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Slonim Woods 9

A Memoir

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Slonim Woods 9

Written by: Daniel Barban Levin
Narrated by: Jay Myers
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About this listen

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

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.

©2021 Daniel Barban Levin (P)2021 Random House Audio
Religious Studies True Crime Cult
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What the critics say

"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

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An absolute masterpiece

Daniel, you are quite possibly the most talented writer I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I can imagine the excruciating difficulty of having to, in a sense, relive such a horrific time in your life. Still, I'm optimistic that this book will help many people recognize abuse and find within themselves the courage to seek support in healing. Thank you for writing this.

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gratitude to the author

Thank you, Daniel, for using your experience to give voice to the victims of coercive control and for so clearly detailing how this form of mind control can be used against most anyone...even the brightest among us. Your voice paves a way for society to unite against those who would choose to abuse, rather than leaving their victims to suffer in isolation and shame.

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