A young woman finds her voice and her inner strength by challenging herself to step outside her comfort zone and volunteer for the Israel Defense Forces. With raw honesty and vivid prose, Sasson brought me so close to the experience I could taste the ethnic food, see the beautiful landscape, and feel both the pain of her struggles and the triumph of her growth and transformation.”
—Kathy Pooler, author of Ever Faithful to His Lead: My Journey Away from Emotional Abuse
“In Accidental Soldier, Dorit Sasson breaks new ground with the first memoir to share a female’s perspective on the Israel Defense Forces. An American-Jewish female college dropout who finds her own identity away from her fearful mother, Sasson reinvents herself as a soldier amidst many cultural, social, and emotional challenges.”
—Joel Chasnoff, author of The 188th Crybaby Brigade: A Skinny Jewish Kid from Chicago Fights Hezbollah
“Accidental Soldier follows a young woman's struggle for respect and independence while serving in the Israel Defense Forces. A compelling memoir full of grit, humor, and courage.”
—Karol Nielsen, author of Black Elephants
“Accidental Soldier traces Dorit Sasson's life as she moved from New York City to Israel in her teenage years. Her writing reflects multiple emotions as her life took many turns as a volunteer and soldier. This is clearly a labor of love.”
—Cindy Chazan, Vice-President, The Wexner Foundation
“An Accidental Soldier is U.S. native Dorit Sasson's account of discovering herself, both as an individual and as a woman, courtesy of the Israel Defense Forces. Writing from the viewpoint of a lowly soldier who is striving to succeed on many fronts, she fascinates us along the way with richly detailed descriptions of a miraculous but wary Israel. An engaging debut memoir that speaks to personal truths and leaves us wanting more.”
—Linda Gray Sexton, author of Searching for Mercy Street: My Journey Back To My Mother, Anne Sexton
“A coming of age story of a young woman serving in a foreign military.”
—Erin Seidemann, author of Postcards from the Sky: Adventures of an Aviatrix
“Dorit Sasson’s powerful memoir Accidental Soldier offers the female’s place in war and in family. This is a significant and finely patient book, as it marks time (and war) in the Negev Desert (in Israel). Could this book be a feminine glimmer of peace in a war-torn world? Read one woman’s narrative of learning who one truly is. A memoir written with great compassion for and acceptance of our Human Family.”
—Katherine Soniat, author of Bright Stranger
“This is a fascinating memoir of military life told from the perspective of a female immigrant who comes of age and finds her voice while dealing with the challenges of service. For anyone who wants to learn what it's like to serve in the Israel Defense Forces, do begin with this engaging and courageous book. ”
—Tania Aebi, author of Maiden Voyage
“A courageous and touching story of the female immigrant experience in the Israel Defense Forces that many readers will sympathize with.”
—Danny Ayalon, Former Ambassador to the US and Deputy Foreign Minister, State of Israel
“Sasson boldly forces the reader into a world beyond the familiar yet familiar, moving away from parental control for adventure. But life in the kibbutz and in the Israel Defense Forces startles at every turn, even how to wear boots, in this suspense-driven memoir.”
—Diana Y. Paul, author of Things Unsaid
“If you are a young Jewish woman in New York trying to find yourself, what do you do? Like Private Benjamin, Dorit Sasson joins the army—but in Israel. She finds herself in a strange land that both scares her and beckons to her heart. Join Dorit on a heroine’s journey where she learns how to find courage, strength, and her True Self.”
—Linda Joy Myers, President of the National Association of Memoir Writers, and author Don’t Call Me Mother: A Daughter’s Journey from Abandonment to Forgiveness
“Accidental Soldier delivers a unique window into Sasson’s service as a woman in the IDF.”
—Jewish Values Center
“This poignant memoir reminds us that women truly do run the world.”
—SheKnows
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From discovering who she is as a woman to learning to survive solely on courage and human faith, her memoir illuminates that her incredibly risky life change led to more than a battlefield.”
—Brit + Co, “16 Books Every Millennial Should Read”
"If you’re looking for a riveting memoir that celebrates female empowerment and inspires you to reinvent yourself, you must read this real-life, coming-of-age story.”
—Working Mother Magazine, "20 Great Books for Your Working Mom Summer Reading List”
"A story of self-discovery and courage, Accidental Solider provides a private look into Sasson’s two years in the war zone, along with the faith and strength that helped her survive.”
—Buzzfeed, “6 Captivating Memoirs By Women To Inspire You This Summer”
“{Sasson’s] beautiful writing style takes the reader into a new and insightful world—a world of sacrifices, courage, obstacles, comfort zones, doubts, self-awareness, decisions, spiritual gains and transformations…Yes, I can state for now…Dorit Sasson fed my soul with her Accidental Soldier.”
—Writer’s Pay It Forward
“Accidental Soldier is deliciously psychological in other ways, too. It digs deep into the dysfunctional relationship with her mother. And the book provides a wonderful example of how fretful thoughts add to a suspenseful story.”
—Jerry Waxler, MemoryWritersNetwork
