JEWGIRL

In this deeply personal yet socially illuminating memoir, Maxfield navigates her Jewish American experience, tracing the tension between assimilation and exclusion. She writes: “Here’s what happens when you’re Ashkenazi Jewish. You get put in the ‘White’ box because of the color of your skin. But the self-described ‘real’ white people, the so-called ‘fringe’ groups, don’t want us in their box.” 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. The memoir is rich in self-reflection, exploring guilt, empathy, and responsibility; Maxfield challenges readers to consider how social justice movements often overlook Jewish women when grappling with histories like slavery and the Holocaust. The author is unflinching about her own complicity, struggles, and ambivalence—she reflects on her reluctance to finally include her maiden name, Blumberg (thus claiming her Jewishness professionally), until after the 2016 presidential election. Travel memoir segments (from Europe to Morocco, Mexico, and Vietnam) interweave with these themes, highlighting the tension between global citizenship and national belonging. Equally compelling are her tender depictions of Jewish ritual, particularly the Seder, celebrating the warmth, love, and symbolism in family and faith: “every year at Passover, I say Next Year in Jerusalem, tossing a symbolic wish into the universe, a prayer… In case we don’t have a safe space here in the United States anymore.” The book’s episodic structure occasionally meanders, but the openness, insight, and dark humor maintain a steady narrative momentum. For non-Jewish readers, this is an eye-opening exploration of Jewish identity, survival, and the persistent negotiation between perceived advantage and real vulnerability.