Her First American: A Novel [Paperback]

Lore Segal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 2004

She's Ilka Weissnix, a young Jewish refugee from Hitler's Europe, newly arrived in the United States. He's Carter Bayoux, her first American: a middle-aged, hard-drinking black intellectual. Lore Segal's brilliant novel is the story of their love affair —one of the funniest and saddest in modern fiction.

First published by Knopf in 1985, Her First American is widely considered to be a modern classic. It is about the process of "naturalization," about the differences and the common ground between peoples and people. It is also about Jews and Blacks, whose experience, to quote Carter Bayoux, is parallel in the sense that two lines are parallel: running side by side but never meeting; except that this man and woman are able, for a time, to love. Wholly original, Her First American is an unforgettable novel, humorous, sad, and deeply moving.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Lore Segal may have come closer than anyone to writing the Great American Novel. -- New York Times Book Review

About the Author

Lore Segal was born in Vienna and educated at the University of London. Her writing has appeared in the New Yorker, New York Times Book Review, and New Republic. She lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: New Press, The (November 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565849493
• ISBN-13: 978-1565849495
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #453,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lore Segal is the author of the Pulitzer nominated Shakespeare's Kitchen, as well as the recently re-issued novels Lucinella, Other People's Houses, and Her First American. She is the recipient of the American Academy and the Institutes of Arts and Letters Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Harold U. Ribalow Prize. She contributes to The New Yorker, the New York Times Book Review, The New Republic and other publications. She lives in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The melting in the melting pot, May 4, 2007

By 

K. F. Laux "kflaux" (Bloomington, Indiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Her First American: A Novel (Paperback)

To Ilka, a Viennese refugee newly arrived in the Big Apple, everything is fresh and new and eye-opening. And nothing more so than Carter Bayoux, a black intellectual with both astounding strengths and, as it happens, soul-wrenching weaknesses. Carter becomes Ilka's guide to the real America, both in Nevada (or was it Utah?) and in New York City.

A rather wonderful novel, HFA offers reflections on what it means to be an American, how one becomes an American--starting out completely differently--and how one deals with the problems of being an American, not least of which is the problem of how such different people manage to live together. Highly recommended.

2 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Boring!, May 29, 2009

By 

Noreen M. Sullivan (winchendon, ma United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Her First American: A Novel (Paperback)

On the cover there's a blurb from the NY Times: "Lore Segal may have come closer than anyone to writing the Great American Novel." Also, called "charming and comical".
Huh-did I read the same book? It was not funny, not unforgettable, and just plain boring. Am I just jaded? Maybe I've read too many books in the 63 years I've been reading. There are some real stinkers that get really good reviews. Makes me wonder.