Kissing Girls on Shabbat

A Memoir

By: Sara Glass

Narrated by: Sara Glass

Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

“A searing testament to the strength in claiming one’s destiny.” —The Washington Post

A moving coming-of-age memoir in the vein of Unorthodox and Educated, about one young woman’s desperate attempt to protect her children and family while also embracing her queer identity in a controlling Hasidic community.

Growing up in the Hasidic community of Brooklyn’s Borough Park, Sara Glass knew one painful truth: what was expected of her and what she desperately wanted were impossibly opposed. Tormented by her attraction to women and trapped in a loveless arranged marriage, she found herself unable to conform to her religious upbringing and soon, she made the difficult decision to walk away from the world she knew.

Sara’s journey to self-acceptance began with the challenging battle for a divorce and custody of her children, an act that left her on the verge of estrangement from her family and community. Controlled by the fear of losing custody of her two children, she forced herself to remain loyal to the compulsory heteronormativity baked into Hasidic Judaism and married again. But after suffering profound loss and a shocking sexual assault, Sara decided to finally be completely true to herself.

Kissing Girls on Shabbat is not only a love letter to Glass’s children, herself, and her family—it is an unflinching window into the world of ultra-conservative Orthodox Jewish communities and an inspiring celebration of learning to love yourself.

©2024 Sara Glass (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

Inspirational

Dr. Glass completely draws the listener in to her struggles in her story. Her search for an authentic life is something that resonates with everyone in the LGBTQ+ community. Especially those from conservative and oppressively misogynistic backgrounds. This book is not to be missed, especially in these troubling political times.

Holy wow!

Of the 400+ titles in my Audible library, most of which are memoirs, this is one of my absolute favs of all time! I could not stop listening and did not want it to end. Such a compelling story, told beautifully and honestly. Sara, your courage to not only follow your heart and gut, but also to share the journey with us all through your book is healing your family and so many others generations forward and generations back. Thank you!!

Groundbreaking

This is a gripping memoir. It touches on many relevant themes regarding relationships between men and women and power imbalances, particularly within the Jewish ultra orthodox communities. The author is one of the few women who escaped the repressive life of being an ultra orthodox wife. Her story illustrates the cruelty of life for those women, and how the religious laws infringe upon basic human rights guaranteed by our justice system. The story was amazing and I could not put it down. I hope Sara Glass writes more books. Her knowledge about the effects of trauma came through, and it would be interesting if she wrote a book about how to heal from trauma.

A coming out story decades in the making

I love books about people, particularly women, who come out of oppressive religions and marriages and find their truest, most authentic selves. Dr Sara Glass is one such woman, and her story is captivating. Coming out is one of the most difficult things a person can do, especially when one believes that they will lose everything they hold dear by doing so. This book did not disappoint.