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Harrison Hill

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Born

in Boston, MA, The United States

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http://www.harrisonhill.me/

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October 2012

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Harrison Hill grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia and lives in Brooklyn, New York. He received his MFA in nonfiction from Columbia University, where he also taught undergraduate writing. His journalism and essays have appeared in The Cut, GQ, Vogue, Travel + Leisure, AFAR, The Guardian, and The Threepenny Review. The Oracle’s Daughter is his first book.

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Your note at the front of the book regarding nothing being fictionalized, except names, is what caused me to buy the book. I was prepared for a data centric book. You actually wrote a lyrical story about real people; it captured personalities and motivations! Did you draw any conclusions about what draws people, in general, to the more dramatic cults that cut off contact with family and prior life?

Harrison Hill Hi Marty -- thanks so much for reading the book, and for the thoughtful observations and question! I've always felt that nonfiction writers should tak…moreHi Marty -- thanks so much for reading the book, and for the thoughtful observations and question! I've always felt that nonfiction writers should take as much care with their sentences as fiction writers often do. Just because a fact emerges from reporting rather than from the imagination doesn't mean it needs to feel dry or data-oriented -- that's my feeling, anyway. I grew up reading far more fiction than nonfiction, and am still a huge fiction reader, so I like to think that these habits have equipped me to think like a novelist, when that's what the writing calls for.

As for your question -- I think people are drawn to cults for the same reason we're drawn community groups, sports teams, theater troupes, religious organizations, etc: We want to feel part of something bigger than ourselves; to cede some amount of control to a leader who says they know what they're doing. As much as humans value freedom, we also love having (some) decisions made for us. Cults, including the most violent and abusive ones, exploit this universal desire.

Thanks again for engaging with the book -- very grateful to have thoughtful readers such as yourself!(less)

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How do you get inspired to write?

Harrison Hill I'm inspired by real life stories, by ideas and people I stumble across in the real world. That's why I'm always asking friends, family members, dates…moreI'm inspired by real life stories, by ideas and people I stumble across in the real world. That's why I'm always asking friends, family members, dates, random new acquaintances if they know of a story they think is important, and that I might like to write about. There is so much out there, waiting to be uncovered -- and I want to be the one to uncover it! All of which is to say: Do YOU have a story you think I should know about? If so, get in touch!(less)

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Harrison Hill’s books

Average rating: 3.9 · 886 ratings · 166 reviews · 1 distinct work • Similar authors

The Oracle's Daughter: The Rise and Fall of an American Cult

3.90 avg rating — 886 ratings — 7 editions

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Harrison Hill's Blog

Book tour!

I finished my book tour last week (crying emoji)! Hard to overstate just how FUN it was to meet readers, talk about my book, and see some of the best bookstores in the country.

I was lucky enough to make visits to seven cities: NYC (where I live), Baltimore, Richmond, Charlottesville, East Providence, Nashville, and, of course, Brookline.

Some observations:

- people were super interested in how I f Read more of this blog post »

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Published on June 02, 2026 14:31 • Tags: book-tour, cults, debut, nonfiction, true-crime

Harrison is Currently Reading

Harrison Hill is currently reading

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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Jun 02, 2026 02:12PM

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