Julia Dahl

Julia Dahl (born 1977, Fresno, CA) –journalist, novelist and professor of journalism at New York U. Her work often explores themes of family dysfunction, small-town secrets, and the complexities of crime. Her 3-volume Rebekah Roberts series is deeply rooted in Jewish themes, specifically the culture and insularity of Hasidic communities in Brooklyn and upstate New York. She explores the internal justice systems of these communities, such as the concept of mesirah (the prohibition against reporting a fellow Jew to secular authorities) and the role of the Shomrim (Jewish volunteer safety patrols). Her work is heavily informed by her own interfaith background as the daughter of a Jewish mother and a Lutheran father. 

Rebekah Roberts is a secular journalist who was abandoned as an infant by her Hasidic mother. Much of the narrative involves Rebekah navigating her “outsider” status while attempting to reconnect with her Jewish roots and understand the community that her mother chose over her.

Her writing touches on the legacy of the Holocaust, noting how historical persecution informs the modern Hasidic community’s deep distrust of outsiders and the police. She also examines the patriarchal structure of ultra-Orthodox life, focusing on the experiences of women within the community and the challenges faced by those who attempt to leave or who do not fit traditional norms (e.g., LGBTQ+ individuals). 

Dahl identifies as Jewish and has stated that her Judaism is central to her identity—likening it to her “arm”—even though she is not traditionally religious. She uses her writing to challenge the divisions between different faiths and to provide a “not unsympathetic” portrait of a world often viewed through caricatures. [Google/AI]

Dahl, Julia [Rebekah Roberts #1 – American Hasidic community setting], (Invisible City [hc, Minotaur Books, 2014]) 978-1250043399 [pb, Minotaur Books, 2015] 978-1250043412

Dahl, Julia, (Rebekah Roberts #2 - Run You Down [hc, Minotaur Books, 2015]) 978-1250043405 [pb, Minotaur Books, 2016] 978-1250043429

Dahl, Julia, (Rebekah Roberts #3 - Conviction [hc, Minotaur Books, 2017]) 978-1250083692 [pb, Faber & Faber, 2018] 978-0571342778