A River Could Be a Tree - by Angela Himsel (Hardcover)
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<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br><p><strong><em>A River Could Be a Tree</em> is an unforgettable memoir from a woman who was raised in an evangelical Christian cult in Indiana, but after years of travel, study, and self-examination, wound up a practicing Jew on Manhattan's Upper West Side.</strong></p><p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><p><strong>How does a woman who grew up in rural Indiana as a fundamentalist Christian end up a practicing Jew in New York? </strong></p> <p>Angela Himsel was raised in a German-American family, one of eleven children who shared a single bathroom in their rented ramshackle farmhouse in Indiana. The Himsels followed an evangelical branch of Christianity--the Worldwide Church of God--which espoused a doomsday philosophy. Only faith in Jesus, the Bible, significant tithing, and the church's leader could save them from the evils of American culture--divorce, television, makeup, and even medicine.</p> <p>From the time she was a young girl, Himsel believed that the Bible was the guidebook to being saved, and only strict adherence to the church's tenets could allow her to escape a certain, gruesome death, receive the Holy Spirit, and live forever in the Kingdom of God. With self-preservation in mind, she decided, at nineteen, to study at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. But instead of strengthening her faith, Himsel was introduced to a whole new world--one with different people and perspectives. Her eyes were slowly opened to the church's shortcomings, even dangers, and fueled her natural tendency to question everything she had been taught, including the guiding principles of the church and the words of the Bible itself.</p> <p>Ultimately, the connection to God she so relentlessly pursued was found in the most unexpected place: a mikvah on Manhattan's Upper West Side. This devout Christian Midwesterner found her own form of salvation--as a practicing Jewish woman.</p> <p>Himsel's seemingly impossible road from childhood cult to a committed Jewish life is traced in and around the major events of the 1970s and 80s with warmth, humor, and a multitude of religious and philosophical insights. <em>A River Could Be a Tree: A Memoir</em> is a fascinating story of struggle, doubt, and finally, personal fulfillment.</p><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br><p>Candid and insightful. . . <strong>--Ilana Kurshan, <em>Lilith</em></strong></p> <p>Inspiring and brave, <em>A River Could Be a Tree</em> defines what we all need in some way--the freedom to discover our own unique path in life and the courage to choose it. Throughout Angela's journey of self-discovery and spiritual awakening, we recognize beauty in the uncertainty of life. Her ability to illuminate this is a true gift to her readers, and her story serves as a powerful reminder that we don't have to settle for what is expected of us. We can all find pieces of ourselves reflected in this delightful memoir. <strong>--Ruth Wariner, author of The New York Times bestseller, <em>The Sound of Gravel: A Memoir</em></strong></p> <p>In <em>A River Could Be a Tree</em>, Angela Himsel falls in love with Judaism, and we fall in love with her. Her passion, humor, and curiosity shine through as she discovers it isn't the answers that give life meaning, but the quest for answers and the people met along the way. <strong>--Charlotte Rogan, author of <em>The Lifeboat</em></strong></p> <p>An intriguing tale of one woman's search for identity and community. <strong>--<em>Kirkus Reviews</em></strong></p> <p>Angela Himsel's memoir <em>A River Could Be a Tree</em> is one woman's incredible journey down the proverbial road to Damascus, except that Angela's conversion was more process than presto. This coming of age memoir takes the reader from the faith of a childhood immersed in the Worldwide Church of God, to Orthodox Jewish New York, by way of Israel and Germany. Angela traces her genealogical and theological roots, in a search for identity and connection, and gives her readers stories of heartbreak, humor, longing, and love. <strong>--Lucia Greenhouse, author of <em>fathermothergod: My Journey Out of Christian Science</em></strong></p> <p>Adherents to any faith know well that religion can be both constricting and fulfilling at the same time. And at the core of everyone's spiritual journey is a belief that we are all seekers, searching for something deeper beyond ourselves. Himsel eloquently embodies this notion in her compelling new memoir. In often raw and engaging fashion, she takes her readers along for the ride--through love, loss, and religious rearrangement--to a conclusion that is both satisfying and enlightening. <strong>--Benyamin Cohen, author of <em>My Jesus Year: A Rabbi's Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith</em></strong></p> <p><em>A River Could Be A Tree</em> is an odyssey of love and faith, told in a voice mixed with pathos and humor. Angela Himsel shows us how intricate, layered, and painful are the bounds of family, and finally how it is possible to honor both the ties we are born with and the ones we choose to create on our own. <strong>--Gabrielle Selz, author of <em>Unstill Life: </em><em>A Daughter's Memoir of Art and Love in the Age of Abstraction</em></strong></p> <p>Honest, yet humane, Himsel masterfully describes her spiritual walk along life's long-narrow bridge from an impoverished childhood in rural Indiana with parents fiercely devoted to an apocalyptic cult, and ending in the embracing warmth of the Jewish community of the Upper West Side. Her journey is a testament to the importance of having no fear. In this regard, Himsel is not just a force of nature; she's the Mary Karr (author of <em>The Liar's Club</em> and <em>Lit</em>) of Indiana. <strong>--Mort Zachter, author of <em>Dough: A Memoir, </em>winner of the AWP Award</strong></p> <p><em>A River Could Be a Tree</em> is a riveting, intimate memoir of growing up in rural America in a family of eleven children with a father who is an avid follower of an Evangelical Christian sect. With boundless curiosity and rigorous erudition, Angela Himsel navigates a spiritual life while deftly melding the personal with the compelling realities of life in a cult and cultural norms in other religions. Sprawling several religious worlds, this tragicomic memoir is spellbinding. <strong>--Eva Fogelman, author of <em>Conscience and Courage: Rescuers of Jews During the Holocaust</em></strong></p> <p> </p><br>
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