My review: Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman

Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Deborah Feldman grew up in the Satmar sect of Hasidic Judaism. It was a very restrictive life in which her every action was strictly governed. My word for it is legalism, in the extreme. At seventeen, she was married by means of an arranged marriage. Though, as a child she inwardly rebelled against the restrictions imposed on her, she went along with the customs until she finally escaped.

This book was a sad commentary of what religion in the extreme can do to someone's soul and the trauma it can cause. Yet, this young woman's tenacious spirit finally allowed her to overcome and become the woman she was meant to be. I cried a lot reading this story, but it was one of triumph, and I'm very glad I read it.