Título: Slonim Woods 9: A Memoir
Autor: Daniel Barban Levin
Sinopse: An “extraordinary” (Nylon) firsthand account of the creation of a modern cult and the costs paid by its young victims: a group of college roommates
“Intense . . . [a tale] of hard-won survival, and creating a life after the unimaginable.”—Salon
The inspiration for the Hulu docuseries Stolen Youth, directed by Zach Heinzerling and co-produced by Daniel Barban Levin
In September 2010, at the beginning of the academic year at Sarah Lawrence College, a sophomore named Talia Ray asked her roommates if her father could stay with them for a while. No one objected. Her father, Larry Ray, was just released from prison, having spent three years behind bars after a conviction during a bitter custody dispute.
Larry Ray arrived at the dorm, a communal house called Slonim Woods 9, and stayed for the whole year. Over the course of innumerable counseling sessions and “family meetings,” the intense and forceful Ray convinced his daughter’s friends that he alone could help them “achieve clarity.” Eventually, Ray and the students moved into a small Manhattan apartment, beginning years of manipulation and abuse, as Ray tightened his control over his young charges through blackmail, extortion, and ritualized humiliation. After a decade of secrecy, Larry Ray was finally indicted on charges of extortion, sex trafficking, forced labor, and money laundering.
Daniel Barban Levin was one of the original residents of Slonim Woods 9. Beginning the moment Daniel set foot on Sarah Lawrence’s idyllic campus and spanning the two years he spent in the grip of a megalomaniac, this brave, lyrical, and redemptive memoir reveals how a group of friends were led from college to a cult without the world even noticing.
Contexto da obra
Como livro em inglês, esta obra costuma ganhar também uma camada própria de interesse editorial e linguístico. “Slonim Woods 9: A Memoir”, de Daniel Barban Levin, publicado pela editora Crown, em 2021 e com 288 páginas, integra a categoria Livros em Inglês. Por isso, o interesse da obra tende a se ampliar quando o leitor considera também a relação com a língua em que ela circula.
Editora: Crown
Páginas: 288
Ano: 2021-09-07
Edição:
Linguagem: en
ISBN: 0593138856
ISBN13: 9780593138854
Sobre a editora
Os livros da editora CROWN apresentam uma leitura que mescla narrativas pessoais intensas e relatos investigativos, frequentemente ancorados em histórias reais ou contextos sociais complexos. O catálogo traz obras que exploram desde conflitos culturais profundos, como a vida de mulheres em sociedades restritivas, até análises detalhadas de crises contemporâneas, como ameaças à infraestrutura e desafios políticos. O tom varia entre o rigor documental e o relato íntimo, criando uma experiência que tanto informa quanto provoca reflexão. Muitas obras privilegiam personagens multifacetados e dilemas morais, enquanto outras adotam ritmo mais dinâmico e envolvente, com foco em eventos históricos ou biográficos.
