Memoirs are a great way to get to know a person and the place and time that shaped them. I was unfamiliar with Rossi before reading this book and now have insight into most of her life, up to a point. She experienced so much all before the age of seventeen and seems like an incredibly strong person.

Thank you NetGally for the e-ARC.

I loved this book. It grasped me right away and has not yet let go. The storytelling and character development are excellent and the descriptions of the setting are wonderful. I found the book very emotive - some parts left me laughing, others left me crying. The discussions of Chassidism are fascinating. Overall this book is a great read. Thank you to Netgalley and She Writes Press for the advance reader copy.

This was such an interesting memoir! Being Jewish myself, I really enjoyed reading about the life of Rossi who never quite fit in with her family nor with the Chasidic Jews who she was sent to live with when she was a child. Honestly, some parts of the book seemed like I was reading a fiction book - not because it sounded fake, but because I was in awe over the unbelievable things that happened to her over the course of her life. Not fitting in with her family or with the Chasidic Jews was just the tip of the iceberg. I don't want to give out spoilers, but I'm amazed at how her life turned around after such struggles when she was younger. This was a great read especially if you're Jewish or from NY - lots of references to both! 5 stars!