Somehow I found myself a bit judgmental while reading Deborah Feldman's second book; her poignantly written first one ("Unorthodox") appealed to me so much more.​ I think it's something to do with the way she chose to explore the world after leaving her ultra orthodox community of Hasidic Jews, the choices she made... After all, she herself says that it was an accepted notion among the members of that closed community that "freedom posed an especial danger... to those who had never previously experienced it" - even though she rebelled against that notion as well... Maybe she thought that she would be above that danger. Not so - the book shows.

Yes - to traveling and discovering her grandmother's roots in Europe, being indignant as to Europe's less than adequate remembrance of Holocaust, understanding more of her identity, while some other ways of expressing herself and finding herself seemed slightly over the board. But again, that's looking from the side. She was lost in this newfound freedom and empathy is expected. For her, all of it seemed worthwhile in the end. She finishes on a very optimistic note, and that's what counts. But deep inside, I still felt that she could have made better choices on occasion. Still, there IS a good writer in her... ( )

Feldman's account of her life after leaving her toxic Satmar family and community with her son. She travels the world, visits her grandmother's hometown in Hungary, and is angered that many European towns have virtually wiped Jewish life (prior to WWII) off the map and continue to exhibit anti-semitism. She meets many wonderful and not-so wonderful people while continuously learning how to live her new free life, making adjustments as she goes along.

Excellent read! ( )

I didn't finish it because I'd borrowed it from the library and couldn't renew it - it had reserves. I liked Deborah Feldman's first book, Unorthodox, much better; however, I'll give this one another chance when I have more time to read. ( )