I am getting into a bad habit of reading others reviews before I write my own, which makes me want to react to other reviewers' comments. I will limit myself to this: the subtitle says it pretty well, "A Handbook for People Converting to Judaism and for Their Family and Friends." This is about conversion and the issues surrounding it. I think she does a nice job and I saw myself in here quite a bit. For those looking for more about Judaism, the history, the traditions, the beliefs, and the debates over strict and allegorical interpretation of scripture and G-d's will, I refer you to any number of other books that are not pretty clearly targeted to a modern convert's issues and the parts that may affect family and friends. That is what the title states, it is what the book delivers.

I have read about six books on Judaism in the last year alone. Most of them were primers and introductions to the faith. Most of them were wonderful, however, what this book provides is very much missing in those books.

As a read, Diamant is a good writer with a nice mix of anecdote, information, and interpretation. She is very careful to represent Judaism from her point of view and to make sure that it is clear there are many (countless) views on how to be Jewish. If you are converting or know someone who is, this is a very nice read. I found it supportive and reassurring.