Lost in America: A Journey with My Father

Lost in America chronicles surgeon-author Sherwin Nuland's relationship with his father Meyer Nudelman, an immigrant garment worker who settled in the Bronx in the early 1900s. The memoir reconstructs Meyer's journey from a small Jewish village in Eastern Europe to New York City, where he raised his family in poverty while battling physical and mental illness. Nuland examines his own path from a working-class childhood to becoming a Yale surgeon, exploring how his father's troubles shaped his development and career choices. The narrative moves between past and present as Nuland investigates family history, conducts research, and reflects on previously hidden aspects of his father's life. Through this personal story of father and son, Nuland considers broader questions about immigrant identity, assimilation, and the transmission of trauma across generations. His work as a physician informs his perspective on his father's ailments, allowing him to bridge the gap between medical knowledge and lived family experience.

Readers describe this memoir as raw and brutally honest in examining Nuland's complex relationship with his troubled immigrant father. Many note the book's unflinching portrayal of growing up in poverty in the Bronx and wrestling with family trauma. Readers appreciate: - The detailed exploration of father-son dynamics - Rich descriptions of Jewish immigrant life in 1930s New York - The author's openness about his own struggles with depression Common criticisms: - Repetitive passages and circular storytelling - Slow pacing in middle sections - Some readers found the tone too bitter or self-indulgent Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (384 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (43 ratings) Sample reader comment: "Nuland captures the immigrant experience with such precision - the shame, the striving, the complicated love between generations." - Goodreads reviewer Critical comment: "The writing meanders too much. Could have been shorter without losing impact." - Amazon reviewer

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🔹 Author Sherwin B. Nuland was a renowned surgeon and professor at Yale School of Medicine who also wrote the National Book Award-winning "How We Die," which spent 34 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. 🔹 The memoir reveals how Nuland's father, Meyer Nudelman, changed the family name upon arriving at Ellis Island from Russia to escape anti-Semitism and start a new life in America. 🔹 Throughout his childhood in the Bronx, Nuland witnessed his father's struggle with both physical illness (syphilis) and mental health issues, which profoundly influenced his decision to become a doctor. 🔹 The book's narrative alternates between Nuland's memories of his immigrant father and his own journey of self-discovery as he works through his complicated feelings in therapy at age 40. 🔹 Despite achieving remarkable professional success, Nuland battled severe clinical depression in his own life - much like his father - and underwent electroconvulsive therapy, which he credits with saving his life.