Review: Cut Me Loose
Leah Vincent was born into a Yeshivish family – her father is a rabbi in this orthodox sect that is committed to study halls for men to study ancient religious texts. Vincent grew up devout and longed to fulfill her role as a Yeshivish woman as a wife and mother. Her family felt she was being unfavorably influenced by her classmates so, at fifteen, they sent her to Manchester, England to live with her aunt and uncle and attend one more year of high school before Seminary. When her aunt discovered she was exchanging notes with a boy, Vincent’s family disowned her and sent her to New York to make it on her own.
At sixteen, Vincent was totally unprepared for life on her own, especially in a city as large as New York. Exposed to many things for the first time, she made some poor choices and her life quickly spiraled out of control. As she reached rock bottom, she wondered if she’d have the strength to work her way out of her misery.
Cut Me Loose: Sin and Salvation After My Ultra-Orthodox Girlhood is Leah Vincent‘s story of despair and triumph and I found it fascinating. Born into a religion that suppresses women and avoids modern ways, she was ill-equipped for the world when she was forced into it. Confusing sex with love she ended up in some bad relationships and turned to self-destructive behavior. She wanted more out of life, though, and clawed her way out of despair. My heart ached for this young girl from such a sheltered background trying to make it on her own. I cringed at her poor choices, even though I could understand why she was making them, and I marveled at her triumphs.
Vincent’s story is well written and compelling but be forewarned it’s not always easy to read. She’s open and honest about her behavior so the book is gritty and unnerving at times. Her story is an important one, though, and it’s one that shouldn’t be ignored. If you enjoy memoirs or stories about strong women, you won’t want to miss Cut Me Loose.
I haven’t read this author before, this book sounds very emotional.
Sounds like a tough read – maybe not for me. I do know the world is very tough for young people who are unprotected like Vincent but the read may be too much for me. Sounds like a good memoir though.
Sounds too tough of a read for me!
Interesting! Seems very cruel to shelter someone and then abandon them without the skills to handle it. I do love triumph over-coming-the-odds stories.
Thanks, just added to my TBR list.
Oh wow, I hadn’t heard of this one at all and it sounds like something that’s right up my alley. Hmmm. I have a fascination with various religions. I love reading and learning about them.
This sounds like a real good one to read. Memoirs can be dry, but it sure doesn’t appear that this one is.
I’ll keep this in mind because I like to read a memoir from time to time – but I fall on the side of those who feel it might be too tough a read for me. Thanks for sharing about it because I hadn’t heard of it before.
I think this could be very interesting, despite being a tough read… will consider it. Thanks.
Oh, that one sounds very interesting. After reading a mystery recently that was set in Hasidic Jewish community and had a lot to say about the roles of women, I think I’d like this one. Will keep it in mind.
Kay, you might like The Ritual Bath by Faye Kellerman.
I am always saddened to hear about young people disowned and left to flounder on their own. I do want to know more about this story. Thanks!
I don’t do too many memoirs, but this sounds very good.
These are the types of memoirs I like to read. I’ll have to check into this one further.
What a hard life and an amazing story. I am glad you brought this one to my attention, Kathy. It sounds good.
It sounds really interesting but I don’t do gritty and unnerving all that well!
I do not really read a lot of memoirs, but this one was good
Great review. You were reading this one in New York and I thought it looked fantastic.
Wow, this sounds intriguing…
Though I find it hard to read books with such subjects, most of the times they are a mirror to the society we live in. Great review. I am adding it to my TBR
I know one point of being a fundamentalist is to follow all the rules, but when people punish children it really bothers me. I don’t know if I could handle this book, even if it were fiction.
This actually sounds like a memoir I might like even though I don’t read many of them.
This sounds like an intense memoir. I’ll have to keep an eye out for it.
This sounds like a really powerful and fascinating memoir. Thanks for putting it on my radar.