Deliver Us From Mother: Faith, Fear, and the Family Cult That Broke Me

by Stella McCormick

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 11, 2026

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will resonate with anyone born into the 80's/90's fundamentalist homeschooling purity culture. Bring tissues 😭

[Melissa Gringo242424 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was waiting for this release after seeing Stella on TikTok. A very insightful memoir shining a light on religious abuse that ruled her childhood. At times you could feel the pain, anguish and disgust she felt. I do feel that the book was repetitive though at other points in the book, retelling the same point/memory throughout. Still a good book and worth reading.

[jennifer Azar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful!

As a former social worker who worked with children in schools and privately helping children removed by CPS, I feel this book in my core. The author is brave in her writing, and her continual ability to keep looking for herself even when she didn’t know that’s what she was doing. To every person thinking of working with children, may this book open your eyes to the love they all deserve. Bravo, Stella!

[Lauren York · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful and deeply moving story! The author put a lot into this memoir and it shows.

[Katherine M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a difficult read due to the horrific abuse that the children in this book had to endure. The author does a good job describing how horrible her childhood was, and just how normal she thought it was. It’s a must read, a testament to the human spirit! Stella has a lot of trauma to unpack but she’s her own person, and faces such a dilemma between doing the right thing and yet not wanting to. The bigger lesson here is to pay attention when something isn’t right and to report it. These kids were failed all of their lives by people who had to know something was wrong. Good prevailed over evil here.

[Akemi Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow... Just wow.

I have 1st hand knowledge of some of this and feel like a dolt for missing other aspects of this. I will say this... as someone who has known this extraordinary young lady for years and years now. She has always done the hard thing. Not to show off, but because it was right. Please go read this book... so that you can look for signs in the "perfect" families you know. There are more kids that need the grown ups to pay attention and save them.

[Chandler Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stella put us in her shoes, in her situation , in her life and I'll never be the same. Thank you for sharing your journey of abuse, epiphanies, and recovery. I want to know more and I was not ready for her story to pause. I can't wait to read more !!!