First published 2014
Deborah Feldman has broken free from her ultra-Orthodox upbringing, but freedom brings its own challenges. As a young single mother navigating the secular world, she faces daily decisions that once seemed impossible. How does someone rebuild their identity from scratch? Feldman searches for ways to remain connected to her Jewish heritage while rejecting the rigid constraints of her past. She explores what authentic Judaism might look like on her own terms. Each day requires courage as she creates new traditions for herself and her child. The memoir follows her journey toward self-determination while grappling with questions of faith, belonging, and motherhood. This is the story of a woman learning to trust her own voice after years of silence.
Genres: autobiography, memoir, biography-memoir, jewish
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Ultra-Orthodox
Period: 21st-century
304 pages · Hardcover · Blue Rider Press