JewGirl
“This witty, incisive memoir delves into white privilege, identity, and intersectionality, as Maxfield reflects on her childhood growing up in a Jewish household and sharply reported moments as an adult pushing back against stereotypes and misjudgments. Her candid account blends crack comic storytelling with dead-serious considerations of what it’s like to be Jewish in America. ... This layered narrative will resonate with readers trying to define themselves in a world of mislabels, and her ability to transform childhood insecurities into superpowers as an adult inspires, though she never discounts how devastating it is to be ‘othered.’”
—BookLife Reviews
“In this deeply personal yet socially illuminating memoir, Maxfield navigates her Jewish American experience, tracing the tension between assimilation and exclusion. ... From her family lore—which includes bootleggers, a Hungarian grandfather, and a relative nicknamed ‘King David’ of McKeesport—to contemporary tragedies like the Tree of Life massacre, the author situates her story in both intimate and historical frames. ...A fearless, witty memoir about being both privileged and perpetually at risk. ”
—Kirkus Reviews
"Reading this book felt like sitting across from a friend who’s decided to tell you everything without a filter. I loved the way Maxfield blends humor with pain. One moment I was laughing at her sharp one-liners, the next I felt a knot in my stomach from the ugliness of the prejudice she describes. What I liked most was her honesty. She doesn’t pretend to have neat answers, and that made the book feel real. ... She writes with urgency, as if she knows these stories need to be told now, before they’re forgotten or drowned out by louder voices. ... It’s not a book that holds your hand. It’s a book that looks you in the eye and says, This is how it is.”
—Literary Titan
“JewGirl is a brave memoir about being a Jewish woman in today’s society. But it’s also about destructive relationships, the loss of innocence, casual antisemitism, and simply wanting to be seen and understood as a member of a tiny tribe that has withstood thousands of years of persecution. Maxfield tells it all through her personal lens of sensitivity and biting humor. JewGirl will remind you of the difficulties all girls face and open your eyes to the struggle and courage of the Jewish people.”
—Meredith Berlin, author of Friends with Issues
“Follow this hilarious, feisty heroine as she infuses humor and wit into what it was like growing up a JewGirl and now at a time when antisemitism is on the rise and women’s rights are at risk. Learn how she endeavors to ‘fix the things that were wrong with your childhood’ and ultimately learns to love the woman she’s become.”
—Ruthie Marlenée, And Still Her Voice, Agave Blues
“Marcie Blumberg Maxfield has succeeded in writing a brave, thoughtful, original, relatable, often irreverent, and much-needed book about what it’s like to be othered as both a Jew and a woman. If you’re a Jewish woman, you’ll find yourself nodding in recognition. If you’re not, this book is also for you—I think you’ll find it eye-opening.”
—Deborah K. Shepherd, author of So Happy Together
"The book is a fascinating account of the author’s life. She describes her experiences and challenges as a Jewish person, yet she has expertly crafted a book of stories that are relatable to everyone, regardless of their background. Each essay is authentic and engaging, and the reader will take something wonderful from each one. I can’t put into words how much I loved this book. I will be rereading every essay. It’s that good!"
—Leslie A. Rasmussen, award-winning author of When People Leave
"Marcie's memoir is intensely personal and also exhibits a universal resonance...Deftly written with wit, humor, and insight, along with an inherent eloquence that raises her memoir to an impressive level of literary elegance."
Jim Cox, Midwest Book Review
Maxfield’s prose evokes ... raw emotions during her brave journey in this page-turning memoir. ...The author shows how being Jewish and a female intersect while facing undeniable gender and cultural discrimination.
— Judith Brenner, Author, The Moments Between Dreams