eli glasman

Yossi, at seventeen, feels as though his homosexuality makes him less of a Jew. Living as he does in an Orthodox Jewish community, he has a lot to hide. When non-religious rebel Josh turns up at school, Yossi is asked to look after him, and while Yossi educates Josh on the ancient traditions of their faith, Josh does some educating of his own. Through their relationship, Yossi learns to see the laws of Judaism in a very new light. But when he and Josh are caught kissing in the bathhouse, Yossi’s life takes on a dramatic new turn, and he can ignore his new reality no longer. The Boy’s Own Manual to Being a Proper Jew is full of heart and human blundering, as a family gradually learns to accept the parameters of its faith, and how to work around them. "Five stars. Glasman is an author to watch." —Books and Publishing. "A voice that demands to be heard. This book speaks to all those reconciling sexuality, spirituality, culture, family, and finding the space in between."—Amra Pajalic “Rarely does a single book offer a reader so much to delight over as Eli Glasman’s smart, fun debut novel.”—Alex Sanchez, author of Rainbow Boys and The God Box