Slonim Woods 9

A Memoir

De: Daniel Barban Levin

Narrado por: Jay Myers

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.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Disturbing, extremely vulnerable and extraordinary. . . . A biting, observant memoir about his experience, as he excavates the reasons he was so drawn into Ray’s grasp.”—Nylon

“An intense tale of coercion, humiliation, gaslighting, and physical torment. It's also one of hard-won survival, and creating a life after the unimaginable.”—Salon

“Insightful and often heart wrenching . . . This book will be a tremendous help to others who have gone through something similar.”—Bomb

“Daniel Barban Levin’s courageous and honest memoir exposes the evil nature of manipulation and the near impossibility of escape, and his writing reminds us that honesty is the only tool to destroy these monsters. Levin offers us a way out, but only if we have the courage to follow him. This is an extraordinary story of entrapment, determination, and escape.”—Eric Fair, author of Consequence

“This harrowing memoir not only recounts what happened from the observant, insightful poet who lived through it, but also explores the how and why. It’s a moving, lucid testimony, as much about the abuse of power as it is about the power of storytelling.”—Grace Talusan, author of The Body Papers

“A deeply honest and viscerally lyrical descent into the self, Levin’s book shines a fluorescent light of masterful, sharp prose on the twisted depths of trauma, and takes our hand as we bear witness to the profane, the absurd, the banal, and the violent, so that we don’t have to navigate that horror alone, as he once did.”—Matt Young, author of Eat the Apple

“With fascinating detail, Slonim Woods 9 takes us on a tour of the lower depths of human vulnerability and manipulation. Levin’s vivid storytelling and poetic sense make it a great read, without ever upstaging its commitment to the slippery, open-ended process of self-discovery and healing.”—Amy Gerstler, author of Scattered at Sea

“In devastating and unforgettable ways, Levin renders trauma into language. Maybe most shocking of all is the beauty of his account—the tenderness of a survivor reaching toward those who are still trapped inside.”—Rebecca Sacks, author of City of a Thousand Gates

“Chilling . . . eloquent . . . a powerful portrayal of a young man’s ability to emerge whole from an experience intended to break him.”—Publishers Weekly

“An unusual, affecting portrait of how post-adolescent power dynamics are susceptible to cultish abuse.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Powerful. . . . A poetic and intimate memoir of a harrowing ordeal. Any reader interested in the workings of cults or the experiences of people in cults will find this book worthwhile.”—Library Journal

So accurate of the experience

Thank you for writing this. I have had two similar experiences although much less intense. But I completely related to all the questioning of one’s self, and confusion regarding the entire situation, as well as the immense Emotional manipulation. I have no doubt that the precise capturing of the experience Verbally has helped you to release it. I hope that Everyone who will be served to read this fabulous book somehow comes across it for their healing.

Excellent, raw and moving

I can’t imagine the bravery it took to write this memoir. I hope Danny’s life continues to be free and enriched. Definitely a must-read.

One of the best

I searched for this book after watching the documentary “Stolen Youth” and seeing the title in the credits. While the story is tragic and revealing, Daniel Levin’s writing is beautifully concise and descriptive. What a victorious survivor! The narration was perfect.

Tragic story, but beautifully written

While Danny’s story was so sad, it was written beautifully. Highly recommend this book. Fantastic read.

Harrowing

Well written, immersive. The author elegantly and deliberately walks you through the moments and the cascading states of mind, tangentially familiar to me from my and I’d imagine many others’ young adulthoods, that lead to all of this happening. It’s all so sadly, terrifyingly believable. Never lurid. It’s a journey that’s as compelling as it is difficult.

Beautifully expressed tragedy

So beautifully written and sadly, tragically expressed. My heart hurts for these young people whose lives were forever changed.

Highly recommend

I am often annoyed by the narrators of audiobooks and prefer to read it myself, but Daniel’s voice is both soothing and captivating at the same time. Great content and overall wonderfully written.

Beautifully written, courageously told.

This is an excellent telling of the story of coercive control, and how it can absolutely happen to anybody. Levin is a wonderful writer and I look forward reading more books by him.

Difficult but compelling story

This memoir is difficult to listen to. Daniel’s story is horrific yet gripping as the reader wants to find out the ending all the while hoping it’s a good one. It’s a good story to read after seeing the Hulu show, Stolen Youth. But it is definitely something that is for mature audiences as there are descriptions of abuse that are horrifying and sad. The Audible narrator is easy to listen to and helps make the story more understandable.

Heartbreaking and compelling

Beautifully written account from an abuse survivor. Highly recommended to anyone who’s experienced emotional or psychological abuse. The narrator’s performance was outstanding.