Swimming Across the Hudson

More about the book

As a child, Ben Suskind wonders about his family's origins and what life would have been like had he not been adopted by Jews. Together with his brother Jonathan, they fantasize about alternate identities, making blood pacts and switching names, all while searching for a sense of belonging. As teenagers, even amidst the comforts of their Manhattan home, their dreams are intertwined with these deep-seated concerns. Now thirty and living in San Francisco with his girlfriend Jenny and her daughter, Ben still grapples with these questions, often lost in thought until Jenny brings him back to reality. When he receives a letter from a woman claiming to be his birth mother, he is thrown into a whirlwind of panic and curiosity. After confiding in his adoptive parents, they reveal a long-held secret about his past, shaking Ben's world. Without informing anyone, he embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about his identity, risking his relationships with Jenny, Jonathan, and his parents. As he delves into his family's history, Ben confronts the complexities of truth and the consequences of the lies told in the name of good intentions.