Yeled Tov

by Daniel M. Jaffe

1974 and Jake Stein wants to be a good Jewish boy, but he finds himself struggling to reconcile his traditional beliefs and his strong faith in God with his growing attraction to other boys. He lands a part in the school play, The Diary of Anne Frank, and while he should be imagining the suffering of the Holocaust, he feels real tsuris over falling for the kid who's playing Peter van Daan. Even college is no escape, as his freshman roommate happens to be gorgeous and rarely dressed. Author Daniel M. Jaffe's newest novel offers readers a compelling young hero trying to find a path between desire and devotion, often with advice from the voice of God, or at least how Jake imagines the Almighty would instruct a young man to do the right thing.

Genres: Historical Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

Published March 11, 2018

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

My heart is still hurting for Jake Stein, I tell you what. I started Yeled Tov, planning to read a few chapters in between chores. Instead, I ended up stuck on the couch and reading this book intensely. Daniel M. Jaffe's book is raw. It's an unapologetic trip into the mind of a boy who is not only told by his religion that the way he feels is unnatural, but also by society as whole. It's a story about hiding who you are, until you can't anymore. This book simply tore at my heart.

Jake's character is instantly likable. He's your standard teenage boy, headed into college and looking forward to the future. Sweet, well-mannered, and full of promise. Or, at least, he is on the outside. Inside Jake is a mess. Jaffe does such a perfect job of showing the reader how conflicted our protagonist is about the truth of who he is. When your whole goal in life is to be a yeled tov (a good Jewish boy), how does having "deviant" sexual feelings fit into that? Jake's story isn't a new one, but it's definitely one that needs to be told as many times as possible. Jaffe allows the reader to step into Jake's shoes, and see how rough young adulthood can really be.

Truthfully, my only small complaint with this book was that each section felt just mildly too short. I know this is a semi-autobiographical novel. I also know that in real life our stories don't just comfortably flow from one chapter to the next. Still, I adored Jake. His struggle, his feelings, I just wanted to crawl deeper into his story and really sit next to him for a while. There's something heartbreakingly beautiful about watching someone fall apart, and then put themselves slowly back together again. I'll never tire of reading books that really make me feel.

Fair warning, this book really is at the upper end of Young Adult labeling. There isn't any actual sex depicted, but there are plenty of things very close to that making their way onto the page. If you are uncomfortable with the proper names for genitalia, or with briefly mentioned oral sex acts, this might be a book that you want to avoid. As I mentioned above, this book is raw. It's starkly written, right down to the poor choices that our budding protagonist makes as he tries to figure himself out. It didn't offend me in the slightest, since it's written as an important part of the story. Still, I feel like it's fair to put it out there for potential readers. Trust me, this book is worth your time.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is far out of my real world experience. I am not a Jewish boy nor am I gay. But I read to go into worlds about which I don’t know. Generally that is something like Elizabethan England but I’ve been trying to stretch my reading experiences. This book most certainly did that.

Jake is a young man who just wants to be a yeled tov – a good boy. He has been brought up in a religious house and he wants very much to please his parents, in particular his father. As he heads into his senior year of high school his hormones start to kick in but he finds himself not attracted to girls but to boys. This conflicts with everything that he has been raised to believe and since it’s the ’70s it’s not exactly a time of love and acceptance for people in the LGBTQ community.

The story follows Jake’s struggles with his identity through his final year of high school through acceptance to his chosen college to a fateful decision. A lot of Jake’s story is written through his fantasies as he attempts to deal with his feelings while having no one to whom he can turn to talk to about what he considers his unnatural desires. He feels if anyone knows about him they will turn away in disgust – what he doesn’t understand is that the friends that care for him the most already suspect and don’t care. His self hate is his biggest obstacle to happiness.

Despite this being a very alien world to me I found this to be a compelling book. The pain and struggles of Jake are really the same struggles for anyone who cannot accept themselves as they are….. Much of the story is told through fantasies in Jake’s head – and there are sex scenes as he stumbles his way through the life he has been born into. He also has conversations with his God in head as he struggles to reconcile his religion with what he feels.

Mr. Hall really brought the world of the 70s to life and the characters are all memorable, Jake most of all. The book is semi autobiographical.

4.5

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeled Tov (a good Jewish boy) is a semi-autobiographical novel about "Jake Stein's" struggle to accept his homosexuality. It was no easy feat considering that Jake was raised in a semi-orthodox home where the bible implores "Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind." Plus, it was the 70s, and "deviant" sexual behavior was rarely accepted or tolerated, and almost certainly never discussed.

You don't have to be Jewish or gay to feel Jake's pain. He is a lovable character, and despite the serious nature of the book, there were times when I couldn't help but laugh at the lengths Jake would go to to keep his sexual proclivities to himself.

There is much to be learned here -- about the happy faces we wear despite our internal struggles. About the pressure to conform to society. And about tolerance and the lack thereof.

It's an excellent read that captures, openly and honestly, the pain of growing up "different," learning to understand and accept ourselves for who we are, and recognizing that we are still lovable, despite it all. Bravo to the author for putting the story out there for readers to devour.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being gay in the early 70s cannot have been easy for anyone, but for Jake, a young Jewish boy, it is especially hard in this fantastic coming-of-age novel. Jaffe not only writes well, the style itself is somewhat innocent, evoking a simpler (yet for LGBT+ people, a more troubled) time. It is impossible not to feel for Jake's struggle for self-acceptance, especially because this novel does not pull punches when it comes to showing some of Jake's most self-hating bad decisions. Stylistically, emotionally, structurally...this book hits on all cylinders. HIGHLY recommended.


(full disclosure: I am another Lethe Press author, but don't let that make you think I would automatically give a 5-star review for a book)

[Joey Gremillion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing that has already been written before. BUT, the last section of the book picks up. Not terrible, but not great.

[Sara Strand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know this book doesn't grab you. I know you have no idea what this title means. I know together you're not sure what the heck is going on, but let me tell you this was a pretty interesting read especially if you are someone who works with the LGBTQ community and maybe don't know how a religious dynamic plays into that. Ok so let's be honest, this book isn't going to be for everyone. I almost gave up on it around the half way mark because it is SO SLOW. I consider myself a pretty fast reader but I was really struggling to get through it. Thankfully the back half of the book does pick up a little more and it felt like we were riding downhill on a bike so that was good. Everything about the set up of this book, we have a coming of age boy living in a semi-Orthodox Jewish family who is homosexual but trying to deny/hide it. It's the 70's and when I think of the 70's I think of discos, Studio 54, sexual experimentation, drugs, questionable music, and even worse fashion. But for Jake Stein this isn't the reality he's living. He's learned at home and through religion that homosexuality is wrong on all fronts, that it's deviant behavior, and that it cannot be tolerated. He's growing up confused and it's hard to not be sympathetic to that. It's not surprising that this is semi-autobiographical because even in current day there are countless youth experiencing this fine line and walking it confused and scared.

Even if you can't identify with the seriousness of the subject matter you can absolutely appreciate what it's like to feel like you're living two different lives. You go to school, to work, out in the world with a smile and a "everything about my life is great!" facade, but then you come home and cry because you're alone and you're not OK. Jake is doing this except he can't just be himself at home either so he never really relaxes. He goes through great lengths to hide his homosexuality and sometimes it's pretty funny so it lightens the seriousness of the book and that's really nice.

I wish there were more funny passages, which sounds terrible to say because I understand the intent of the book, but I think more people would be inclined to pick it up if they knew it would be funny. I do think this is a really great read for a kid who is maybe in this same boat and really struggling. It's kind of nice to know someone has gone through this too and that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Overall I'm giving this one 3.5 stars. The slowness of the first half of the book is what takes it down for me and though it does pick up, I don't know if everyone would hang in there in the hopes it does get going. But if they do, it's a great story. I really liked Jake Stein and I liked the people around them, as flawed as they are.

[Pamela Stennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://iwriteinbooks.wordpress.com/2...

Quick!

Someone find me the Venn Diagram of Queer, Coming of Age, Jewish, Mental Health, and Pleasing-cum-Rebellion.

Oh, hold on a minute.

I think I found something.

No, no, this is not my autobiography.

It is right here and it is Daniel M. Jaffe’s amazing new book, Yeled Tov.

1974 finds sixteen-year-old Jake Stien in a bit of a fix, pitting his faith roots against his heart. It’s a tale as old as time itself in that Jeff’s struggles follow what many have before him, navigating the apparently binary of being queer and being religious.

I have read so many books, stories, and interviews involving this heartbreaking internalized fight that I could tell it by heart, by now. With that said, Jaffe weaves his story in such a brilliant light, so expertly, that it could very well be the first time such a thing has surfaced. Jake’s internal struggle (often written and presented through vivid and imaginative fantasies) is one that can span gender, orientation, faith, and time period. Though so much has changed (especially in the queer community) over the last few decades, there is so much modern-day validity to the storyline.

The cast of characters between the covers of this book all but wandered off the pages and straight into my heart. Rarely are those in conflict with the protagonist written with so much heartwrenching empathy. From Jake, to his peers and teachers, to his family and faith community, the voices surrounding his journey ring true and complex.

This was my first book by Jaffe and I am totally hooked. If you haven’t read it, yet, I highly recommend it.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to the description of Yeled Tov because I continue to look for books to diversify my reading with lives and perspectives that differ from mine. Jake Stein, the main character in Yeled Tov, couldn't be more different from me. He is a Jewish teen, becoming a man in the seventies and struggling with reconciling his sexuality with his religious beliefs in a time and environment where to be homosexual is considered an abomination to God. Jake tries to be a yeled tov--a good boy--for himself, for his family, and for his God. The pressures are enormous and Daniel Jaffe describes them well--with honesty, poignancy, and even a bit of humor. He has created a wonderful character in Jake and had me rooting for him from the beginning. Yeled Tov won't be a book for everyone--the sexuality in it is fairly graphic as Jake explores his sexual identity in thoughts and fantasies and in reality, but it isn't gratuitous and it helps illustrate the conflict in Jake's life. The book moves slowly in the beginning, but the quality of the writing, the story, and the characters engaged me and I found myself caught up in Jake's world and well satisfied with the journey.

You can see my review and a recipe inspired by the book here: https://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/2...

Note: A review copy of "Yeled Tov" was provided to me by the author and the publisher via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

I’ll start by saying that I can see this not being for everyone. Yeled Tov – a good Jewish boy – is something that Jake Stein strives to be. However, growing up in a conservative Orthodox Jewish family he is struggling to come to terms with his homosexuality. The 70’s were a time where the LGBTQ community had less acceptance and tolerance as it was seen as an abomination. I couldn’t imagine trying to find a balance between wanting to stay true to yourself but also not wanting to disappoint or alienate your family. I think that the author perfectly captures this struggle.

While this is a more serious topic the author does a great job at sprinkling in some lighter moments that will bring a smile to your face. Well written with a very lovable character that you can’t help but feel for, YELED TOV is one that I would highly recommend. This is a coming-of-age story that deals in the topic of self-acceptance and the obstacles people in the LGBTQ community continue to face. For those wanting to diversify their TBRs I would definitely suggest adding this one to the list!

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeled Tov is set during the 70s and is a coming of age story about a Jewish teenager named Jake. He is battling with his sexuality as his desire towards men continues to grow. He tries to figure out if he can still be a good Jewish boy while also being attracted to men. He feels much shame in who is and believes there is something very wrong with him.

This is such a powerful story. Jaffe shows what it is like to be torn between two worlds and displays the struggle in trying to do the right thing but still follow your heart. Is there ever a point where God will stop loving you? Jake constantly asks this question and tries to find a balance between his faith and desire. Throughout high school and college he must find the strength within himself to be himself.

The way Jake beats himself up is so heartbreaking. This story is a reminder that accepting others is one of the most important things we can do and that there is no wrong way to love.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jake Stein, the main character in Daniel M. Jaffe’s “Yeled Tov” (Lethe Press), would have been unable to imagine the world portrayed in Zeller and Fallenberg’s novels – one where homosexuality is accepted. In the 1970s, all Jake wants to be is a yeled tov, a good boy: “He didn’t swear using God’s name. He didn’t do homework on Shabbes. He tried hard to treat his parents with respect. He didn’t steal or murder or do anything bad. He ate only kosher food, put on teffilin and davened every morning, saying every word of his prayers.” Yet, on Yom Kippur in 1974, Jake notices the verses in Leviticus that condemn homosexuality and his world is overturned. Jake doesn’t want to be attracted to men. In fact, he periodically dates women so he can be a yeled tov who will make his parents proud, but the dates are not a success. Not even his metaphorical discussions with God allow him to change his nature.
See the rest of my review at http://www.thereportergroup.org/Artic...

[Michael H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a coming out story, first and foremost, about a young man from a religious Jewish family who comes to terms with his sexuality over the course of two years. I laughed out loud many times and cried at the "crisis point," which I found deeply moving. Anyone who has had to "come out" will identify, and it would be a good read both for young adults and for the general reading population. My favorite device in the book is the ongoing "conversation" the protagonist has with God, which is at times very funny, at times emotionally moving. Very sweet read.

[E.V. Legters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel Jaffe's Yeled Tov unflinchingly addresses the pain of coming of age, of embracing one's whole self, in a society that, even today, is guilty of defining what's acceptable too narrowly. I couldn't help but think of Roxane Gay's Hunger in its eye-opening honesty. Please read and share this book with anyone who has experienced or is now struggling with any issue of identity. Jaffe confirms there is hope.

[Richbern · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a gay, Jewish man growing up in the 1970s I thought this story about a gay, Jewish man growing up in the 1970s would have some personal resonance. Unfortunately, this shallow and poorly written novel is just an empty exercise that says absolutely nothing. The best way to describe it is puerile—it feels as if it’s a 14 year old’s first attempt at writing fiction.

[Gawain_the_Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book - it is very good for people who are struggling with coming out, or who are struggling to reconcile religion and being gay. I also learnt a lot about the Jewish faith and the US education systems, and this book is excellent and sensitive on all fronts!

[Diane Lefer]

It’s a simple premise: How does Jake Stein reconcile his desire to be a good Jewish boy with his desire for boys which his religion condemns as an abomination? What is so remarkable about Yeled Tov is how closely I was pulled into Jake’s earnest and obsessive thought processes. I don’t think I’ve ever read—regardless of gender or orientation--a more accurate portrayal of teenage sexual love fantasies, self-questioning, and despair. Jake’s attempts to make sense of himself (and God) and to date and seduce a girl are sometimes funny—which makes it all the more heartbreaking. How can anyone read this novel without wanting an end to the pain Jake (and others) go through? The author is clearly a very good man.