Before reading this book, I'd been almost unaware of the Hasidic community in New York. The author used her doctoral research as the basis for this book about Hasids who were seeking to move away from the community, forced to face ostracism from their families, economic difficulty, and the challenge of trying to live in a world that they were raised to completely shun.

I was most struck by the way that the people in this community seem to be following religious law more to guard against criticism from their neighbors than to actually please God. Breaking the rules only seemed to matter when they didn't get caught. Their religiosity seems to closely reflect that of the Pharisees.

Three and 1/2 stars