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Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown
How did Jim Jones, the leader of Peoples Temple, convince more than 900 of his followers to commit "revolutionary suicide" by drinking cyanide-laced punch?
Using riveting first-person accounts, award-winning author Candace Fleming reveals the makings of a cult leader...from Jones’s humble origins as a child of the Depression… to his founding of a group whose idealistic promises of equality and justice attracted thousands of followers… to his relocation of Temple headquarters from California to an unsettled territory in Guyana, South America, which he dubbed "Jonestown”… to his transformation of Peoples Temple into a nefarious experiment in mind-control.
And Fleming relates Jones’s final act, persuading his followers to swallow fatal doses of cyanide—to “drink the kool-aid,” as it became known—as a test of their ultimate devotion.
Here is a sweeping story that traces, step by step, the ways in which one man slowly indoctrinated, then murdered, 900 innocent, well- meaning people. And how a few members, Jones' own son included, stood up to him... but not before it was too late.
Using riveting first-person accounts, award-winning author Candace Fleming reveals the makings of a cult leader...from Jones’s humble origins as a child of the Depression… to his founding of a group whose idealistic promises of equality and justice attracted thousands of followers… to his relocation of Temple headquarters from California to an unsettled territory in Guyana, South America, which he dubbed "Jonestown”… to his transformation of Peoples Temple into a nefarious experiment in mind-control.
And Fleming relates Jones’s final act, persuading his followers to swallow fatal doses of cyanide—to “drink the kool-aid,” as it became known—as a test of their ultimate devotion.
Here is a sweeping story that traces, step by step, the ways in which one man slowly indoctrinated, then murdered, 900 innocent, well- meaning people. And how a few members, Jones' own son included, stood up to him... but not before it was too late.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published April 29, 2025
170 people are currently reading
2214 people want to read
About the author
Candace Fleming
66 books631 followersI have always been a storyteller. Even before I could write my name, I could tell a good tale. And I told them all the time. As a preschooler, I told my neighbors all about my three-legged cat named Spot. In kindergarten, I told my classmates about the ghost that lived in my attic. And in first grade I told my teacher, Miss Harbart, all about my family's trip to Paris, France.
I told such a good story that people always thought I was telling the truth. But I wasn't. I didn't have a three-legged cat or a ghost in my attic, and I'd certainly never been to Paris, France. I simply enjoyed telling a good story... and seeing my listener's reaction.
Sure, some people might have said I was a seven-year old fibber. But not my parents. Instead of calling my stories "fibs" they called them "imaginative." They encouraged me to put my stories down on paper. I did. And amazingly, once I began writing, I couldn't stop. I filled notebook after notebook with stories, poems, plays. I still have many of those notebooks. They're precious to me because they are a record of my writing life from elementary school on.
In second grade, I discovered a passion for language. I can still remember the day my teacher, Miss Johnson, held up a horn-shaped basket filled with papier-mache pumpkins and asked the class to repeat the word "cornucopia." I said it again and again, tasted the word on my lips. I tested it on my ears. That afternoon, I skipped all the way home from school chanting, "Cornucopia! Cornucopia!" From then on, I really began listening to words—to the sounds they made, and the way they were used, and how they made me feel. I longed to put them together in ways that were beautiful, and yet told a story.
As I grew, I continued to write stories. But I never really thought of becoming an author. Instead, I went to college where I discovered yet another passion—history. I didn't realize it then, but studying history is really just an extension of my love of stories. After all, some of the best stories are true ones — tales of heroism and villainy made more incredible by the fact they really happened.
After graduation, I got married and had children. I read to them a lot, and that's when I discovered the joy and music of children's books. I simply couldn't get enough of them. With my two sons in tow, I made endless trips to the library. I read stacks of books. I found myself begging, "Just one more, pleeeeease!" while my boys begged for lights-out and sleep. Then it struck me. Why not write children's books? It seemed the perfect way to combine all the things I loved: stories, musical language, history, and reading. I couldn't wait to get started.
But writing children's books is harder than it looks. For three years I wrote story after story. I sent them to publisher after publisher. And I received rejection letter after rejection letter. Still, I didn't give up. I kept trying until finally one of my stories was pulled from the slush pile and turned into a book. My career as a children's author had begun.
I told such a good story that people always thought I was telling the truth. But I wasn't. I didn't have a three-legged cat or a ghost in my attic, and I'd certainly never been to Paris, France. I simply enjoyed telling a good story... and seeing my listener's reaction.
Sure, some people might have said I was a seven-year old fibber. But not my parents. Instead of calling my stories "fibs" they called them "imaginative." They encouraged me to put my stories down on paper. I did. And amazingly, once I began writing, I couldn't stop. I filled notebook after notebook with stories, poems, plays. I still have many of those notebooks. They're precious to me because they are a record of my writing life from elementary school on.
In second grade, I discovered a passion for language. I can still remember the day my teacher, Miss Johnson, held up a horn-shaped basket filled with papier-mache pumpkins and asked the class to repeat the word "cornucopia." I said it again and again, tasted the word on my lips. I tested it on my ears. That afternoon, I skipped all the way home from school chanting, "Cornucopia! Cornucopia!" From then on, I really began listening to words—to the sounds they made, and the way they were used, and how they made me feel. I longed to put them together in ways that were beautiful, and yet told a story.
As I grew, I continued to write stories. But I never really thought of becoming an author. Instead, I went to college where I discovered yet another passion—history. I didn't realize it then, but studying history is really just an extension of my love of stories. After all, some of the best stories are true ones — tales of heroism and villainy made more incredible by the fact they really happened.
After graduation, I got married and had children. I read to them a lot, and that's when I discovered the joy and music of children's books. I simply couldn't get enough of them. With my two sons in tow, I made endless trips to the library. I read stacks of books. I found myself begging, "Just one more, pleeeeease!" while my boys begged for lights-out and sleep. Then it struck me. Why not write children's books? It seemed the perfect way to combine all the things I loved: stories, musical language, history, and reading. I couldn't wait to get started.
But writing children's books is harder than it looks. For three years I wrote story after story. I sent them to publisher after publisher. And I received rejection letter after rejection letter. Still, I didn't give up. I kept trying until finally one of my stories was pulled from the slush pile and turned into a book. My career as a children's author had begun.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 298 reviews
July 9, 2025
Honestly, I'm not sure why I'm surprised that I enjoyed this book so much! Candace Fleming is well known for her ability to write compelling non-fiction titles. Though I knew a little about Jonestown before diving into this title, Fleming provided some much needed insight to the overall impact of this tragic event. Though I knew there were survivors, I never took into consideration the mental and emotional strain felt by each one of them as they reflect on the many friends and family that were tragically killed. Also, there were facts in relation to this group that I knew nothing about. I didn't realize that most of the group members were Black or that Jim Jones utilized anti-racist rhetoric to draw people into his schemes. This book is dark and rightfully so considering that it covers such a tragic aspect of American history; however, it is great insight to the danger of simply writing everything off as a cult without truly understanding the manner in which these individuals are brought into these groups. Fleming's writing was gripping and compelling and done with so much respect and compassion towards those who who survived and those who didn't. This is what I consider to be great teen non-fiction. If you haven't had the opportunity to pick this up, I highly recommend it.
February 10, 2025
I've consumed a fair amount of media about Jonestown (even though it blurs the line between my usual preferences-I like reading about cults and scammers but not murderers), so I already knew a lot of the basics here. But I appreciated Fleming's choice to pick a few victims/survivors to focus on throughout the narrative, and I think she did such a compelling job of showing exactly how and why so many people ended up at Jonestown and how tragic it was. Also a decently subtle job of highlighting potential similarities between Jones and some other uhh "charismatic leaders" that come to mind.
Great for high schoolers who are into weird shit as well as adults who want a good solid concise overview of Jonestown.
Great for high schoolers who are into weird shit as well as adults who want a good solid concise overview of Jonestown.
July 12, 2025
Very sick but will update with a full review once I recover. Highly recommend for now.
November 21, 2025
Riveting and Heartbreaking. Candace Fleming is so good as what she does. I ultimately would pass for Middle School, but would recommend for High School purchase.
December 23, 2024
3.5 ⭐️. Very well-written and the research behind the story is impeccable. The story and content is 5 ⭐️. I don’t love the decision to tell the story chronologically. It’s the people who drive the story. We see more and more of them as the story unfolds (so stick with it, readers!). Great insight into humanity and the underside of it. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC! Great addition to the YA nonfiction genre for adolescent readers. If you want to know the Jonestown story, love nonfiction, or want to evaluate the decisions humans make, read this book.
August 10, 2025
this one was intense & made me want to hug my baby a little tighter
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the racial analysis of this really added a layer to the story & I’m surprised it’s not talked about more
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I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, it’s not socialism’s fault that one weird guy wanted to have sex with everyone
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the racial analysis of this really added a layer to the story & I’m surprised it’s not talked about more
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I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, it’s not socialism’s fault that one weird guy wanted to have sex with everyone
May 2, 2025
Before this book, I knew only the basics of Jonestown—cult, kool-aid, mass suicide. This is a complicated historical event, and Candace Fleming structured the story so that it was easy to follow. Beginning with Jim Jones’s childhood, Fleming builds a picture of how Jones gradually acquired control over several thousand people. The victims and survivors are portrayed very sympathetically. The most graphic details are not watered down, nor are they gratuitous. I think it’s appropriate for high school age readers.
If you listen to the audiobook, there is a 20 minute list of names along with brief descriptions at the beginning; I skipped it and don’t think it affected my understanding.
If you listen to the audiobook, there is a 20 minute list of names along with brief descriptions at the beginning; I skipped it and don’t think it affected my understanding.
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August 24, 2025Written for a teen audience, this book explains HOW the Jonestown Massacre came to be. Like what made people join the movement in the first place and how Jones was able to make followers go as far as they did. Instead of blaming the followers, the author makes you see how we as human beings are all susceptible to this kind of coercion because we are wired to want to be part of communities, to work for purposes bigger than ourselves. The people in Jonestown were quite literally trapped—both by the physical jungle and armed guards and by their own thinking.
September 4, 2025
i've always known the most notable aspects of jonestown, but hearing the finite details like this make it all the more disturbing. the psychological warfare that jones put these people through is unfathomable. thinking of the almost 1,000 lives lost today and hoping their souls have found peace. as for you, jim, i know you are rotting in hell and i wish i could piss on your grave.
July 11, 2025
I’ve read A LOT about Jonestown and was interested in how wellnit would translate for a YA audience. Fielding did an excellent job covering the topic sensitively but without sugar coating anything.
August 11, 2025
Candace Fleming delivers a riveting and in-depth look at the early life of Jim Jones and his rise to cult/destructive group leader and the 1978 murder/suicide of over 900 members of his Peoples Church in Guyana. This YA through adult non-fiction will fill in so many gaps in reporting for those who remember the horrific event and expose today’s teens to the methods used by Jones and other nefarious leaders to draw vulnerable, seeking souls into harmful factions/cooperatives/groups.
As a teen in the 70s, I remember the news coming out about the atrocity but only recall hearing the alarming number of adults and children and that the method used was Kool-Aid tainted with cyanide, which was partially incorrect and woefully inadequate. Filling in so many gaps, Fleming’s book begins with Jones’ traumatic childhood and his early fascination with speakers such as Hitler and an assortment of preachers, whose magnetism and delivery styles seemed to put their audiences under a spell. His younger years and early jobs in church leadership and as a hospital orderly all clearly point him towards the shocking end to his so-called church ministry. Interviews with 10 survivors of the Peoples Church, librarians and historical records directors at the California Historical Society, Indiana Historical Society and San Diego State University, plus FBI files including documents, recordings, photographs, letters, diaries, radio communications and more are all a part of the sources used by Fleming to compile a narrative style non-fiction book that will surely impact readers from grade 9 through adult.
Text is almost profanity free and the sexual activities of Jim Jones and some of his followers are recorded in a factual, non-graphic manner. The violence within the Peoples Church is clearly documented but as with the sexual content, is kept factual and without unnecessary detail or gore. However, the grisly end of the church cannot be whitewashed and is not for all readers in the targeted age groups. Interesting and important, readers will come away armed with new knowledge of the mass murder/suicide as well as a deeper understanding of how so many people fell under the spell of Jim Jones and, even when they wanted to leave, could not break away from the destructive group.
Thanks, Penguin Random House, for providing me with a finished hardcover copy of this book at the 2025 Texas Library Association annual conference.
As a teen in the 70s, I remember the news coming out about the atrocity but only recall hearing the alarming number of adults and children and that the method used was Kool-Aid tainted with cyanide, which was partially incorrect and woefully inadequate. Filling in so many gaps, Fleming’s book begins with Jones’ traumatic childhood and his early fascination with speakers such as Hitler and an assortment of preachers, whose magnetism and delivery styles seemed to put their audiences under a spell. His younger years and early jobs in church leadership and as a hospital orderly all clearly point him towards the shocking end to his so-called church ministry. Interviews with 10 survivors of the Peoples Church, librarians and historical records directors at the California Historical Society, Indiana Historical Society and San Diego State University, plus FBI files including documents, recordings, photographs, letters, diaries, radio communications and more are all a part of the sources used by Fleming to compile a narrative style non-fiction book that will surely impact readers from grade 9 through adult.
Text is almost profanity free and the sexual activities of Jim Jones and some of his followers are recorded in a factual, non-graphic manner. The violence within the Peoples Church is clearly documented but as with the sexual content, is kept factual and without unnecessary detail or gore. However, the grisly end of the church cannot be whitewashed and is not for all readers in the targeted age groups. Interesting and important, readers will come away armed with new knowledge of the mass murder/suicide as well as a deeper understanding of how so many people fell under the spell of Jim Jones and, even when they wanted to leave, could not break away from the destructive group.
Thanks, Penguin Random House, for providing me with a finished hardcover copy of this book at the 2025 Texas Library Association annual conference.
September 10, 2025
This is the ultimate example that trust is a form of currency.
What an absolutely stunning story of how a man used his intelligence and skills to manipulate a community. Oscillating between help, love, fear tactics, and manipulation over multiple decades, Jim Jones earned the trust of a community, then used that trust to convince and coerce nearly one thousand people to move to South America to develop a Utopia and eventually end their life together.
This book gives you a chance to understand where Jim Jones followers come from. This man created a community then tightened the reigns. He used religion as a means of people joining his community then, after gaining loyalty of his followers, claimed that HE was god. He used the fear and distrust of the government and cold war to sow fear in his followers. He set up elaborate hoaxes in order to serve as "proof" of his premonitions and ability to survive and heal. He created a group of super followers to do his dirty work.
This man was a menace and a mastermind.
There is no way for me to comfortably rate a story that impacted and affected so many people. It is not my place to judge how interesting/good/useful the story is, because what happened to these people is tragic. A rating does not do that justice. In terms of writing, I would give this a 4 star. There were moments where I was confused about who was speaking. There were TONS of names that I found difficult to keep track of. Some people had the same names, which confused me at times, but perhaps their relation to Jones could have been used instead of their names. The flow of the book was inconsistent, sometimes going by quickly and other moments inundated with details and slowing things down. The first few chapters were absolutely captivating and hooked you, then the middle was a bit of a slog. I think there was potential to tell the story in a different way that kept readers captivated, but perhaps it is good that it is slow in some places so readers can read it in bite size pieces.
This story is originally intended for a Young Adult audience, but this book is very frank and candid at times (without being overly descriptive and gory). I think adults interested in this story would find this book suits their interests, too.
What an absolutely stunning story of how a man used his intelligence and skills to manipulate a community. Oscillating between help, love, fear tactics, and manipulation over multiple decades, Jim Jones earned the trust of a community, then used that trust to convince and coerce nearly one thousand people to move to South America to develop a Utopia and eventually end their life together.
This book gives you a chance to understand where Jim Jones followers come from. This man created a community then tightened the reigns. He used religion as a means of people joining his community then, after gaining loyalty of his followers, claimed that HE was god. He used the fear and distrust of the government and cold war to sow fear in his followers. He set up elaborate hoaxes in order to serve as "proof" of his premonitions and ability to survive and heal. He created a group of super followers to do his dirty work.
This man was a menace and a mastermind.
There is no way for me to comfortably rate a story that impacted and affected so many people. It is not my place to judge how interesting/good/useful the story is, because what happened to these people is tragic. A rating does not do that justice. In terms of writing, I would give this a 4 star. There were moments where I was confused about who was speaking. There were TONS of names that I found difficult to keep track of. Some people had the same names, which confused me at times, but perhaps their relation to Jones could have been used instead of their names. The flow of the book was inconsistent, sometimes going by quickly and other moments inundated with details and slowing things down. The first few chapters were absolutely captivating and hooked you, then the middle was a bit of a slog. I think there was potential to tell the story in a different way that kept readers captivated, but perhaps it is good that it is slow in some places so readers can read it in bite size pieces.
This story is originally intended for a Young Adult audience, but this book is very frank and candid at times (without being overly descriptive and gory). I think adults interested in this story would find this book suits their interests, too.
May 22, 2025
Book/ Overall Story: 5/5
Narration/ Audiobook: 4.5/5
Review to come.
Narration/ Audiobook: 4.5/5
Review to come.
July 27, 2025
Ugh, I was so glad when I finished this book! I didn’t know a lot about Jonestown, other than “drinking the Koolaid.” Now I know more and it was so disturbing. Jim Jones was evil and surrounded himself with weak, wicked people. It was a really sad and tragic account to read.
The reason I gave the book 2 stars is because the prologue is ridiculous, in my opinion. It talks about how we shouldn’t use the term “cult” because it makes us seem morally superior to those in a “cult.” So, the author says, let’s call Peoples Temple a “destructive group.” Then, the author goes on to give a lot of vague boundaries of what could make a destructive group.
Also, this book is labeled as young adult, which I know some people take to mean that it’s clean. It’s not. There’s foul language and sexual content, which you would expect if you knew the story of Jim Jones, which I did not.
The reason I gave the book 2 stars is because the prologue is ridiculous, in my opinion. It talks about how we shouldn’t use the term “cult” because it makes us seem morally superior to those in a “cult.” So, the author says, let’s call Peoples Temple a “destructive group.” Then, the author goes on to give a lot of vague boundaries of what could make a destructive group.
Also, this book is labeled as young adult, which I know some people take to mean that it’s clean. It’s not. There’s foul language and sexual content, which you would expect if you knew the story of Jim Jones, which I did not.
June 10, 2025
This book was so compelling and so heartbreaking. I was riveted. I knew about Jonestown, the Kool-Aid, Jim Jones, and the works. Or at least I thought I did. After reading this compelling narrative nonfiction title, I realized that it was so much worse than I ever realized. I only knew the broad strokes and author Candace Fleming did an amazing job of connecting the dots and focusing on a few key survivors to tell the story. Obviously the story starts with Jim Jones, but it goes so much more deep than that. This title is geared towards teens, but really I think it's a perfect place to start if you want to know about this tragedy. It is SO in depth and uses the testimonies of some key survivors to help set the scene and make readers understand how normal people could find themselves caught up in the web of deceit. Very well written and includes photos (none of the massacre itself thankfully). Truly moving, a fitting tribute to the survivors and a glimpse into something truly terrifying.
December 1, 2025
Before reading this all I knew about Peoples Temple was 1) Guyana, 2) Kool-aide, and 3) 900 dead. This book painted a picture of what really happened, from literally day one of Jim Jones life, and how things quickly spiraled from bad to worse for members on the inside- without them even knowing. Having the first hand accounts that she did, Fleming got a unique first person perspective that really changed this narrative over what some true crime podcasts can do. It changed the narrative from "these people are cultists" to "these people are victims of a narcissistic lunatic" and I think that distinction really is what makes the difference when talking about these organizations that go bad.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about Jonestown or the Peoples Temple. A really fantastic read.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about Jonestown or the Peoples Temple. A really fantastic read.
June 26, 2025
J'ai passé plusieurs heures à étudier ce groupe pour mon mémoire et je peux dire que l'auteure, personnellement reliée à des personnes décédées sur place, a fait un excellent travail !!! On n'est pas dans le sensationnalisme, mais plutôt dans la reconstruction factuelle de l'histoire du groupe en partant de l'enfance du leader jusqu'aux jours suivants la tragédie de novembre 1978. En utilisant l'expérience de membres pour amener des détails concernant la vie dans le groupe, l'auteure humanise les personnes qui ont fait partie de cette communauté et nuance certaines idées préconçues à leur sujet.
October 9, 2025
Be careful where you finish this book — you might cry; you might punch something; you might feel sick; and you might close the book and need to decompress.
I liked the chronological telling of events. I knew very little about Jonestown, so the progression of events was captivating.
In the beginning of the book I was baffled, wondering how something that is doing so much good will end up so horrible?? Now I know.
Three quarters the way though I’m still baffled, wondering how he will convince 1,000 people to commit suicide??? Now I know that too. (Spoiler: he doesn’t.)
The middle of the book did start to feel long and disjointed, but this is historical non-fiction so I appreciate erring on the side of factual. And giving a voice to the stories of the victims and survivors.
I liked the chronological telling of events. I knew very little about Jonestown, so the progression of events was captivating.
In the beginning of the book I was baffled, wondering how something that is doing so much good will end up so horrible?? Now I know.
Three quarters the way though I’m still baffled, wondering how he will convince 1,000 people to commit suicide??? Now I know that too. (Spoiler: he doesn’t.)
The middle of the book did start to feel long and disjointed, but this is historical non-fiction so I appreciate erring on the side of factual. And giving a voice to the stories of the victims and survivors.
August 17, 2025
Such a sad story, this story is not a joke nor should it be brought down to a kool aide joke. (That’s not even what they drank) But this is a human story about people who believed in something and believed in a man so much that they were willing to die to be free. In the end they were all pushed to be murdered.
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November 19, 2025This is one of Book Riot’s Best Books of 2025:
Jim Jones, leader of one of the most notorious cults in history, The People’s Temple, managed to convince 900 people to drink cyanide to their ultimate deaths. But how did he do it? This book traces Jones’s story from his youth growing up during the Great Depression to where and how he convinced people to follow him and his beliefs. You’ll follow Jones and his devotees from California to their off-grid Jonestown compound in the depths of Guyana. Fleming's research is deep, and the story is situated in the experiences of young people growing up within this cult. An example of knockout nonfiction for young adult readers (and beyond!).
- Kelly Jensen
Jim Jones, leader of one of the most notorious cults in history, The People’s Temple, managed to convince 900 people to drink cyanide to their ultimate deaths. But how did he do it? This book traces Jones’s story from his youth growing up during the Great Depression to where and how he convinced people to follow him and his beliefs. You’ll follow Jones and his devotees from California to their off-grid Jonestown compound in the depths of Guyana. Fleming's research is deep, and the story is situated in the experiences of young people growing up within this cult. An example of knockout nonfiction for young adult readers (and beyond!).
- Kelly Jensen
November 18, 2025
I actually knew very little about Jonestown and the Peoples Temple beyond drinking the kool-aid (it was Flavor Aid!) This was really compelling reading and, because it is written for a YA audience, not too gruesome or graphic.
August 18, 2025
out of everything i’ve read about this tragedy, this had the most empathy for the victims. incredibly sad, but a needed narrative as we get closer to the 50th anniversary
June 29, 2025
Although DEATH IN THE JUNGLE was written for young adults, it’s comprehensive enough for adults. I vividly remember when Jonestown happened and I’ve seen several documentaries since then, meant for adults which contained no additional information.
May 27, 2025
This is a very heartbreaking accounting of the rise and fall of Jim Jones and all those he ensnared. Reading this book showed me how little I previously understood about this horrific American tragedy. Well researched and well written.
June 1, 2025
4 1/2 stars. This was tough to read. Hats off to Fleming for her original research. The interviews and long format humanize an inexplicable atrocity. Hyacinth is a new personal hero.
Well worth reading if you remember these shocking events as they unfolded, or if this unbelievably ghastly massacre is all new to you.
The seventies really were an endless parade of appalling events.
There are two areas where questions are raised and not answered.
I would have appreciated some more speculation or comment directed at the incomprehensible decision of US medical examiners to declare all the deaths as suicide. Who would have been in a position to make that decision? Not only was that policy tragic for the memories of those who went down fighting, but it planted a lie in the minds of the nation and the world. All the lack of sympathy towards survivors and victims flowed from that decision- as arbitrary and autocratic as the decisions of Jim Jones.
I appreciate the reminder that the jokey references to drinking the coolaid are problematic but do think some sympathy is warranted for the nation gobsmacked that 900 American citizens would kill themself after murdering a congressman, and even worse, would compel their own babies to die. I remember it as a child and remember asking my parents about it. Explanations were impossible. It was an event so horrifying some deflection was needed. By the time I was in high school it was a relief to roll those feelings of horrified incomprehension into a creepy and cautionary aphorism.
I struggled with the addition of modern scholars efforts to reframe the racial elements of the tragedy within an explicable and honorable paradigm of African American culture. This felt like weak sauce and a bit of a slur. I didn’t buy what felt like gross generalizations and I felt putting forward those theories reflected poorly on the other examples of careful research and the individual accounts.
Well worth reading if you remember these shocking events as they unfolded, or if this unbelievably ghastly massacre is all new to you.
The seventies really were an endless parade of appalling events.
There are two areas where questions are raised and not answered.
I would have appreciated some more speculation or comment directed at the incomprehensible decision of US medical examiners to declare all the deaths as suicide. Who would have been in a position to make that decision? Not only was that policy tragic for the memories of those who went down fighting, but it planted a lie in the minds of the nation and the world. All the lack of sympathy towards survivors and victims flowed from that decision- as arbitrary and autocratic as the decisions of Jim Jones.
I appreciate the reminder that the jokey references to drinking the coolaid are problematic but do think some sympathy is warranted for the nation gobsmacked that 900 American citizens would kill themself after murdering a congressman, and even worse, would compel their own babies to die. I remember it as a child and remember asking my parents about it. Explanations were impossible. It was an event so horrifying some deflection was needed. By the time I was in high school it was a relief to roll those feelings of horrified incomprehension into a creepy and cautionary aphorism.
I struggled with the addition of modern scholars efforts to reframe the racial elements of the tragedy within an explicable and honorable paradigm of African American culture. This felt like weak sauce and a bit of a slur. I didn’t buy what felt like gross generalizations and I felt putting forward those theories reflected poorly on the other examples of careful research and the individual accounts.
October 2, 2025
Fleming is such a talented writer. She handled this story with respect and doesn’t sensationalize the events. But what a wild slice of history.
November 10, 2025
A recounting of the life of Jim Jones from his dysfunctional childhood to adulthood. The book particularly looks at how he lured in followers to the Peoples Temple, slowly changed its message over time, starting with social justice and care for the poor and what seemed like legitimate Bible preaching, and then to more disturbing/controlling acts and a discard of the Bible to calling himself god. Fleming explains how he convinced and coerced so many intelligent people to join his cult, how some became disenchanted but felt trapped, how some escaped, and how some followed him across country and then eventually to a new continent, and what events led to the mass suicide/murder at their compound in Guyana, South America that brought Jim Jones and his followers to international headlines.
This isn’t the kind of book you enjoy. It is a cautionary tale, warning readers when to walk or run away from groups, who is most vulnerable to charismatic personalities who thrive off of power, what are red flags to watch for, and what survivors want people to know. Fleming has done an obvious ton of research. She includes a huge amount of firsthand quotes from interviews with survivors to primary sources she dug up. She also is very tactful in how she wrote this, remembering that many of Jones followers were victims, that they weren’t stupid, they were duped and blackmailed and coerced and trapped. It isn’t an easy read, but I’m giving it 4 stars because young people about to head off into the world on their own especially need to know what red flags they need to watch out for in groups they join in college and beyond.
Notes on content:
Language: 3 moderate swears in quotes.
Sexual content: As Jones felt more secure in his position he started to take “special” members to be sexual partners even though he was married, both men and women. A couple ladies were special regulars. It is related that he also forced his inner circle to give reports of their own activity. Later on one of his sons is understandably livid when he sees his father get security to drug a teen girl who refused his advances and take her into his house where he’s sure his father assaulted her. There are no graphic details about any of this, but it does feel heavy and gross. Jones forced several members to get divorced so he could rearrange marriages.
Violence: Hundreds of people, men, women, and children died by self-inflicted poisoning or were murdered by forced poisoning or shootings. Before that Jones had his security shoot to kill a US Congressman and media people who came down to investigate reports of family members not being allowed to return to the States or children taken from their parents, as well as a group of followers who tried to leave with them. The Congressman and several others died while others were gravely wounded. It is hypothesized that Jones had others killed before then.
Ethnic diversity: A huge percentage of Jones’ followers were Black Americans because he advocated for Black rights in the civil rights era and would help them out. Jones and many other followers were white Americans.
LGBTQ+ content: Jones was bisexual.
Other: Jones had severe power/control issues and was a bit of a psychopath, asking people from a young age if they would play dead with him or be willing to commit suicide with him. He used religion as a way to get power after watching the way parishioners hung on preachers’ words. Jones separated children from parents and put them in group homes, and forced parents to sign over rights of their children to the church. Jones would collect blackmail material on people to keep them in the church. He had those who tried to leave the church hunted down. He had members sign over their life insurance policies, deeds to houses, and pretty much any other finances to the group. He had the leaders make passports for members and ship them off to Guyana with very little notice at the end. Jones wasn’t sleeping as he was trying to control every detail and turned to drugs to help himself stay awake. By the end he was hardly functional he was on so many drugs. He marketed the compound in Guyana as a paradise, but people showed up to basically concentration camp conditions with horrible food, poor sleeping quarters, and complete with barbed wire, forced listening to propaganda, and guards who’d hunt you down if you left.
This isn’t the kind of book you enjoy. It is a cautionary tale, warning readers when to walk or run away from groups, who is most vulnerable to charismatic personalities who thrive off of power, what are red flags to watch for, and what survivors want people to know. Fleming has done an obvious ton of research. She includes a huge amount of firsthand quotes from interviews with survivors to primary sources she dug up. She also is very tactful in how she wrote this, remembering that many of Jones followers were victims, that they weren’t stupid, they were duped and blackmailed and coerced and trapped. It isn’t an easy read, but I’m giving it 4 stars because young people about to head off into the world on their own especially need to know what red flags they need to watch out for in groups they join in college and beyond.
Notes on content:
Language: 3 moderate swears in quotes.
Sexual content: As Jones felt more secure in his position he started to take “special” members to be sexual partners even though he was married, both men and women. A couple ladies were special regulars. It is related that he also forced his inner circle to give reports of their own activity. Later on one of his sons is understandably livid when he sees his father get security to drug a teen girl who refused his advances and take her into his house where he’s sure his father assaulted her. There are no graphic details about any of this, but it does feel heavy and gross. Jones forced several members to get divorced so he could rearrange marriages.
Violence: Hundreds of people, men, women, and children died by self-inflicted poisoning or were murdered by forced poisoning or shootings. Before that Jones had his security shoot to kill a US Congressman and media people who came down to investigate reports of family members not being allowed to return to the States or children taken from their parents, as well as a group of followers who tried to leave with them. The Congressman and several others died while others were gravely wounded. It is hypothesized that Jones had others killed before then.
Ethnic diversity: A huge percentage of Jones’ followers were Black Americans because he advocated for Black rights in the civil rights era and would help them out. Jones and many other followers were white Americans.
LGBTQ+ content: Jones was bisexual.
Other: Jones had severe power/control issues and was a bit of a psychopath, asking people from a young age if they would play dead with him or be willing to commit suicide with him. He used religion as a way to get power after watching the way parishioners hung on preachers’ words. Jones separated children from parents and put them in group homes, and forced parents to sign over rights of their children to the church. Jones would collect blackmail material on people to keep them in the church. He had those who tried to leave the church hunted down. He had members sign over their life insurance policies, deeds to houses, and pretty much any other finances to the group. He had the leaders make passports for members and ship them off to Guyana with very little notice at the end. Jones wasn’t sleeping as he was trying to control every detail and turned to drugs to help himself stay awake. By the end he was hardly functional he was on so many drugs. He marketed the compound in Guyana as a paradise, but people showed up to basically concentration camp conditions with horrible food, poor sleeping quarters, and complete with barbed wire, forced listening to propaganda, and guards who’d hunt you down if you left.
September 4, 2025
Time and time again while reading this book, the word I came back to was 'evil'. What Jim Jones did was evil, what followers did on his behalf was evil, what they did to children in their care was evil. So I was put off by how this book talked about the events and people surrounding the People's Temple.
The book is shaped by stories of the 'survivors', as they call themselves. Because this is a story that ends in suicide, there's not a lot of other sources you can pull information from. But it really colours how the story is told, which I found lacking in its ability to critically look at what happened. To be clear, this book tells the stories of harsh punishments and wild plans, but there's a softness to it at times. A survivor urges the author to share the times of how the group laughed and had fun, which comes shortly after the author shares stories of mass murder. I understand we want to listen to people who lived through the events, but humans naturally put their guard up and justify their actions, so storytellers need to push past this natural response and look more critically. Depending on survivor's stories also weighs down the book with dozens of names and families that are tough to keep track of.
The story is largely told sequentially, which is fine, but it means that some major events are brought up quickly and moved past. Jim Jones started off as a Christian preacher, but he secretly didn't care and wanted to wrap his message in religion while really caring about socialism, or so he said. And at one point, he just dropped Christianity entirely. That's a huge change for a purported Christian church to make, and it's simply mentioned. Jones' past is also told in a few stories, but he really requires a deeper than that, this was hurt by a lack of biography that could have traced back his decisions to his past. Why did a straight-laced Christian kid become a drug-addled monster? This suggests it just happened.
The book begins and ends with academic thought on cults, and this one in particular. I understand wanting to invoke experts, but I thought the use of their quotes was misplaced. The book begins by sharing a sentiment from academics that is essentially, "This could happen to anybody." (My apologies if this is much less nuanced than the book, but it's what I recall.) But time and time again, the story shows us that this could *not* happen to anybody, because there are cases of many people who encountered this group, experienced it briefly, and left. After all, that's what led to the shadowy harrassment campaigns, so clearly many people dipped their toe in these waters and made the choice to leave, wisely. Have many people throughout human history turned a blind eye toward evil? Of course. Is this the norm? I don't think so. Are there examples of people rejecting that? Actually, yes, time and time again. I understand that this cult story is complicated by Jim Jones using the civil rights movement to co-opt a racial harmony attitude to lure in marginalized people, but that doesn't make everything that happened after they came to the church correct. It's insulting to suggest people are powerless to movements like this when time after time, bold people were very opposd to Jim Jones and his cult.
The story told is interesting, but lacking. The book ends with an oddly defensive outline of the post-suicide events, bemoaning the way the public responded to Jonestown, which felt bizarre. There were real victims of people who did truly evil things, and it wasn't the people left in the cult in San Francisco after nearly 1,000 people died. Come on.
Might be closer to a 2.5/5.
The book is shaped by stories of the 'survivors', as they call themselves. Because this is a story that ends in suicide, there's not a lot of other sources you can pull information from. But it really colours how the story is told, which I found lacking in its ability to critically look at what happened. To be clear, this book tells the stories of harsh punishments and wild plans, but there's a softness to it at times. A survivor urges the author to share the times of how the group laughed and had fun, which comes shortly after the author shares stories of mass murder. I understand we want to listen to people who lived through the events, but humans naturally put their guard up and justify their actions, so storytellers need to push past this natural response and look more critically. Depending on survivor's stories also weighs down the book with dozens of names and families that are tough to keep track of.
The story is largely told sequentially, which is fine, but it means that some major events are brought up quickly and moved past. Jim Jones started off as a Christian preacher, but he secretly didn't care and wanted to wrap his message in religion while really caring about socialism, or so he said. And at one point, he just dropped Christianity entirely. That's a huge change for a purported Christian church to make, and it's simply mentioned. Jones' past is also told in a few stories, but he really requires a deeper than that, this was hurt by a lack of biography that could have traced back his decisions to his past. Why did a straight-laced Christian kid become a drug-addled monster? This suggests it just happened.
The book begins and ends with academic thought on cults, and this one in particular. I understand wanting to invoke experts, but I thought the use of their quotes was misplaced. The book begins by sharing a sentiment from academics that is essentially, "This could happen to anybody." (My apologies if this is much less nuanced than the book, but it's what I recall.) But time and time again, the story shows us that this could *not* happen to anybody, because there are cases of many people who encountered this group, experienced it briefly, and left. After all, that's what led to the shadowy harrassment campaigns, so clearly many people dipped their toe in these waters and made the choice to leave, wisely. Have many people throughout human history turned a blind eye toward evil? Of course. Is this the norm? I don't think so. Are there examples of people rejecting that? Actually, yes, time and time again. I understand that this cult story is complicated by Jim Jones using the civil rights movement to co-opt a racial harmony attitude to lure in marginalized people, but that doesn't make everything that happened after they came to the church correct. It's insulting to suggest people are powerless to movements like this when time after time, bold people were very opposd to Jim Jones and his cult.
The story told is interesting, but lacking. The book ends with an oddly defensive outline of the post-suicide events, bemoaning the way the public responded to Jonestown, which felt bizarre. There were real victims of people who did truly evil things, and it wasn't the people left in the cult in San Francisco after nearly 1,000 people died. Come on.
Might be closer to a 2.5/5.
December 24, 2025
In the mid-twentieth century, Jim Jones attracted many followers to join his socialist experiment. The followers of Peoples Temple, a church that morphed into a cult, left their homes and moved to the jungle in remote Guyana. Ultimately Jones would convince them all to commit mass suicide by drinking fruit drink spiked with cyanide. The phrase "drinking the Kool-aid" entered the vernacular, describing the kind of blind obedience that these deluded followers exhibited.
This is the quintessential cult story, and I was certainly familiar with it -- but mostly it was tangential knowledge. It was fascinating to see how Jim Jones rose to power. I was surprised that many of his followers were Black and that one of the pillars of Peoples Temple was justice and equality (though author Candice Fleming notes that this is mostly in name only; that the Black members of the movement were never given leadership positions).
I found it fascinating to learn how Jim Jones, while touting Christian virtues, lived a rather scandalous life. He created elaborate shams to trick followers into believing he had supernatural healing powers. He had multiple extramarital affairs with both women and men. Ultimately he became addicted to amphetamines to keep up with his manic pace of life. Frankly, his hypocrisy was astounding.
I appreciated the author's reframing of the conclusion of the Jonestown story as a mass murder rather than a mass suicide, acknowledging that the "choice" Jones offered his followers -- to drink the poison or be shot -- was really no choice at all. These people should really be considered victims. (Again, I see racism all the way down in American history; if these people had been White, would they have been dismissed as mindless lemmings?)
This really was a fascinating book; I'm glad I read it. Technically this is teen nonfiction but adults will certainly learn by reading it. This is my second book by Candace Fleming (really enjoyed The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh, too!) and I will definitely read more by her!
This is the quintessential cult story, and I was certainly familiar with it -- but mostly it was tangential knowledge. It was fascinating to see how Jim Jones rose to power. I was surprised that many of his followers were Black and that one of the pillars of Peoples Temple was justice and equality (though author Candice Fleming notes that this is mostly in name only; that the Black members of the movement were never given leadership positions).
I found it fascinating to learn how Jim Jones, while touting Christian virtues, lived a rather scandalous life. He created elaborate shams to trick followers into believing he had supernatural healing powers. He had multiple extramarital affairs with both women and men. Ultimately he became addicted to amphetamines to keep up with his manic pace of life. Frankly, his hypocrisy was astounding.
I appreciated the author's reframing of the conclusion of the Jonestown story as a mass murder rather than a mass suicide, acknowledging that the "choice" Jones offered his followers -- to drink the poison or be shot -- was really no choice at all. These people should really be considered victims. (Again, I see racism all the way down in American history; if these people had been White, would they have been dismissed as mindless lemmings?)
This really was a fascinating book; I'm glad I read it. Technically this is teen nonfiction but adults will certainly learn by reading it. This is my second book by Candace Fleming (really enjoyed The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh, too!) and I will definitely read more by her!
August 4, 2025
The only reason that I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5 is because I'm just not sure about teen appeal. I probably would have read it, but then again, then and now, I'd read just about anything.
It was masterfully written and researched. I thought I knew a lot about Jim Jones, but I realize I only knew the ending of the story. He was very charismatic. He lied about his religious beliefs. He did a lot of really good social justice projects, and in this part of his "ministry," I think we could learn a lot. He was a liar. He really didn't care about the African Americans that he attracted to his church. The phrase "Betware of the wolf in sheep's clothing comes to mind. The book can also be a warning about following the "cult of personality," especially when it makes you think and do what is against what is purported to be the "message."
It would be an interesting book to discuss with teens if you could actually get them to read it.
It's definitely a book that will stick with me.
Last comment: I had seen the book "advertised," but hadn't really been interested in reading it since like most of my generation, I knew a lot about Jonestown. The book goes beyond that. I do thank my FaceBook library friends for recommending it. (I do pay attention to what you say is good."
It was masterfully written and researched. I thought I knew a lot about Jim Jones, but I realize I only knew the ending of the story. He was very charismatic. He lied about his religious beliefs. He did a lot of really good social justice projects, and in this part of his "ministry," I think we could learn a lot. He was a liar. He really didn't care about the African Americans that he attracted to his church. The phrase "Betware of the wolf in sheep's clothing comes to mind. The book can also be a warning about following the "cult of personality," especially when it makes you think and do what is against what is purported to be the "message."
It would be an interesting book to discuss with teens if you could actually get them to read it.
It's definitely a book that will stick with me.
Last comment: I had seen the book "advertised," but hadn't really been interested in reading it since like most of my generation, I knew a lot about Jonestown. The book goes beyond that. I do thank my FaceBook library friends for recommending it. (I do pay attention to what you say is good."
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