I am truly amazed (but probably should not be) by how hard some of these reviewers are trying to discredit this book by claiming that the people portrayed in it are "rare" or that the author is in it for the money. As someone who knows this world VERY well, I can say that these stories are NOT so rare, and that it is about time that people stopped performing a cover-up for the sake of image and appearances. Yes, there are...
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This book deals with a challenging subject. Unlike some of the reviewers below, I do not see it as an attempt to smear Hasidic people or their way of life, but rather to tell the stories of those who cannot live that life. People who see it as otherwise might be reading something into this book that I do not think is there. To question why the author did not write about native american "rebels" or "rebels" from other groups...
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This is an easy to read book, with important true-life stories. Told well and honestly. I recognize many of the characters from my own experiences in the litvishe yeshiva world. If you want to gain insight into the complexity of a wonderful but imperfect community -- read this book. It is not condemning, and it does not mean that all Hasidim are sad and wanting more. The author is quite matter-of-factly about what she...
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For a modern-day tale of the triumph of the individual in the face of a closed society that demands conformity, please read this book! This book documents the hidden stories of people, mostly young, who struggle to find their own identities within the ultra-orthodox Jewish communities of Brooklyn. As the author points out, these communities demand strict adherence to their perceived concept of Jewish Law. But as we see, this...
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Reading Unchosen made me think that even a non-Jew could cook an authentic Cholent, something I never believed possible. What is sometimes referred to as a homogeneous body, "Chassidic Jewry" is in fact splintered into many different factions. At times, these factions are indistinguishable from each other, and at other times they are unrecognizable as belonging to the same religion. Sadly, most Chassidim--especially those...
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