Transworld lands 'joyous' memoir of life in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community

Transworld has acquired the rights to Chutzpah, Yehudis Fletcher’s memoir of life within an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.

Editor Sharika Teelwah acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Kate Evans at PFD. Chutzpah will be published by Doubleday in 2025.

The synopsis reads: “The daughter of a rabbi, Yehudis Fletcher struggled against the boundaries of her ultra-Orthodox faith. She suffered abuse that was covered up by the community, was married twice by 20, had three children and was rejected by her family when she came out as a lesbian. Despite all of this, she couldn’t bring herself to let go of the culture she so loved and instead began to create a space for herself and other like-minded people within the very community that condemned her.
“A fearless navigation of faith and sexuality, Chutzpah explores what is possible when one person simply refuses to choose between abandoning their roots and abandoning themselves.”

Teelwah said: “Chutzpah is the bold next step in memoirs of extreme religion. Where so many have been forced to abandon all that they love, here is a woman who dared to stay and create a space for herself despite fierce opposition. In detail that is fantastically vivid Yehudis Fletcher takes us into the heart of ultra-Orthodox Judaism and both celebrates and criticises a culture so often hidden from view. It’s impossible not to be inspired by her story.”
Fletcher added: “I’m delighted to be working together with Transworld to bring my story to the page. I am forging a new way of being in this world. Being able to invite others to witness my journey is a privilege that I am intensely grateful for.”

Fletcher is a writer, activist and scholar. She holds a social policy degree and is the founder of the think tank Nahamu which campaigns for the right to assert civil liberties within Orthodox Jewish communities.