoyed the story - unlike anything I have read in some time. I enjoyed reading about the Hasidim - it is a culture that has always fascinated me. It's a long story that spans about 20 years. I recommend it if you are looking for something different.
February 18, 2017
I think I liked it because of the Brooklyn references, especially Eastern Parkway (where my grandmother lived for a while.) Good story about the Crown Heights riots; though the writing was lacking something.
March 18, 2015
This book took my breath away. Was it eloquent, beautiful prose? No, but the characters, back stories and commentary on race relations in Brooklyn were captivating. I was engrossed from beginning to end.
May 22, 2016
4.5 stars! Powerful and engrossing story. Found myself rooting for these characters all the way until the end!
March 12, 2015
It was fine. But add a star if you grew up in Brooklyn.
July 28, 2014
Great story, but not very well written. If I could give 3.5 stars I would.
November 4, 2014
Joshua: A Brooklyn Tale was an interesting story with lots of potential. Perhaps it was too ambitious. The author brings nothing original to the way he tells this story that wasn’t well written.
March 5, 2017
This book had a lot of potential but unfortunately the writing & (mostly) two-dimensional characters kept the book from fulfilling it. The story centers on Joshua Eubanks,the result of a liaison between his cleaning lady mother Loretta and her wealthy Jewish employer, landlord Alfred Sims(ne' Simokowitz)Joshua and his mother,thanks to his father(who although he doesn't know whom he is) are able to move from their tenement to a slightly more upscale building in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. The first part of the book deals with Joshua,who has his eye on his neighbor and best friend's sister,Celeste,who runs away after their father molests her one too many times.He vows to find her and looks like he's headed for a life of petty crime until he saves two Hasidic Jewish girls from a gang of boys. He receives a permanent injury to his leg (& a limp as well) but he then decides to turn his life around after he,thanks to his heroism,gets a job working in the synagogue of the Rabbi father of one of the girls;the beautiful Rachel Weissman. Rachel loves her parents and her community but feels she wants to do more than just get matched up with someone and have children. therefore, when she ends up at the ER after she slips on some snow-covered stairs and has a woman doctor attend to her injuries;she decides that she wants to be a physician;something had isn't allowed her very restricted world (even though She is able to get her parents to let her volunteer in the ER a few times a week.) Meanwhile,out in a wealthy community on Long Island,Alfred Sims only child and son(as well as Joshua's half-brother)Paul ,feels restricted by the assimilated life that his father has worked so hard to achieve for himself and family . The answer to that comes to him when he studies with Rabbi Weissman for his Bar Mitzvah. Paul also falls in love with the very traditional culture of the Lubavitcher Community and starts to wish that Rabbi Weissmann(who unbeknownst to him,lost his first wife and young son in The Holocaust) was his father instead and vice-versa. Then he sees the beautiful Rachel and decides to become a member of Hasidic community in order to marry her Much to the disappointment of his father. Therefore we have three characters who each want something more and the book attempts to show how their live's intersect. However, Rachel gives up her dream of being a Doctor after her father has a minor stroke and consents to having a Matchmaker arrange a marriage for her. With Rachel off the market,a distraught Paul settles for another girl but promises himself that he'll never forget Rachel. As for Joshua,Rachel is forever in his debt for saving her and her friend from being attacked so they become good friends. However,this being Crown Heights,their friendship is frowned upon As Rachel's marriage fails due to her inability to have children(It's always the woman's fault in their world) her friendship with Joshua ;now a fledgling lawyer,deepens into love and they meet in restaurants where no one will recognize However,unbeknownst to them,a jealous Paul is tracking them with a wide-angle lens camera. All this unfolds against the backdrop the of the mid-1960's to early 1990's;when tensions between the Hasdim and their black neighbors were greatly increasing until an incident where a Hasidic man accidentally hit two black children with his car makes them explode into the infamous Crown Heights riots in 1991. The author had some fascinating material to work with but only Joshua seems like a true flesh and blood person.Poor Rachel is a Martyr who has barely anything positive happen to her;lost dreams,infertility, divorce,unrequited love,Cancer;you name it! Yet,she barely shows and bitterness or anger about her life,which I felt was unrealistic. The rest of the characters were mostly just stereotypes. Finally, the writing;(Ex:"I was in school "(Tentative) I have a feeling the author wanted to write it as a screenplay as many of the passages in the book are written as such and are in dialogue form as well. On the plus side,Kane's writing did improve in the last third of the book. Also,the story was a fast read and I did want to know how everything turned out. A good book that with better writing(or editing) could've been so much more..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2019
I have mixed feelings on how to rate this book. It is splendidly written and had me turning pages quickly to see what would be happening next. That has me rating it highly. The story itself was a downer, however, and has me rating it much lower. It’s a compelling read about Jews and Blacks that takes place from about 1948 to 1991 in Brooklyn.
It’s a down to earth representation of life in the Jewish community for some as well as life on the streets for others. The characters are very believable but seem to go from one less than ideal relationship/situation to another. I kept waiting for someone to be rewarded with a happy life but was kept anticipating.
The author did a great job keeping me informed about the racial strife among Jews and Blacks without any sort of preaching or side-taking. The downer part was that nobody was ever truly happy. They lived their lives doing what their society expected of them rather than follow their dreams and hearts. I’m glad I read it – I enjoyed it – but this is not a book that gave me a feel-good emotion when I finished it.
It’s a down to earth representation of life in the Jewish community for some as well as life on the streets for others. The characters are very believable but seem to go from one less than ideal relationship/situation to another. I kept waiting for someone to be rewarded with a happy life but was kept anticipating.
The author did a great job keeping me informed about the racial strife among Jews and Blacks without any sort of preaching or side-taking. The downer part was that nobody was ever truly happy. They lived their lives doing what their society expected of them rather than follow their dreams and hearts. I’m glad I read it – I enjoyed it – but this is not a book that gave me a feel-good emotion when I finished it.
May 16, 2018
Andrew Kane’s encompassing novel addresses racism, bigotry, race relations, community relations, personal responsibility and love. Kane’s story, well paced and well plotted reveals the effects of deep seated hatreds and the injustices of mob mentality and rabble rousing. Kane, in the novel, allows no ethnic group a special place above another, as all men, of any color, any nationality or any religion, can harbor prejudice. The author hosts a various cast of characters, believable and realistic, from hard working Americans, to immigrants, to street thugs, who move through the novel with deliberation and ease.
The story centers on the three primary characters, Joshua Eubanks, a young Black man, Rachel Weissman, daughter of a poor Hassidic Rabbi, and Paul Sims, a secular Jew who joins the Jewish religious community. The beautifully written novel flows quickly, and offers passionate, descriptive images of the racial tensions during the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s in New York.
The story centers on the three primary characters, Joshua Eubanks, a young Black man, Rachel Weissman, daughter of a poor Hassidic Rabbi, and Paul Sims, a secular Jew who joins the Jewish religious community. The beautifully written novel flows quickly, and offers passionate, descriptive images of the racial tensions during the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s in New York.
June 18, 2018
A very well-written saga of the intersection of the Black and Hassidic Jewish communities in Brooklyn. The book follows the 2 very different lives of Joshua Eubanks and Paul Sims. the former a young Black teen and the latter a young Jewish youth. The 2 young men share the same father as a result of the fact that Joshua's mother had an affair with the elder Mr. Sims while working for him as a housekeeper. Their lives take different paths but ironically both are smitten by Rachel Weissman, the daughter of the local Rabbi. It is this additional common bond that brings them together multiple times. A really good read in my opinion.
September 29, 2022
Good read just not great. Basically a saga. Some of it unrealistic. Engaging storyline about Joshua, a young black boy growing up in Brooklyn amidst the Hasidic community in crown heights. The author goes into a lot of detail about the racial tensions in crown heights in 1960s-1990s. The reason i gave it 4 stars and not 5 is bc it was just too long. I just wanted it to end. The relationships in the book were also unrealistic. However the way the author weaved in the racial tension backdrop of the era was very good and I learned a lot. That was the main reason I didn’t give it 3.5 stars! Still a worthwhile read. Just not a page turner.
October 1, 2024
This book is fabulous. It occurs in a certain area of Brooklyn called Crown Heights at a time of great upheaval between Hassidic Jews and Blacks. It is about 3 young people, Rachael, a young Hassidic girl who is torn between her restrictive religion and her aspirations to break free from it and become a Dr. Joshua, a young black man who comes to Crown Heights from a very poor Brooklyn community with his mother and after a tough beginning becomes a lawyer. Lastly there’s Paul who is a young white man from a life of privilege. This is a wonderful story of how the lives of these 3 young people intertwine in this changing Brooklyn neighborhood in a tumultuous time of racial upheaval.
May 29, 2019
Unbelievably GREAT!!!! This is one of those books, you can't put down and then you are sorry when it is finished. The book covers a 30 year period in Brooklyn and helps the reader understand the changing neighborhoods and racial tensions between the black community and the Hasidic community that climaxes with the Crown Heights riots in 1991. The book follows the 3 very different lives of Joshua Eubanks, Rachel Weissman and Paul Sims. Their lives take different paths but ironically all three intersect in a most interesting way.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews