In this classic portrait of Jews in the South, Eli N. Evans takes readers inside the nexus of southern and Jewish histories, from the earliest immigrants to the present day. Evoking the rhythms and heartbeat of Jewish life in the Bible belt, Evans weaves together chapters of recollections from his youth and early years in North Carolina with chapters that explore the experiences of Jews in cities and small towns across the South. He presents the stories of communities, individuals, and events in this quintessential American landscape that reveal the deeply intertwined strands of what he calls a unique "Southern Jewish consciousness."
First published in 1973 and updated in 1997, The Provincials was the first book to take readers on a journey into the soul of the Jewish South, using autobiography, storytelling, and interpretive history to create a complete portrait of Jewish contributions to the history of the region. No other book on this subject combines elements of both memoir and history in such a compelling way. This new edition includes a gallery of more than two dozen family and historical photographs as well as a new introduction by the author.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
Jewish Culture in the South:
The Provincials is a history of Jews in the South. It is the story of outsiders who came into a xenophobic society and, through hard work and assimilation, became accepted and valued members of Southern society. When Evans sticks to this topic, The Provincials is a well written, solid piece of history and sociology. Unfortunately, he does waver from his major theme quite a bit, focusing too much on his personal family history. He also spends a huge amount of time talking about Atlanta, a city which many of... more info
often boring, but I learned a bit:
This book is primarily focused on the 1950s and small-city Jewry; I grew up in Atlanta during the 1970s, and found most of the book to be about a completely alien world. (One exception: the book's discussion of how important maids were in child-rearing; I grew up at the tail end of the "maid era"). This book is about 2/3 autobiography and 1/3 history. For me personally, most of the autobiographical chapters were not that interesting, perhaps because the author's life and that of his parents and... more info
Evans should update his book! The South is no longer 'Fiddler on the Roof'!:
I am a Jew living in a college town in Mississippi for the past 5 years. I was born & raised in the North. I think Evans should rename his book "Fiddler on the Roof in the South". His book is a very nostalgic look back at Jewish history - as it was in the past here. It's very much: the southern Jews were all so happy, they all fit in and were accepted, etc. He does cite a few instances where they had problems - but these usually involved us 'Yankee Jews', like the instances when a few (Yankee)Rabbis in... more info
A great book about the Jewish South!:
"The Provincials" proved to be especially meaningful to me. First, my wife gave it to me for our anniversary; I am researching the Jewish Confederacy, and I had included it on my reading list. Second, we went to Vicksburg, Miss., for our anniversary, and I began reading the book there. I have family roots in Vicksburg, where we met a number of wonderful people at the synagogue who knew my cousin, a World War II veteran who grew up in Vicksburg but now lives in Texas.
