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Beautiful Revolutionary
The thrilling new novel, inspired by the events at Jonestown in the 1970s.
It’s the summer of 1968, and Evelyn Lynden is a woman at war with herself. Minister’s daughter. Atheist. Independent woman. Frustrated wife. Bitch with a bleeding heart.
Following her conscientious-objector husband Lenny to the rural Eden of Evergreen Valley, California, Evelyn wants to be happy with their new life. Yet she finds herself disillusioned with Lenny’s passive ways — and anxious for a saviour. Enter the Reverend Jim Jones, the dynamic leader of a new revolutionary church…
Meticulously researched and masterfully written, Beautiful Revolutionary explores the allure of the real-life charismatic leader who would destroy so many. It follows Evelyn as she is pulled into Jones’s orbit — an orbit it would prove impossible for her to leave.
It’s the summer of 1968, and Evelyn Lynden is a woman at war with herself. Minister’s daughter. Atheist. Independent woman. Frustrated wife. Bitch with a bleeding heart.
Following her conscientious-objector husband Lenny to the rural Eden of Evergreen Valley, California, Evelyn wants to be happy with their new life. Yet she finds herself disillusioned with Lenny’s passive ways — and anxious for a saviour. Enter the Reverend Jim Jones, the dynamic leader of a new revolutionary church…
Meticulously researched and masterfully written, Beautiful Revolutionary explores the allure of the real-life charismatic leader who would destroy so many. It follows Evelyn as she is pulled into Jones’s orbit — an orbit it would prove impossible for her to leave.
416 pages, Paperback
First published July 30, 2018
40 people are currently reading
2512 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
May 14, 2019
I’m surprised at how much I did not like Beautiful Revolutionary — especially given the other ratings and the topic. This is meant to be a fictionalized account of some of Jim Jones’ followers. I read The Road to Jonestown with interest and thought this novel might provide more insight into what led so many people to follow Jones to their death. But I feel like I got the opposite of insight. It starts off well, focused on young couple, Evelyn and Lenny, who become entangled with Jones and his cult. Evelyn quickly leaves Lenny, and becomes Jones’ mistress, putting up with his abuse and self-absorption. I had trouble seeing what motivated Evelyn. And, quickly, the novel shifts its focus to a whole raft of characters, and I found myself losing interest and having trouble keeping everyone straight — and having trouble understanding what motivated all of them. In the end, I felt that the characters were given superficial treatment, and I gained little or no insight into what attracted them to Jones. I much preferred The Road to Jonestown. But my review is a clear outlier, so perhaps I missed something or was looking for the wrong thing. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
November 20, 2018
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
What a novel, wow! I have read a couple of non-fiction books about Jim Jones and The Peoples Temple and whilst I really enjoyed them (well, insomuch as one can enjoy learning about such a tragedy), I didn't feel like I really got to know the members at all. Instead, in Beautiful Revolutionary, Laura Elizabeth Woollett brings several of the cult's members to life, gives them hopes and dreams, pleasure and pain. They come alive in a way no non-fiction book I've read has done.
For most of us, it is difficult to imagine how anyone could be sucked into such a cult, and especially how people could willingly commit suicide and kill their own babies and children simply because their leader tells them to. And yet this happened. More than 900 people (a third of whom were minors) lost their lives in the commune Jones established in Guyana.
Ms. Woollett has meticulously researched the cult, its members, and the events and brings together all of her knowledge, as well as her deep understanding of the human psyche, into this brilliant fictitious account. I now can better understand how some people get sucked into the web of radical and manipulative revolutionaries. How their dreams for a better life, their insecurities, their need for a savior allow them to be drawn to someone like Jones and allow them to be consumed by his wishes and desires at the expense of their own. This book is written from the point of view of several of the cult's members. I especially loved reading Evelyn's POV, one of the main ones in this book. She divorced her husband in order to be mistress to Jim Jones, himself a married man. She put up with abuse from him whilst remaining enthralled to him, craving, even needing, his attention. My second favourite person's POV was Evelyn's ex-husband Lenny who, despite losing his wife and having to deal with being singled out in meetings and mentally abused by Jones and other members, remained a faithful cult member up until the day of the massacre.
There is much I could say about this book, but one really needs to read it for oneself! I am so glad I came across it, and thankful to the author, Scribe Publications, and Edelweiss+ for providing me with a DRC of this book. It is a fantastic read and anyone who is fascinated by the Jonestown Massacre or cults in general should love this book. Anyone who simply loves a well-written novel with interesting and deep characters will love this book. Kudos to Ms. Woollett for writing such a brilliant novel!
What a novel, wow! I have read a couple of non-fiction books about Jim Jones and The Peoples Temple and whilst I really enjoyed them (well, insomuch as one can enjoy learning about such a tragedy), I didn't feel like I really got to know the members at all. Instead, in Beautiful Revolutionary, Laura Elizabeth Woollett brings several of the cult's members to life, gives them hopes and dreams, pleasure and pain. They come alive in a way no non-fiction book I've read has done.
For most of us, it is difficult to imagine how anyone could be sucked into such a cult, and especially how people could willingly commit suicide and kill their own babies and children simply because their leader tells them to. And yet this happened. More than 900 people (a third of whom were minors) lost their lives in the commune Jones established in Guyana.
Ms. Woollett has meticulously researched the cult, its members, and the events and brings together all of her knowledge, as well as her deep understanding of the human psyche, into this brilliant fictitious account. I now can better understand how some people get sucked into the web of radical and manipulative revolutionaries. How their dreams for a better life, their insecurities, their need for a savior allow them to be drawn to someone like Jones and allow them to be consumed by his wishes and desires at the expense of their own. This book is written from the point of view of several of the cult's members. I especially loved reading Evelyn's POV, one of the main ones in this book. She divorced her husband in order to be mistress to Jim Jones, himself a married man. She put up with abuse from him whilst remaining enthralled to him, craving, even needing, his attention. My second favourite person's POV was Evelyn's ex-husband Lenny who, despite losing his wife and having to deal with being singled out in meetings and mentally abused by Jones and other members, remained a faithful cult member up until the day of the massacre.
There is much I could say about this book, but one really needs to read it for oneself! I am so glad I came across it, and thankful to the author, Scribe Publications, and Edelweiss+ for providing me with a DRC of this book. It is a fantastic read and anyone who is fascinated by the Jonestown Massacre or cults in general should love this book. Anyone who simply loves a well-written novel with interesting and deep characters will love this book. Kudos to Ms. Woollett for writing such a brilliant novel!
September 2, 2018
She has done it again! Beautiful Revolutionary has had me completely mesmerised – it has been ages since I’ve been so utterly engrossed and absorbed in a novel. The shifts in perspective are masterfully handled and offer a fascinating and nuanced portrait of Jim Jones’ Peoples Temple. I do love cult novels and this is one of the best of them. The tension build to the inevitable conclusion is incredibly well done. I have nothing but love for this book, five beautiful stars.
November 11, 2018
One of the best books I've read this year. An extraordinary achievement. Mind blowing. What a writer!
I have no interest in cults, Jim Jones or the Jonestown horror story. To be frank, if I had known what this novel was about I would not have bought it. Why did I buy it? I cannot say. I liked the throwback cover. I had heard whisperings that it was a work of genius. Dunno. Glad I listened to those whisperings.
I mean, Woollett dragged me places I did not want to go and made me want to go there. That's talent. And every horrid step of the way I sang her praises. This is a deeply intelligent telling of a deeply disturbing sideshow of history. Never dull. Never obvious. Always seeking out answers and finding many.
The amount of research this novel would require. It exhausts me just to think about it. To research that deeply and then to give that research time to permeate through the imagination. Who has that patience, that single-mindedness of purpose? Woollett does, obviously.
And I thank her for it.
I have no interest in cults, Jim Jones or the Jonestown horror story. To be frank, if I had known what this novel was about I would not have bought it. Why did I buy it? I cannot say. I liked the throwback cover. I had heard whisperings that it was a work of genius. Dunno. Glad I listened to those whisperings.
I mean, Woollett dragged me places I did not want to go and made me want to go there. That's talent. And every horrid step of the way I sang her praises. This is a deeply intelligent telling of a deeply disturbing sideshow of history. Never dull. Never obvious. Always seeking out answers and finding many.
The amount of research this novel would require. It exhausts me just to think about it. To research that deeply and then to give that research time to permeate through the imagination. Who has that patience, that single-mindedness of purpose? Woollett does, obviously.
And I thank her for it.
June 25, 2019
A fictionalized account of Jim Jones and his followers. Jim Jones, a charismatic, master manipulator and con man. A self proclaimed socialist revolutionary and in his words, the only true heterosexual male in his People’s Temple. His followers are a mix of the desperate and lonely, the people with hungry hearts. And Jones is adept, per this account, of identifying each one’s Achilles heel and making full use of giving them what they need to believe. This is a real life horror story
August 5, 2018
It is very tempting to view Laura Elizabeth Woollett’s debut novel, Beautiful Revolutionary, as an extension of her 2016 short story collection, The Love of a Bad Man. This is in no way meant as a criticism as I loved that book – twelve stories told from the point of view of the lovers and wives of various bad men in history, a lot. Indeed, if I remember correctly, one of the pieces in The Love of a Bad Man concerned the Reverend Jim Jones, a very bad man and the central focus of Beautiful Revolutionary.
Woollett’s novel spans the period of history from the assassination of Bobby Kennedy in June 1968 to the events that occurred in November 1978, when over 900 people died from drinking poison at the People’s Temple Agricultural Project, better known as ‘Jonestown’ in Guyana, founded by cult leader, Jim Jones. When I was younger, I remember Jonestown being described as a mass suicide but, as relatives of the dead have since pointed out, it was really a mass murder, as all but a few drank the poison under duress.
Although we never hear the story from his point of view, the book revolves around Jones, a self proclaimed socialist saviour, but also a sexual predator, quack faith healer and an increasingly unhinged demagogue. Around his myth and reality, Woollett creates a large cast of detailed point of view characters. Chief among these is young flower child, Evelyn, and her, somewhat ineffectual, conscientious-objector husband, Lenny, both of whom become involved in the People’s Temple.
Evelyn becomes Jones’ lover, then his chief lieutenant, while Lenny goes in a very different direction. Other fascinating notable characters include Jones’ long-suffering wife, Rosaline, and Gene Luce, a rural cop turned cult member.
A huge amount has been written about Jones and movement, most recently Jeff Guinn’s excellent history, The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and the People’s Temple, which is on my to be read list. Beautiful Revolutionary does not provide a clear, linear history of the People’s Temple and the events leading up to the mass deaths in Jonestown. Rather it ducks and weaves between parts of the story.
Woollett has done her research on Jones and his movement, a weird mixture of socialist Third Worldism, New Age mysticism and Maoist style criticism/self criticism. She has also drunk deep of the culture and zeitgeist of the time, which shows in the numerous tiny little ways she breathes life into her depiction of the death of the counterculture and the mutation of one part of it into something disturbing and violent.
The other highlight of this book is Woollett’s prose style, which beautifully conveys the details of what is going on while at the same time wielding a less is more touch and power of suggestion, to maximise the psychological and physical tension of the story. Her drip feed depiction of the multitude of techniques, subtle and not so subtle, used by Jones to groom cult members and keep them in line once they have fallen under his influence, is particularly fascinating and, at time, quite terrifying.
Beautiful Revolutionary is part twisted love story, part dark, noirish, crime novel. I recommend it.
Woollett’s novel spans the period of history from the assassination of Bobby Kennedy in June 1968 to the events that occurred in November 1978, when over 900 people died from drinking poison at the People’s Temple Agricultural Project, better known as ‘Jonestown’ in Guyana, founded by cult leader, Jim Jones. When I was younger, I remember Jonestown being described as a mass suicide but, as relatives of the dead have since pointed out, it was really a mass murder, as all but a few drank the poison under duress.
Although we never hear the story from his point of view, the book revolves around Jones, a self proclaimed socialist saviour, but also a sexual predator, quack faith healer and an increasingly unhinged demagogue. Around his myth and reality, Woollett creates a large cast of detailed point of view characters. Chief among these is young flower child, Evelyn, and her, somewhat ineffectual, conscientious-objector husband, Lenny, both of whom become involved in the People’s Temple.
Evelyn becomes Jones’ lover, then his chief lieutenant, while Lenny goes in a very different direction. Other fascinating notable characters include Jones’ long-suffering wife, Rosaline, and Gene Luce, a rural cop turned cult member.
A huge amount has been written about Jones and movement, most recently Jeff Guinn’s excellent history, The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and the People’s Temple, which is on my to be read list. Beautiful Revolutionary does not provide a clear, linear history of the People’s Temple and the events leading up to the mass deaths in Jonestown. Rather it ducks and weaves between parts of the story.
Woollett has done her research on Jones and his movement, a weird mixture of socialist Third Worldism, New Age mysticism and Maoist style criticism/self criticism. She has also drunk deep of the culture and zeitgeist of the time, which shows in the numerous tiny little ways she breathes life into her depiction of the death of the counterculture and the mutation of one part of it into something disturbing and violent.
The other highlight of this book is Woollett’s prose style, which beautifully conveys the details of what is going on while at the same time wielding a less is more touch and power of suggestion, to maximise the psychological and physical tension of the story. Her drip feed depiction of the multitude of techniques, subtle and not so subtle, used by Jones to groom cult members and keep them in line once they have fallen under his influence, is particularly fascinating and, at time, quite terrifying.
Beautiful Revolutionary is part twisted love story, part dark, noirish, crime novel. I recommend it.
January 8, 2019
This was gripping and disturbing till the last page. Woollett has created something really special. Her characters feel like real people and she has brought their backstories and motivations to life with skilful attention to detail.
Amazing.
I’ve been reflecting on what really grabbed me about the style of this writing and I’ve decided that I really like the way Woollett alludes to events and motivations without explicitly explaining them. This allows the reader to make their own judgement about what may have led so many people to follow such a charismatic but highly disturbed individual. She is treating us as intelligent readers!
Amazing.
I’ve been reflecting on what really grabbed me about the style of this writing and I’ve decided that I really like the way Woollett alludes to events and motivations without explicitly explaining them. This allows the reader to make their own judgement about what may have led so many people to follow such a charismatic but highly disturbed individual. She is treating us as intelligent readers!
September 18, 2019
I have decidedly mixed feelings about this one. While parts of it were fascinating, much of it (especially in the second half) grew tedious. And the huge gaps in the cult's history were frustrating. In the end, I have more questions than I began with. I suppose that can be a good thing, but my overall feeling is one of dissatisfaction.
Read
September 13, 2019Woollett has wisely chosen to forgo the fetishism of death and Jim Jones that is so often the focus of this tragedy. With Beautiful Revolutionary, Woollett has created an utterly intoxicating portrait of the lives of those seeking to build something new in a world that seemed to be losing its mind. Although we know what awaits us, Woollett masterfully weaves a suspenseful and complex story about people — of their dreams, beliefs, ideals, and lives all coming to a horrific end — in a way that is uniquely hers. Woollett is electric.
Sarah Schmidt, Author of See What I Have Done
Laura Woollett’s imaginative retelling of the Jonestown tragedy does what only fiction can do — endows Jim Jones and his inner circle with a sense of humanity. She formulates answers to unknowable questions — how could otherwise sane people be pulled into Jones’s web of evil? What happened that last, tragic day? A lyrical and sharply rendered tale of innocence lost and ideals betrayed.
Julia Scheeres, Author of A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Jonestown
[D]ramatic and intriguing, the quality of Woollett’s prose is the most enjoyable aspect of this novel … Reading Beautiful Revolutionary, it is easy to imagine how so many people could have been captivated and controlled by a man such as Jones … [A]n excellent work of literary historical fiction.
Books+Publishing, 4.5 Stars
Beautiful Revolutionary is some of the most exciting fiction I’ve encountered. It fearlessly explores the human elements that attracted masses to the Peoples Temple and to Jim Jones — fear, lust, the need to be loved, and the urge to feel a part of something larger than the self. This story cuts close to the bone, unrelenting and irrefutably true, over and over. Laura Elizabeth Woollett is an immense talent, and this is a bracing — and necessary — read.
Kayla Rae Whitaker, Author of The Animators
In this rich and skilled reimagining, Woollett joins the sprawling, doomed, and endlessly fascinating juggernaut of the Peoples Temple as it careens from fraught, idealistic inception in late-sixties California to desperately tragic demise in Guyana a decade later. Equal parts earth and ecstasy, pulsing with life, this book takes us deep within the lives of Jones’s followers and the unfurling of their inevitable, dark drama. Climb aboard, and hold on tight.
Peggy Frew, Author of Hope Farm
Woollett's writing makes this story an electricity storm. The clouds are weed smoke and the lightening charging through that haze is pure sexual energy. I'm almost half-way through and feel wholly transported. The world is both real and surreal; these characters alien and freakishly familiar to me. Completely gripping, and dripping with detail never overdone.
Bri Lee, author of Eggshell Skull
Beautiful Revolutionary has had me completely mesmerised – it has been so long since I’ve been so utterly engrossed and absorbed in a novel. The shifts in perspective are masterfully handled and offer a fascinating and nuanced portrait of Jim Jones’ Peoples Temple. I do love cult novels and this is one of the best of them. The tension build to the inevitable conclusion is incredibly well done. I have nothing but love for this book, five beautiful stars. It's my number one Australian novel of the year.
Jaclyn Crupi, Bookseller at Hill of Content
She has taken years of extensive research, including interviews with surviving members of the Jones cult, then bent these facts into fictional shape … She follows Joan Didion, another sharp-eyed observer of the Californian scene in the ’60s and ’70s – another writer who appreciated how genuine human impulses could be harnessed and warped by the wrong kind of leader.
The Saturday Paper
It’s easy to see why Woollett is one of Australia’s leading young writers. The characters and observations are incisive and gripping, and prose masterful and electric.
Good Reading
[The] highlight of this book is Woollett’s prose style, which beautifully conveys the details of what is going on while at the same time wielding a less is more touch and power of suggestion, to maximise the psychological and physical tension of the story … Beautiful Revolutionary is part twisted love story, part dark, noirish, crime novel. I recommend it.
Pulp Curry
Laura Elizabeth Woollett has embarked on a brave quest with Beautiful Revolutionary — and the risk has paid off, with her historically rich and breathtakingly entertaining story about one female hippie searching for life’s meaning in all the wrong places.
Better Reading
A beautifully-written and certainly compelling novel.
The Lifted Brow
The book is the author’s interpretive fictional account, overlaid on a well-researched framework of fact and first-person description … Her writing is thought-provoking and at times luminous.
Weekend Press
Absolutely mesmerising. I didn’t want this to end … This story is meticulously researched and gets into your heart and mind and remains there for quite some time …[Woollett’s] a master of character and atmosphere.
Sam Still Reading
Laura Elizabeth Woollett’s Beautiful Revolutionary grabs attention from the beginning, not with narrative hooks but with the sheer penetration of its prose. Woollett’s debut novel is an imaginative refiguring of the Jonestown massacre story … a truly exciting writer
Weekend Australian
Woollett’s novel is brimming with historical detail and her depiction of Jonestown is impressive … A well-written account, it raises important questions about the desire for faith, especially in a time of crisis, and the dangerous appeal of a powerful personality dressed up as a revolutionary.
Australian Book Review
It’s a novel that benefits from deep research worn lightly, and from Laura Elizabeth Woollett’s sensitivity to the perversity of human character and behaviour.
The Saturday Age
A deeply intelligent telling of a deeply disturbing sideshow of history.
John Purcell, Booktopia
Woollett is considered Australia’s foremost expert on Jonestown, and her novel is a riveting tale of love, obsession and devotion. If you loved The Girls or Netflix's Wild Wild Country, this one’s for you.
Elle
A rich portrait of a highly mythologised historical incident. The passion that the author has had for her research shines through … for readers who appreciate a well-written, well-researched novel that approaches things from different angles.
Emily Paull, The AU Review
[T]raverses the uneasy terrain between historical fiction and all that cannot be known about the inner lives of real people. History blends with mythology … [D]evastating … Weighty and disquieting.
Kirkus
Woollett turns a dark chapter in U.S. history into a deeply human, satisfying read for fans of Emma Booklist
Woollett reclaims victims’ narratives from sensationalist headlines and re-educates her readers through sharp, expertly crafted fiction.
Anne Joyce, Irish Times
Woollett achieves psychologically complex portraits of her two protagonists — minister’s daughter Evelyn and conscientious objector Lenny — as they are indoctrinated into a degrading system of punishment and reward that delivers dire consequences for their marriage and sense of selfhood. Wry and incisive, but also imbued with great empathy for the trauma Jones wrought, Beautiful Revolutionary compels the reader to consider the conditions and compromises that allow groupthink to overpower individual responsibility and agency.
Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Fiction, Judges’ Comments
Sarah Schmidt, Author of See What I Have Done
Laura Woollett’s imaginative retelling of the Jonestown tragedy does what only fiction can do — endows Jim Jones and his inner circle with a sense of humanity. She formulates answers to unknowable questions — how could otherwise sane people be pulled into Jones’s web of evil? What happened that last, tragic day? A lyrical and sharply rendered tale of innocence lost and ideals betrayed.
Julia Scheeres, Author of A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Jonestown
[D]ramatic and intriguing, the quality of Woollett’s prose is the most enjoyable aspect of this novel … Reading Beautiful Revolutionary, it is easy to imagine how so many people could have been captivated and controlled by a man such as Jones … [A]n excellent work of literary historical fiction.
Books+Publishing, 4.5 Stars
Beautiful Revolutionary is some of the most exciting fiction I’ve encountered. It fearlessly explores the human elements that attracted masses to the Peoples Temple and to Jim Jones — fear, lust, the need to be loved, and the urge to feel a part of something larger than the self. This story cuts close to the bone, unrelenting and irrefutably true, over and over. Laura Elizabeth Woollett is an immense talent, and this is a bracing — and necessary — read.
Kayla Rae Whitaker, Author of The Animators
In this rich and skilled reimagining, Woollett joins the sprawling, doomed, and endlessly fascinating juggernaut of the Peoples Temple as it careens from fraught, idealistic inception in late-sixties California to desperately tragic demise in Guyana a decade later. Equal parts earth and ecstasy, pulsing with life, this book takes us deep within the lives of Jones’s followers and the unfurling of their inevitable, dark drama. Climb aboard, and hold on tight.
Peggy Frew, Author of Hope Farm
Woollett's writing makes this story an electricity storm. The clouds are weed smoke and the lightening charging through that haze is pure sexual energy. I'm almost half-way through and feel wholly transported. The world is both real and surreal; these characters alien and freakishly familiar to me. Completely gripping, and dripping with detail never overdone.
Bri Lee, author of Eggshell Skull
Beautiful Revolutionary has had me completely mesmerised – it has been so long since I’ve been so utterly engrossed and absorbed in a novel. The shifts in perspective are masterfully handled and offer a fascinating and nuanced portrait of Jim Jones’ Peoples Temple. I do love cult novels and this is one of the best of them. The tension build to the inevitable conclusion is incredibly well done. I have nothing but love for this book, five beautiful stars. It's my number one Australian novel of the year.
Jaclyn Crupi, Bookseller at Hill of Content
She has taken years of extensive research, including interviews with surviving members of the Jones cult, then bent these facts into fictional shape … She follows Joan Didion, another sharp-eyed observer of the Californian scene in the ’60s and ’70s – another writer who appreciated how genuine human impulses could be harnessed and warped by the wrong kind of leader.
The Saturday Paper
It’s easy to see why Woollett is one of Australia’s leading young writers. The characters and observations are incisive and gripping, and prose masterful and electric.
Good Reading
[The] highlight of this book is Woollett’s prose style, which beautifully conveys the details of what is going on while at the same time wielding a less is more touch and power of suggestion, to maximise the psychological and physical tension of the story … Beautiful Revolutionary is part twisted love story, part dark, noirish, crime novel. I recommend it.
Pulp Curry
Laura Elizabeth Woollett has embarked on a brave quest with Beautiful Revolutionary — and the risk has paid off, with her historically rich and breathtakingly entertaining story about one female hippie searching for life’s meaning in all the wrong places.
Better Reading
A beautifully-written and certainly compelling novel.
The Lifted Brow
The book is the author’s interpretive fictional account, overlaid on a well-researched framework of fact and first-person description … Her writing is thought-provoking and at times luminous.
Weekend Press
Absolutely mesmerising. I didn’t want this to end … This story is meticulously researched and gets into your heart and mind and remains there for quite some time …[Woollett’s] a master of character and atmosphere.
Sam Still Reading
Laura Elizabeth Woollett’s Beautiful Revolutionary grabs attention from the beginning, not with narrative hooks but with the sheer penetration of its prose. Woollett’s debut novel is an imaginative refiguring of the Jonestown massacre story … a truly exciting writer
Weekend Australian
Woollett’s novel is brimming with historical detail and her depiction of Jonestown is impressive … A well-written account, it raises important questions about the desire for faith, especially in a time of crisis, and the dangerous appeal of a powerful personality dressed up as a revolutionary.
Australian Book Review
It’s a novel that benefits from deep research worn lightly, and from Laura Elizabeth Woollett’s sensitivity to the perversity of human character and behaviour.
The Saturday Age
A deeply intelligent telling of a deeply disturbing sideshow of history.
John Purcell, Booktopia
Woollett is considered Australia’s foremost expert on Jonestown, and her novel is a riveting tale of love, obsession and devotion. If you loved The Girls or Netflix's Wild Wild Country, this one’s for you.
Elle
A rich portrait of a highly mythologised historical incident. The passion that the author has had for her research shines through … for readers who appreciate a well-written, well-researched novel that approaches things from different angles.
Emily Paull, The AU Review
[T]raverses the uneasy terrain between historical fiction and all that cannot be known about the inner lives of real people. History blends with mythology … [D]evastating … Weighty and disquieting.
Kirkus
Woollett turns a dark chapter in U.S. history into a deeply human, satisfying read for fans of Emma Booklist
Woollett reclaims victims’ narratives from sensationalist headlines and re-educates her readers through sharp, expertly crafted fiction.
Anne Joyce, Irish Times
Woollett achieves psychologically complex portraits of her two protagonists — minister’s daughter Evelyn and conscientious objector Lenny — as they are indoctrinated into a degrading system of punishment and reward that delivers dire consequences for their marriage and sense of selfhood. Wry and incisive, but also imbued with great empathy for the trauma Jones wrought, Beautiful Revolutionary compels the reader to consider the conditions and compromises that allow groupthink to overpower individual responsibility and agency.
Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Fiction, Judges’ Comments
October 31, 2019
I need to stop reading novels about cults. This review is going to be a rant which belies the magnificence of this book, which beautifully balances empathy and tension to keep the reader emotionally engaged right to the end. Each character is fully realised, and their journeys feel both enlightening and satisfying. I can absolutely understand the praise the book is getting for being both worthy and a cracking good read.
But here's the thing. While the book "feels" emotionally true, I'm not at all sure that it is - especially for the women. Woollett's book has been widely praised for avoiding the usual focus on Jones himself, and instead shining a light on the followers. My problem, however, is that these characters' motivations always revolve around Jones himself, and mostly in a sexual way. In line with this, the focus is largely on the mostly White leadership, and not the mostly Black ordinary members. Bluntly, the book is driven mostly by sex with Jones and gives the sense the cult was too.
Now I'm not challenging that rape, and consensual sex, was part of Jones' own motivation and system of control, it absolutely was. But I am frustrated that fiction writers assign sexual obsessions to women* in the People's Temple movement when there is scant evidence that this is the case. The People's Temple was a hippie-tinged left-wing movement, which largely recruited from to the San Francisco hotbed of radicalism. Its members were driven, like other elements of that milieu, by a deep conviction that the world could be better, and that they were going to make it so. In the early days, Jones recruited from the Civil Rights movement, grabbing activists who believed you could live principles while fighting for systemic change. The inner circle of White women were mostly communists recruited through the left. As the Temple grew, members were sent to major protests and movements with the same set of living the change philosophies. The Temple welcomed gay and lesbian people at a time when most left parties did not, an exceptionally political stance. And it had a reputation of taking racism far more seriously than much of Bay Area activism, contributing to the recruitment of African- American women. As in most hotbeds of left activism, feminist movements emerged in the mid-1970s largely driven by frustration with sexist exclusion from leadership and ideas within the left itself. It would be incredible if these frustrations were also not felt by women inside the People's Temple.
Yet in Woollett's novel, the women seem to think mostly about the men - sex with them, protecting them, raising them. The heady world of ideas appears only in the background, and largely from the male characters. The women are, admittedly, motivated to work hard for 'something better' but they don't seem to be interested much in what that 'something better' might look like. And halfway through the book, it struck me why this was bothering me so much - because in my experience (and yes, I have relevant experience) this is the way men see women in politico/religious organisations/cults but it is not how women actually are. In fact, this idea of women, that they flock to political (and religious) organisations because they just love having sex with leaders and cooking and cleaning for the cause, is precisely the fight that led to the second-wave feminist movement. Sure, even non-cult iterations of these organisations tend to have sexual dynamics involving younger, newer female members having sex, including enthusiastic consensual sex, with male leaders, but that's not because it is the main thing on the women's minds. I would go so far as to say that for women in 1970s counter-culture finding charismatic men to have sex with wasn't hard - finding a group that wanted your ideas, was.
So what I found missing in Beautiful Revolutionary was the fire for ideas, the intoxication that comes with being a group certain you can make the world a better place, the passion for planning a better world, not just a construction project. Sure, the dynamics of hero-worship and sexual exploitation are part of this story, but so is the dynamics of homogenous thinking. And always, the most interesting question for me, how do the dynamics of struggle to make things better feed so toxically into a cycle of destruction? How do the dynamics of a group focused on making the world better for everyone coalesce into the insider/outsider rules, and then into vicious internal hierarchy? How do feminist women, anti-racist African-Americans, grow to abdicate control over their own lives to a White man? And I'm not sure that "Jones was really sexy" is it.
Woollcott tells a great story here, but I am left, in the end, uncertain it is the right one.
*I'll acknowledge here that Beautiful Revolutionary also with male sexual obsession with Jones, lest my review makes it sound as if women are the *only* ones so obsessed. However, the men are given more ambivalent commitment to the sect and to Jones - and the only character to call out the rapes is a man.
But here's the thing. While the book "feels" emotionally true, I'm not at all sure that it is - especially for the women. Woollett's book has been widely praised for avoiding the usual focus on Jones himself, and instead shining a light on the followers. My problem, however, is that these characters' motivations always revolve around Jones himself, and mostly in a sexual way. In line with this, the focus is largely on the mostly White leadership, and not the mostly Black ordinary members. Bluntly, the book is driven mostly by sex with Jones and gives the sense the cult was too.
Now I'm not challenging that rape, and consensual sex, was part of Jones' own motivation and system of control, it absolutely was. But I am frustrated that fiction writers assign sexual obsessions to women* in the People's Temple movement when there is scant evidence that this is the case. The People's Temple was a hippie-tinged left-wing movement, which largely recruited from to the San Francisco hotbed of radicalism. Its members were driven, like other elements of that milieu, by a deep conviction that the world could be better, and that they were going to make it so. In the early days, Jones recruited from the Civil Rights movement, grabbing activists who believed you could live principles while fighting for systemic change. The inner circle of White women were mostly communists recruited through the left. As the Temple grew, members were sent to major protests and movements with the same set of living the change philosophies. The Temple welcomed gay and lesbian people at a time when most left parties did not, an exceptionally political stance. And it had a reputation of taking racism far more seriously than much of Bay Area activism, contributing to the recruitment of African- American women. As in most hotbeds of left activism, feminist movements emerged in the mid-1970s largely driven by frustration with sexist exclusion from leadership and ideas within the left itself. It would be incredible if these frustrations were also not felt by women inside the People's Temple.
Yet in Woollett's novel, the women seem to think mostly about the men - sex with them, protecting them, raising them. The heady world of ideas appears only in the background, and largely from the male characters. The women are, admittedly, motivated to work hard for 'something better' but they don't seem to be interested much in what that 'something better' might look like. And halfway through the book, it struck me why this was bothering me so much - because in my experience (and yes, I have relevant experience) this is the way men see women in politico/religious organisations/cults but it is not how women actually are. In fact, this idea of women, that they flock to political (and religious) organisations because they just love having sex with leaders and cooking and cleaning for the cause, is precisely the fight that led to the second-wave feminist movement. Sure, even non-cult iterations of these organisations tend to have sexual dynamics involving younger, newer female members having sex, including enthusiastic consensual sex, with male leaders, but that's not because it is the main thing on the women's minds. I would go so far as to say that for women in 1970s counter-culture finding charismatic men to have sex with wasn't hard - finding a group that wanted your ideas, was.
So what I found missing in Beautiful Revolutionary was the fire for ideas, the intoxication that comes with being a group certain you can make the world a better place, the passion for planning a better world, not just a construction project. Sure, the dynamics of hero-worship and sexual exploitation are part of this story, but so is the dynamics of homogenous thinking. And always, the most interesting question for me, how do the dynamics of struggle to make things better feed so toxically into a cycle of destruction? How do the dynamics of a group focused on making the world better for everyone coalesce into the insider/outsider rules, and then into vicious internal hierarchy? How do feminist women, anti-racist African-Americans, grow to abdicate control over their own lives to a White man? And I'm not sure that "Jones was really sexy" is it.
Woollcott tells a great story here, but I am left, in the end, uncertain it is the right one.
*I'll acknowledge here that Beautiful Revolutionary also with male sexual obsession with Jones, lest my review makes it sound as if women are the *only* ones so obsessed. However, the men are given more ambivalent commitment to the sect and to Jones - and the only character to call out the rapes is a man.
February 13, 2020
enjoyed parts of this novel based on real events of Jonestown but felt it could of been shorter though
January 3, 2019
Beautiful Revolutionary is a pretty apt title because it encapsulates how superficial this book was. The author was also pretty gross when it came to writing about/from the perspective of characters of colour. This entire book felt so amateur, I can't believe the writer has a postgrad qualification in creative writing.
Read
September 4, 2018Full and fair disclosure: I know the author.
Woollett's writing makes this popular cult story into a whole new electricity storm - the clouds are weed smoke and the lightning charging through that haze is pure sexual energy. Incredibly well researched and jam-packed with detail but not overcooked. It's like the author has dove so deep into this world we can't help but be pulled into its heady depths with her. Figures like Jim Jones are so well-known amongst popular culture (and our shared obsession with cults and cult leaders more generally) and the People's Temple story is no exception. It takes a talented writer to bring something fresh to these trampled grounds, but Woollett undoubtedly achieves this. The book is a work of freaky genius.
Woollett's writing makes this popular cult story into a whole new electricity storm - the clouds are weed smoke and the lightning charging through that haze is pure sexual energy. Incredibly well researched and jam-packed with detail but not overcooked. It's like the author has dove so deep into this world we can't help but be pulled into its heady depths with her. Figures like Jim Jones are so well-known amongst popular culture (and our shared obsession with cults and cult leaders more generally) and the People's Temple story is no exception. It takes a talented writer to bring something fresh to these trampled grounds, but Woollett undoubtedly achieves this. The book is a work of freaky genius.
September 7, 2018
I had to stop reading this book about three quarters of the way through. Probably one of a handful of books I never finished in 40 years. I just found the story depressing & hated the thought of picking it up to read more. I thought that odd given I’ve read other books containing all sorts of atrocities but was able to complete. Perhaps it was just how besotted & lead by the nose they were by Jones. Each to their own though. I don’t believe my review of the book pertains to the writers ability...just the story...& it has obviously appealed to others.
April 3, 2019
I am so, so fascinated by cults, so I had high hopes for this book. It was good,but sometimes I got bored,and then something got me interested again,but then...bored again.. it’s a slow burn,and an interesting story,but still something was missing. 3.5 stars
October 6, 2024
There is something very intriguing about cults, their language, the roles of the loyalists, the psychology of their leader. In fact, many aspects from 'Beautiful Revolutionary' I recognised from reading 'Cultish' by Amanda Montell last year.
I had not heard of Jim Jones before, so everything here was new to me, and as far as I understand, this portrayal is pretty faithful to what actually went on in the People's Temple and lead to a mass murder in their community in Jonestown (huh), Guyana, killing over 900 people. In this fictional story, we follow the growth of this cult primarily through the experiences of Evelyn, who as a newlywed came to Indianapolis with her husband, Lenny. They became entangled in the world of the influential minister Jim Jones, well-regarded by those around them, impressing through socialist beliefs and healing powers.
There are a number of shocking things in this book, the first one being Jim's usage of language in a hot and cold way. His style is to become essential to the lives of his believers, making them genuinely believe that without him they are nothing. In an intimate moment with Evelyn, he says 'I love you... bitch'. This dialogue stayed with me intensely, and I spent the next 12h thinking what might have gone through his mind and her's. He continues by saying how she isn't ready for a love like theirs, the definition of gaslighting, especially in this situation where both of them are married to other people.
But that was his modus operandi. Throughout these events he excuses his exploitation of people, the assaults, violence and truthfully, slavery, he inflicts on them as for their own good, insisting that these cause him pain. These range from sexual assault to alienation, from starvation to overwork, the full spectrum.
It's staggering to see that despite this treatment, he continued to be revered by the vast majority until his death, with only a few defectors. And this is something I wish that Laura Elizabeth Woollett would have dived in deeper. The events are clear, and if I had to categorise this book between plot and character-driven, I'd definitely say plot, because while characters change, there is no reasoning for the changes they go through. I would have liked to understand what kept people pulled to Jim. I can interpret it, sure, but I would have liked more exploration than just my guessing. What I've got so far is the initial entry into this community by being made to feel special, unique, appreciated by a human on a higher plane of kindness. From this Father, as he likes to be called, moves towards dependency, painting other people in their lives as traitors, idiots or other such derogatory terms. Everyone is wrong except for him, their love is nothing compared to his. And to keep them from leaving him, he then moves on to make people feel worthless. They could not survive without him.
Apart from this, my other complaint is a strange usage of wording, and this isn't in the speech of the characters, it's metaphors or comparisons, visualisations that the author uses, such as 'curves like a Coke bottle' or 'opens up the sky in her belly' during a sex scene. I just don't see it?
All in all, I think this book offers very interesting insights into one of the most criticised cults that ever existed. It relies a lot on your ability to observe and draw conclusions for yourself though, so I'd recommend reading it with the attention it deserves. It invites deep thinking both about themselves, but also about capitalism and communism, racism, misogyny and chauvinism. And while I would have liked more commentary, I still appreciated it for what it was, not least for the immense shock factor.
I had not heard of Jim Jones before, so everything here was new to me, and as far as I understand, this portrayal is pretty faithful to what actually went on in the People's Temple and lead to a mass murder in their community in Jonestown (huh), Guyana, killing over 900 people. In this fictional story, we follow the growth of this cult primarily through the experiences of Evelyn, who as a newlywed came to Indianapolis with her husband, Lenny. They became entangled in the world of the influential minister Jim Jones, well-regarded by those around them, impressing through socialist beliefs and healing powers.
There are a number of shocking things in this book, the first one being Jim's usage of language in a hot and cold way. His style is to become essential to the lives of his believers, making them genuinely believe that without him they are nothing. In an intimate moment with Evelyn, he says 'I love you... bitch'. This dialogue stayed with me intensely, and I spent the next 12h thinking what might have gone through his mind and her's. He continues by saying how she isn't ready for a love like theirs, the definition of gaslighting, especially in this situation where both of them are married to other people.
But that was his modus operandi. Throughout these events he excuses his exploitation of people, the assaults, violence and truthfully, slavery, he inflicts on them as for their own good, insisting that these cause him pain. These range from sexual assault to alienation, from starvation to overwork, the full spectrum.
It's staggering to see that despite this treatment, he continued to be revered by the vast majority until his death, with only a few defectors. And this is something I wish that Laura Elizabeth Woollett would have dived in deeper. The events are clear, and if I had to categorise this book between plot and character-driven, I'd definitely say plot, because while characters change, there is no reasoning for the changes they go through. I would have liked to understand what kept people pulled to Jim. I can interpret it, sure, but I would have liked more exploration than just my guessing. What I've got so far is the initial entry into this community by being made to feel special, unique, appreciated by a human on a higher plane of kindness. From this Father, as he likes to be called, moves towards dependency, painting other people in their lives as traitors, idiots or other such derogatory terms. Everyone is wrong except for him, their love is nothing compared to his. And to keep them from leaving him, he then moves on to make people feel worthless. They could not survive without him.
Apart from this, my other complaint is a strange usage of wording, and this isn't in the speech of the characters, it's metaphors or comparisons, visualisations that the author uses, such as 'curves like a Coke bottle' or 'opens up the sky in her belly' during a sex scene. I just don't see it?
All in all, I think this book offers very interesting insights into one of the most criticised cults that ever existed. It relies a lot on your ability to observe and draw conclusions for yourself though, so I'd recommend reading it with the attention it deserves. It invites deep thinking both about themselves, but also about capitalism and communism, racism, misogyny and chauvinism. And while I would have liked more commentary, I still appreciated it for what it was, not least for the immense shock factor.
November 28, 2023
⇝
2.5 stars
February 5, 2020
You have to give the author of Beautiful Revolutionary, Laura Elizabeth Woollett, credit for her ambition in writing a book like this. It demonstrates a level of artistic ambition and bravery that suggests a bright future for this young Australian author. It's not easy to write about the Jonestown Massacre and the events that led up to it.
It took me two attempts to finish reading this novel. The first time, I got two chapters and abandoned it. The second time, I crawled through the first third of the book by sheer force of will. I absolutely detested the characters of Lenny and Evelyn Lynden, and they were a big part of my allergy to this story.
As the novel unfolds, however, these characters take a back seat, returning later in the story to fulfill their destinies. In the middle parts of the narrative, therefore, we move to characters like Bobbi and Wayne, who end up leaving the movement, or on the closeted policeman Gene Luce, or on Lenny's second wife Terra.
For me, Jonestown is a topic of particular horror and fascination. Jim Jones embodies so many elements of my upbringing and idealist politics, and yet he is an object lesson in hubris and twisted logic. I've read Jeff Gwynn's recent book on the topic, and seen several documentaries, as well as watch the unedited footage the cameramen shot leading up to that terrible day. As Woollett mentions in her afterword, there is a "Jonestown Vortex" of information that swamps and engrosses anyone who ventures into this dark territory.
I think Woollett's choice of exploring the dark side of sexual and political passion is a fascinating one. Her misstep, I think, is tying her theme too closely to the story of Jonestown. For obvious legal reasons, with the exception of Jones himself, Woollett changes the names of the main players in her story. Thus Marceline Jones, Jim Jones's wife, becomes Rosalind Jones, Larry and Carolyn Layton become Lenny and Evelyn Lynden, and so on.
One problem with this approach is that we know from the outset how all of this is going to end, and that is a huge negative from a narrative point of view. Another major problem is these characters are inherently loathsome from the beginning. Lenny is an unlikable, over-privileged loser who has no will of his own, Evelyn is a dishonest, mean-hearted manipulator, and Jim Jones is - well, we know what he was like.
The other thing that I often felt ambivalent about was the way that Woollett overstated the sexual aspects of Jones's appeal. It's certainly true that this was part of his charisma, particularly to his inner circle of followers, but at a certain stage in the novel it seemed as if there was barely a character who was not motivated by a sexual attachment to Jones. The choice to portray things in this way, for me, trivialized the political and social issues that were also central to his work. It also pervades the way Woollett defines her main characters, who are all described, male and female, in terms of their sexual appeal, and seem to struggle primarily with their erotic identities.
While I disliked Beautiful Revolutionary and found it a painful reading experience, I think its faults generally come not so much from a lack of talent on Woollett's part so much as her ambition in taking on a story that surpasses her current abilities as an author. There are other works that explore similar cases of sexual obsession more successfully - Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita, for instance, or Ian McEwan's The Comfort of Strangers - but what works best about these works is that they use the dark side of sexuality to approach questions of politics obliquely.
It took me two attempts to finish reading this novel. The first time, I got two chapters and abandoned it. The second time, I crawled through the first third of the book by sheer force of will. I absolutely detested the characters of Lenny and Evelyn Lynden, and they were a big part of my allergy to this story.
As the novel unfolds, however, these characters take a back seat, returning later in the story to fulfill their destinies. In the middle parts of the narrative, therefore, we move to characters like Bobbi and Wayne, who end up leaving the movement, or on the closeted policeman Gene Luce, or on Lenny's second wife Terra.
For me, Jonestown is a topic of particular horror and fascination. Jim Jones embodies so many elements of my upbringing and idealist politics, and yet he is an object lesson in hubris and twisted logic. I've read Jeff Gwynn's recent book on the topic, and seen several documentaries, as well as watch the unedited footage the cameramen shot leading up to that terrible day. As Woollett mentions in her afterword, there is a "Jonestown Vortex" of information that swamps and engrosses anyone who ventures into this dark territory.
I think Woollett's choice of exploring the dark side of sexual and political passion is a fascinating one. Her misstep, I think, is tying her theme too closely to the story of Jonestown. For obvious legal reasons, with the exception of Jones himself, Woollett changes the names of the main players in her story. Thus Marceline Jones, Jim Jones's wife, becomes Rosalind Jones, Larry and Carolyn Layton become Lenny and Evelyn Lynden, and so on.
One problem with this approach is that we know from the outset how all of this is going to end, and that is a huge negative from a narrative point of view. Another major problem is these characters are inherently loathsome from the beginning. Lenny is an unlikable, over-privileged loser who has no will of his own, Evelyn is a dishonest, mean-hearted manipulator, and Jim Jones is - well, we know what he was like.
The other thing that I often felt ambivalent about was the way that Woollett overstated the sexual aspects of Jones's appeal. It's certainly true that this was part of his charisma, particularly to his inner circle of followers, but at a certain stage in the novel it seemed as if there was barely a character who was not motivated by a sexual attachment to Jones. The choice to portray things in this way, for me, trivialized the political and social issues that were also central to his work. It also pervades the way Woollett defines her main characters, who are all described, male and female, in terms of their sexual appeal, and seem to struggle primarily with their erotic identities.
While I disliked Beautiful Revolutionary and found it a painful reading experience, I think its faults generally come not so much from a lack of talent on Woollett's part so much as her ambition in taking on a story that surpasses her current abilities as an author. There are other works that explore similar cases of sexual obsession more successfully - Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita, for instance, or Ian McEwan's The Comfort of Strangers - but what works best about these works is that they use the dark side of sexuality to approach questions of politics obliquely.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2019
Laura Elizabeth Woollett’s novel Beautiful Revolutionary (Scribe 2018) is a work of fiction inspired by the real-life events of Jim Jones and his Peoples Temple. That story is well known, of the charismatic leader and his unorthodox church, which tragically ended when over 900 people committed mass suicide at the Peoples Temple headquarters in South America. The author has undertaken rigorous research, including speaking to former members of the church, survivors of the tragedy, and family members of those who died. She has invented the lives of fictional characters based on what she knows to be true and has imagined how and why men and women were drawn to Jim Jones in such a compelling way.
In 1968, Evelyn Lynden – an atheist but a minister’s daughter, an independent woman but newly married, a ‘bitch with a bleeding heart’ – follows her husband, Lenny, to the rural idyll of Evergreen Valley in California. Lenny is a conscientious objector and he and Evelyn both have strong views about politics, war, racial tensions, inequality and societal upheaval. When she enters the orbit of Jim Jones, she is pulled dangerously close to his inner sanctum, which threatens her marriage and the relations within her family.
This book is so interesting because it doesn’t place Jim Jones at the centre of the story; rather it is Evelyn and Lenny, and so many other characters, that come in and out of focus as the narrative progresses. We learn about the normal lives of average people, the young ones striving for a better world, the older people frightened of change, and with each we are given a glimpse of understanding as to how they were attracted to Jones and what made them not only stay with him, but become so entrenched in his complicated communal way of life. It is easy to write off cult members as somehow slightly unhinged or less tethered to reality than we imagine we would be in the same situation, but this book presents well-rounded characters with their flaws alongside their dreams and ambitions, and somehow makes the incomprehensible something we can understand.
The writing in Beautiful Revolutionary is strong, assured and entrancing and the characters are engaging. The main plot – the rise of the Peoples Temple, the killing of a Congressman and the mass suicide – are all known facts, and yet this doesn’t diminish the story’s pull. Even though we already know how it ends before it begins, it is the fate of the many individual characters that we have gradually come to know and care about through the weaving of the story that really keeps us guessing until the final moments. This is a story about dangerous magnetism, peer pressure, fanaticism, soul-searching, sacrifice, loyalty and religion. It is about taking advantage of people’s yearning for idealistic fantasies. It is the story of ordinary men and women caught up in something that grew beyond their beliefs and out of their control.
In 1968, Evelyn Lynden – an atheist but a minister’s daughter, an independent woman but newly married, a ‘bitch with a bleeding heart’ – follows her husband, Lenny, to the rural idyll of Evergreen Valley in California. Lenny is a conscientious objector and he and Evelyn both have strong views about politics, war, racial tensions, inequality and societal upheaval. When she enters the orbit of Jim Jones, she is pulled dangerously close to his inner sanctum, which threatens her marriage and the relations within her family.
This book is so interesting because it doesn’t place Jim Jones at the centre of the story; rather it is Evelyn and Lenny, and so many other characters, that come in and out of focus as the narrative progresses. We learn about the normal lives of average people, the young ones striving for a better world, the older people frightened of change, and with each we are given a glimpse of understanding as to how they were attracted to Jones and what made them not only stay with him, but become so entrenched in his complicated communal way of life. It is easy to write off cult members as somehow slightly unhinged or less tethered to reality than we imagine we would be in the same situation, but this book presents well-rounded characters with their flaws alongside their dreams and ambitions, and somehow makes the incomprehensible something we can understand.
The writing in Beautiful Revolutionary is strong, assured and entrancing and the characters are engaging. The main plot – the rise of the Peoples Temple, the killing of a Congressman and the mass suicide – are all known facts, and yet this doesn’t diminish the story’s pull. Even though we already know how it ends before it begins, it is the fate of the many individual characters that we have gradually come to know and care about through the weaving of the story that really keeps us guessing until the final moments. This is a story about dangerous magnetism, peer pressure, fanaticism, soul-searching, sacrifice, loyalty and religion. It is about taking advantage of people’s yearning for idealistic fantasies. It is the story of ordinary men and women caught up in something that grew beyond their beliefs and out of their control.
December 8, 2018
In Beautiful Revolutionary (published in time for the 40th anniversary of Jonestown) Woollett unleashes her forensic, compassionate intellect on those caught up in Jim Jones’ world.
I was only vaguely familiar with the Peoples Temple’s history prior to reading Woollett’s short story collection, The Love of a Bad Man, which imagines the lives of women attracted to/caught up with some of history’s worst male criminals and leaders. Jim Jones is one of them, and in her short story she explores Jonestown from Jones’ wife’s perspective. In Beautiful Revolutionary, Woollett zooms out to show the broader community, but retains a focus on a woman close to Jones – in this case fictionalising his lover Carolyn Layton, into Evelyn Lynden. As an aside, Woollett has written some excellent companion articles like this one discussing Layton, worth reading for context.
This isn’t a novel about Jones – rather, Woollett is telling the story of those who followed him, seeking answers for how anyone could have ended up in those circumstances. Each of her characters are rounded and real, over time showing their strengths and flaws – this is how she builds tragedy, by reminding us how alike we as readers are to the regular people in Jones’ orbit. There are a lot of perspectives to keep track of, but in effect this device helps conjure the scale of what happened.
A standout section explored the Eight Revolutionaries who fled the organisation in 1973. Yes, there are a lot of voices, but the tension is palpable, and we begin to understand what is at stake for individuals (rather than thinking about the collective, as history has most of us do).
Throughout we see how people from all walks of life are drawn to Jones’ socialist ideals, and then absorbed by their gradual corruption. We see how Jones uses sex and sexuality to manipulate his disciples. In multiple scenes, we see how degradation and public humiliation expose and make compliant those doubting the cause. The subject matter is not easy.
Yet Woollett’s writing is compulsively readable, full of rich detail but by no means weighed down by it. The meticulous research doesn’t drown the narrative either. She treats her characters, and by extension the people they were drawn from, with sympathy and respect. I was thinking about this book when not reading it, and it is one I know will linger.
Recommended if you liked: The Girls
I was only vaguely familiar with the Peoples Temple’s history prior to reading Woollett’s short story collection, The Love of a Bad Man, which imagines the lives of women attracted to/caught up with some of history’s worst male criminals and leaders. Jim Jones is one of them, and in her short story she explores Jonestown from Jones’ wife’s perspective. In Beautiful Revolutionary, Woollett zooms out to show the broader community, but retains a focus on a woman close to Jones – in this case fictionalising his lover Carolyn Layton, into Evelyn Lynden. As an aside, Woollett has written some excellent companion articles like this one discussing Layton, worth reading for context.
This isn’t a novel about Jones – rather, Woollett is telling the story of those who followed him, seeking answers for how anyone could have ended up in those circumstances. Each of her characters are rounded and real, over time showing their strengths and flaws – this is how she builds tragedy, by reminding us how alike we as readers are to the regular people in Jones’ orbit. There are a lot of perspectives to keep track of, but in effect this device helps conjure the scale of what happened.
A standout section explored the Eight Revolutionaries who fled the organisation in 1973. Yes, there are a lot of voices, but the tension is palpable, and we begin to understand what is at stake for individuals (rather than thinking about the collective, as history has most of us do).
Throughout we see how people from all walks of life are drawn to Jones’ socialist ideals, and then absorbed by their gradual corruption. We see how Jones uses sex and sexuality to manipulate his disciples. In multiple scenes, we see how degradation and public humiliation expose and make compliant those doubting the cause. The subject matter is not easy.
Yet Woollett’s writing is compulsively readable, full of rich detail but by no means weighed down by it. The meticulous research doesn’t drown the narrative either. She treats her characters, and by extension the people they were drawn from, with sympathy and respect. I was thinking about this book when not reading it, and it is one I know will linger.
Recommended if you liked: The Girls
August 6, 2019
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Review originally posted here at Booked J. As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.
This was such a good read. From the time I read the synopsis, I longed to read Beautiful Revolutionary. Based on said synopsis, I gathered that it might serve up some serious The Girls by Emma Cline vibes and that is one of my favourite novels of all time. Plus, I can never say no to any literary release that tackles cults--fictional and non-fictional, there's something about the psychological aspects that will forever intrigue me.
Beautiful Revolutionary captures both fiction and reality in a way that is stunning. Laura Elizabeth Woollett's prose is gorgeous and captivates us from the very start. It is the very definition of impossible to put down and will keep the wheels of your mind turning. I felt almost breathless by the time the story ends.
Because Beautiful Revolutionary tackles a very real subject matter, and a very real cult, it had a lot to live up to. There are many ways to write such a novel, and Laura Elizabeth Woollett is one of the few who can. To capture a cult from all angles is a difficult task, but Beautiful Revolutionary never holds back in its portrayal. Laura Elizabeth Woollett doesn't rely on sensationalizing things, instead fills in the blanks with accuracy.
I've always wondered what it is about cults, and cult leaders, that can completely compel and brainwash so many ordinary people. It's hard to imagine it happening to you. This is one of those cases that seems extraordinarily far-fetched to us on first glance. But, it's not. There's something so utterly terrifying that sometimes, something as simple as someone with a massive hero complex and skill of manipulation can completely consume others.
There are so many horrifying element to the story of Jim Jones and The Peoples Temple and there's really no way around it. This doesn't shy away from the story. So, it goes without saying that this novel will not be for everyone, but if you have even slightly touched base on this particular cult (and that massacre) this novel will surely interest you.
If you've ever found yourself interested in the psychology of what attracts ordinary people into the inner workings of a cult, Beautiful Revolutionary is for you.
Review originally posted here at Booked J. As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.
This was such a good read. From the time I read the synopsis, I longed to read Beautiful Revolutionary. Based on said synopsis, I gathered that it might serve up some serious The Girls by Emma Cline vibes and that is one of my favourite novels of all time. Plus, I can never say no to any literary release that tackles cults--fictional and non-fictional, there's something about the psychological aspects that will forever intrigue me.
Beautiful Revolutionary captures both fiction and reality in a way that is stunning. Laura Elizabeth Woollett's prose is gorgeous and captivates us from the very start. It is the very definition of impossible to put down and will keep the wheels of your mind turning. I felt almost breathless by the time the story ends.
Because Beautiful Revolutionary tackles a very real subject matter, and a very real cult, it had a lot to live up to. There are many ways to write such a novel, and Laura Elizabeth Woollett is one of the few who can. To capture a cult from all angles is a difficult task, but Beautiful Revolutionary never holds back in its portrayal. Laura Elizabeth Woollett doesn't rely on sensationalizing things, instead fills in the blanks with accuracy.
I've always wondered what it is about cults, and cult leaders, that can completely compel and brainwash so many ordinary people. It's hard to imagine it happening to you. This is one of those cases that seems extraordinarily far-fetched to us on first glance. But, it's not. There's something so utterly terrifying that sometimes, something as simple as someone with a massive hero complex and skill of manipulation can completely consume others.
There are so many horrifying element to the story of Jim Jones and The Peoples Temple and there's really no way around it. This doesn't shy away from the story. So, it goes without saying that this novel will not be for everyone, but if you have even slightly touched base on this particular cult (and that massacre) this novel will surely interest you.
If you've ever found yourself interested in the psychology of what attracts ordinary people into the inner workings of a cult, Beautiful Revolutionary is for you.
December 9, 2025
contender for best book i have read this year
January 19, 2019
I was immersed in this book from the outset and couldn't put it down – it was the perfect holiday read. I love the way Woollett so meticulously captures the time in which this book was set, the mix of ennui and ideology that propelled so many people to the Peoples Temple. Woollett's characters are sharply characterised and meticulously observed; I found my heart breaking for peripheral characters like Lenny Lynden, whose collapsed mind became the perfect vessel for Jim Jones' fanaticism, while the beating heart of the book – Evelyn Lynden – is at once reprehensible and sympathetic. The characters stayed with me for a long time after I'd put the book down.
December 19, 2018
Absolutely stunning, mesmerizing fiction. I am fascinated by People's Temple and this era.
Often when books are so thoroughly researched, an author can be overly-influenced by facts and the writing comes across as disingenuous and laboured. This is not the case for Woollett's work, in which the story is immersive and the characters are crafted with depth and a perfectly understated intensity.
Often when books are so thoroughly researched, an author can be overly-influenced by facts and the writing comes across as disingenuous and laboured. This is not the case for Woollett's work, in which the story is immersive and the characters are crafted with depth and a perfectly understated intensity.
December 4, 2018
Woollett is an incredibly eloquent writer, Beautiful Revolutionary is beautifully crafted and evocative. A fresh new perspective on the real people within 'The People's Temple' sans the common focus on mass suicide and Jim Jones himself. Longer review to come on Booktube!
January 2, 2019
Really well researched fiction based on Jonestown cult. I just didn’t really care about any of the characters 🤷🏼♀️ and it was a bit of a slow burn. But it did give you insight into what it was like to be in the inner circle of that psychopath Jim Jones.
October 20, 2018
Sucked me in immediately and i’m now completely in the Jonestown voxtex.
May 17, 2019
This book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review | Beautiful Revolutionary is the fictionalized account of Jim Jones and Jonestown, told through the lives of many different followers yet primarily focused through the lens of his lover and right hand woman, Evelyn.
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This book was so good! Though it’s a fictionalized account, the amount of research the author put into this book is very apparent as every character and their own motivations is perfectly fleshed out. She provides a clear eyed portrait of the infamous man without romanticizing him or his actions and she doesn’t sensationalize it either, everything in this book is so perversely human. With this book, she tries to answer previously unanswered questions and I think she accomplishes that really well because as the reader you’re able to understand why, in a time of draft cards and civil rights violations, someone would try to find a semblance of “God” and “Paradise” in a man like Jim Jones. The pacing is a high point because even though we all know how Jonestown ends, she’s able to build up a sense of dread into an intense fever pitch by the end. The whole thing left me stunned.
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Definitely pick this up if you’re interested in reading about a famous cult and even more so, a study of human behavior.
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This book was so good! Though it’s a fictionalized account, the amount of research the author put into this book is very apparent as every character and their own motivations is perfectly fleshed out. She provides a clear eyed portrait of the infamous man without romanticizing him or his actions and she doesn’t sensationalize it either, everything in this book is so perversely human. With this book, she tries to answer previously unanswered questions and I think she accomplishes that really well because as the reader you’re able to understand why, in a time of draft cards and civil rights violations, someone would try to find a semblance of “God” and “Paradise” in a man like Jim Jones. The pacing is a high point because even though we all know how Jonestown ends, she’s able to build up a sense of dread into an intense fever pitch by the end. The whole thing left me stunned.
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Definitely pick this up if you’re interested in reading about a famous cult and even more so, a study of human behavior.
March 1, 2019
In her novel
Beautiful Revolutionary
Laura Elizabeth Woollett reveals in unrelenting and compelling detail the rise and fall of Jim Jones and the fate of the 'beautiful revolutionaries'of his Peoples Temple.
The tone of the novel is exceptionally bleak and foreboding as befits a tale of the infiltration and corruption of the hearts and minds of Jones's gullible pilgrims and the eventual mass murder-suicide of over 900 of them in Jonestown Guyana in November 1978. It was astounding to read of how otherwise intelligent, often highly educated individuals and whole families cast all aside to throw in their lot with the delusional Jones. The reasons why particular personalities became devotees of the charismatic Jim Jones and why others became disillusioned and abandoned the Peoples Temple are convincingly revealed by Woollett; her understanding and portrayal of the psychological makeup of members of both groups is a highlight of the novel.
Thanks to Midcoast Libraries I will shortly begin reading the highly regarded (and referenced by Woollett in her epilogue) non-fiction book by Jeff Guinn titled, The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple.
Below is a link to Radio National’s Late Night Live interview with Laura Elizabeth Woollett about her novel and what her extensive research has revealed about the real life characters who chose ‘revolutionary suicide’ as members of the Peoples Temple cult.
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/...
The tone of the novel is exceptionally bleak and foreboding as befits a tale of the infiltration and corruption of the hearts and minds of Jones's gullible pilgrims and the eventual mass murder-suicide of over 900 of them in Jonestown Guyana in November 1978. It was astounding to read of how otherwise intelligent, often highly educated individuals and whole families cast all aside to throw in their lot with the delusional Jones. The reasons why particular personalities became devotees of the charismatic Jim Jones and why others became disillusioned and abandoned the Peoples Temple are convincingly revealed by Woollett; her understanding and portrayal of the psychological makeup of members of both groups is a highlight of the novel.
Thanks to Midcoast Libraries I will shortly begin reading the highly regarded (and referenced by Woollett in her epilogue) non-fiction book by Jeff Guinn titled, The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple.
Below is a link to Radio National’s Late Night Live interview with Laura Elizabeth Woollett about her novel and what her extensive research has revealed about the real life characters who chose ‘revolutionary suicide’ as members of the Peoples Temple cult.
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/...
March 25, 2021
Beautiful Revolutionary is an ambitious attempt to explore Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple cult, who grew to notoriety in the late seventies, via a fictional lens. Woollett sets an impressive scene, rich in the ambience of war, assassinations and drifting youth eager to find their voice and make a change, but the story quickly unravels due to flat, forgettable characters and passages full of inflated prose. The immense scope of the Jonestown tragedy seems inevitably too large to cover in this character exploration, and more compelling elements such as the inherent racial and societal issues the organisation faces are given a light touch in favour of the more provocative angle: sex. Tighter editing and a smaller cast focussing on distinctive threads would have really animated what is a well-researched portrayal of one of modern history's most infamous acts.
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