Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots is a memoir written by Deborah Feldman, and denotes her life living in the Satmar sect of Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn. It was published by Simon & Schuster on February 2012.
The book details Feldman's upbringing in the strict Hasidic community and the restraints placed upon her from a young age. Major themes include coming of age, arranged marriages and a lack of Western education. Indeed, as she became older, Feldman became uncomfortable, and later rebellious, of the practices in the community. Eventually, Feldman runs away from her loveless marriage with her child and rebuilds her life in Germany.
Publishers Weekly praised the book for being "engaging and at times gripping insight into Brooklyn's Hasidic community". However it was criticized by many publications for its redundant details and claims of sensationalism. The Washington Post commented that "The lopsided book traverses her childhood in painstaking detail, which is often redundant and overwrought... I certainly understood that Feldman wanted more out of life; but in the end, I wanted more from her narration."
A Netflix miniseries based on the book, 'Unorthodox', was released on March, 2020. The film casts Shira Haas as Esther "Esty" Shapiro, who's character is the basis for Feldman herself. The miniseries was critically acclaimed and currently has a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 95%.
