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Not Without My Sister
The bestselling, devastating account of three sisters torn apart, abused and exploited at the hands of a community that robbed them of their childhood. It reveals three lives, separate but entwined, that have experienced unspeakable horror, unrelenting loyalty and unforgettable courage.
From as early as three years old, Juliana, Celeste and Kristina were separated from their parents and physically and sexually abused by their ‘guardians’ in the infamous religious cult known as the Children of God. They were made to watch and mimic orgies, received love letters and sexual advances from men old enough to be their grandfather, and were forced into abusive relationships. They were denied access to formal schooling and medical care, had to busk on the streets, beg for money, and were mercilessly beaten for 'crimes' as unpredictable as reading an encyclopaedia.
Finally, unable to live with the guilt of what had happened to her children, their mother escaped with Kristina and her younger siblings, cutting herself off from Celeste in a bid to save her remaining children. Desperate to save her sister, Kristina eventually began a search to find Celeste,but it would be many years until Celeste found the courage to escape, wanting freedom and a different future for the child she was carrying. The suicide of one of their sisters drove Juliana to exit the group a couple of years later.
Now the three sisters have finally come together to reveal in full and horrific detail their existence within the Children of God cult. Their stories reveal a community spread throughout the world and its legacy of anorexia, depression, drug abuse, suicide and even murder. Lives are ripped apart and painstakingly mended with a shared strength that finally enabled the sisters to free themselves from the shadows of their past.
From as early as three years old, Juliana, Celeste and Kristina were separated from their parents and physically and sexually abused by their ‘guardians’ in the infamous religious cult known as the Children of God. They were made to watch and mimic orgies, received love letters and sexual advances from men old enough to be their grandfather, and were forced into abusive relationships. They were denied access to formal schooling and medical care, had to busk on the streets, beg for money, and were mercilessly beaten for 'crimes' as unpredictable as reading an encyclopaedia.
Finally, unable to live with the guilt of what had happened to her children, their mother escaped with Kristina and her younger siblings, cutting herself off from Celeste in a bid to save her remaining children. Desperate to save her sister, Kristina eventually began a search to find Celeste,but it would be many years until Celeste found the courage to escape, wanting freedom and a different future for the child she was carrying. The suicide of one of their sisters drove Juliana to exit the group a couple of years later.
Now the three sisters have finally come together to reveal in full and horrific detail their existence within the Children of God cult. Their stories reveal a community spread throughout the world and its legacy of anorexia, depression, drug abuse, suicide and even murder. Lives are ripped apart and painstakingly mended with a shared strength that finally enabled the sisters to free themselves from the shadows of their past.
432 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 2007
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August 13, 2023Dette var et skremmende innblikk i korleis det er å leve i en sekt. Tøff lesing, men eg er glad for at eg leste den.
September 7, 2008
Well, I don't really even know what to say here. I could go on and on for hours. I'm sending this to a friend who is also on goodreads and I don't know how her self-control is. If it's anything like mine she'd never be able to NOT read a review that had spoilers so I'm not going to write anything in here!
It's definitely worth reading and it totally opened my eyes to the Children Of God cult much like Escape did for me with polygamy. It's startling at the very least to know that these people still exist and that they believe (do they really believe it or are they just covering up their perversians?) that God wants them to do these things.
I hope one day the two people mainly responsible for this are brought to justice but that will in effect do very little because the damage is already done for so many and still being done to countless more.
It's sad, I actually experienced strong feelings of wanting to find myself in front of some of these people so I could hurt them for what they've done to these children and babies. And I'm not a mean person.
It's definitely worth reading and it totally opened my eyes to the Children Of God cult much like Escape did for me with polygamy. It's startling at the very least to know that these people still exist and that they believe (do they really believe it or are they just covering up their perversians?) that God wants them to do these things.
I hope one day the two people mainly responsible for this are brought to justice but that will in effect do very little because the damage is already done for so many and still being done to countless more.
It's sad, I actually experienced strong feelings of wanting to find myself in front of some of these people so I could hurt them for what they've done to these children and babies. And I'm not a mean person.
December 21, 2015
When I got this book I had no idea that it was about a cult called the "Children Of God". I had only heard of this cult one other time in a friends blog. (I live under a rock).
Ok, I have big fat opinion about these people that allowed their children to be abused.
The self proclaimed prophet David Brandt Berg lived out a sick fantasy with many other like minded people. I believe this was a child sex ring in the guise of a religious group. They wanted their children who were closed off from the "outside" world to believe that this was how God meant for them to live so that they would always have children to abuse.
I can't understand why no one has been brought to justice for the abuse of more than 1,000 children. I also can't understand how someone could stay on in this so called religious group when they started systematically sexually abusing the children. Who could really believe that God wants children to have sex? I'll tell you who, Pedophiles! I also can't understand why this group is still around to this day.
This book makes me sick! To think that people act this way in Gods name. I was further disgusted when I read that the late "self proclaimed" prophets wife called her home "House of The Open Pussy". I'm sorry, but I'm not buying it for one minute that these people truly believe that they are doing Gods work!
Ok, I have big fat opinion about these people that allowed their children to be abused.
The self proclaimed prophet David Brandt Berg lived out a sick fantasy with many other like minded people. I believe this was a child sex ring in the guise of a religious group. They wanted their children who were closed off from the "outside" world to believe that this was how God meant for them to live so that they would always have children to abuse.
I can't understand why no one has been brought to justice for the abuse of more than 1,000 children. I also can't understand how someone could stay on in this so called religious group when they started systematically sexually abusing the children. Who could really believe that God wants children to have sex? I'll tell you who, Pedophiles! I also can't understand why this group is still around to this day.
This book makes me sick! To think that people act this way in Gods name. I was further disgusted when I read that the late "self proclaimed" prophets wife called her home "House of The Open Pussy". I'm sorry, but I'm not buying it for one minute that these people truly believe that they are doing Gods work!
February 23, 2022
It feels very strange rating this at all as it's a memoir by sisters telling the story of their horror growing up in a cult. Used and abused daily. It was a painful read and I had to put it down repeatedly to gather my thoughts and what's some cute bird video. But I have to say that they are very talented with writing and as painful and infuriating the read was it was very well written. It felt like I got the whole picture of the cult in the same time as I got attached with the sisters. I can't imagine having to deal with not only living trough that but also building a new life trying to leave that behind
August 7, 2022
This is one of those books that I simply could not put down. Cliché, I know. But oh so true. I literally went without eating, sleeping and bathing just to get one more chapter in. The only time I stopped was to phone my best friend at the time and start with something to the extent of "Oh my God, you won't believe this. Listen to this!" One of my top 5 favorite books ever.
September 20, 2021
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Not Without My Sister
September 20, 2021 by Kathleen · (Edit)
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A book review of Not Without My Sister: The true story of three girls violated and betrayed by Kristina, Celeste and Juliana
A book review of Not Without My Sister: The true story of three girls violated and betrayed by Kristina, Celeste and Juliana
Stars: *****
Harper Element (2012)
Memoir
434 pages
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Summary: The bestselling, devastating account of three sisters torn apart, abused and exploited at the hands of a community that robbed them of their childhood. It reveals three lives, separate but entwined, that have experienced unspeakable horror, unrelenting loyalty and unforgettable courage.
From as early as three years old, Juliana, Celeste and Kristina were separated from their parents and physically and sexually abused by their ‘guardians’ in the infamous religious cult known as the Children of God. They were made to watch and mimic orgies, received love letters and sexual advances from men old enough to be their grandfather, and were forced into abusive relationships. They were denied access to formal schooling and medical care, had to busk on the streets, beg for money, and were mercilessly beaten for ‘crimes’ as unpredictable as reading an encyclopedia.
Finally, unable to live with the guilt of what had happened to her children, their mother escaped with Kristina and her younger siblings, cutting herself off from Celeste in a bid to save her remaining children. Desperate to save her sister, Kristina eventually began a search to find Celeste, but it would be many years until Celeste found the courage to escape, wanting freedom and a different future for the child she was carrying. The suicide of one of their sisters drove Juliana to exit the group a couple of years later.
Now the three sisters have finally come together to reveal in full and horrific detail their existence within the Children of God cult. Their stories reveal a community spread throughout the world and its legacy of anorexia, depression, drug abuse, suicide and even murder. Lives are ripped apart and painstakingly mended with a shared strength that finally enabled the sisters to free themselves from the shadows of their past.
Not Without My Sister
I need to preface this review by saying that it feels wrong to say the I give the book 5 stars. The atrocities that these girls and hundreds more suffered make it feel wrong to say the book was “great.” What happened was not great. That the book had to be written in the first place, is not great. I don’t think the storytelling could be good or not good. It’s just that horrifying.
If you want to know more about cults, specifically the Children of God cult, than in that regard, this is a good book. But be warned. HUGE TRIGGER WARNING. For the whole book. Specifically about sexual abuse and incest but also physical abuse.
The book goes back and forth between the three girls point of view. This is important because although they are sisters, they were almost never kept in the same home. It was a little confusing at times to remember who was talking but it wasn’t a big deal.
I can’t believe a cult like this exists.
Not Without My Sister
September 20, 2021 by Kathleen · (Edit)
Spread the love
A book review of Not Without My Sister: The true story of three girls violated and betrayed by Kristina, Celeste and Juliana
A book review of Not Without My Sister: The true story of three girls violated and betrayed by Kristina, Celeste and Juliana
Stars: *****
Harper Element (2012)
Memoir
434 pages
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Summary: The bestselling, devastating account of three sisters torn apart, abused and exploited at the hands of a community that robbed them of their childhood. It reveals three lives, separate but entwined, that have experienced unspeakable horror, unrelenting loyalty and unforgettable courage.
From as early as three years old, Juliana, Celeste and Kristina were separated from their parents and physically and sexually abused by their ‘guardians’ in the infamous religious cult known as the Children of God. They were made to watch and mimic orgies, received love letters and sexual advances from men old enough to be their grandfather, and were forced into abusive relationships. They were denied access to formal schooling and medical care, had to busk on the streets, beg for money, and were mercilessly beaten for ‘crimes’ as unpredictable as reading an encyclopedia.
Finally, unable to live with the guilt of what had happened to her children, their mother escaped with Kristina and her younger siblings, cutting herself off from Celeste in a bid to save her remaining children. Desperate to save her sister, Kristina eventually began a search to find Celeste, but it would be many years until Celeste found the courage to escape, wanting freedom and a different future for the child she was carrying. The suicide of one of their sisters drove Juliana to exit the group a couple of years later.
Now the three sisters have finally come together to reveal in full and horrific detail their existence within the Children of God cult. Their stories reveal a community spread throughout the world and its legacy of anorexia, depression, drug abuse, suicide and even murder. Lives are ripped apart and painstakingly mended with a shared strength that finally enabled the sisters to free themselves from the shadows of their past.
Not Without My Sister
I need to preface this review by saying that it feels wrong to say the I give the book 5 stars. The atrocities that these girls and hundreds more suffered make it feel wrong to say the book was “great.” What happened was not great. That the book had to be written in the first place, is not great. I don’t think the storytelling could be good or not good. It’s just that horrifying.
If you want to know more about cults, specifically the Children of God cult, than in that regard, this is a good book. But be warned. HUGE TRIGGER WARNING. For the whole book. Specifically about sexual abuse and incest but also physical abuse.
The book goes back and forth between the three girls point of view. This is important because although they are sisters, they were almost never kept in the same home. It was a little confusing at times to remember who was talking but it wasn’t a big deal.
I can’t believe a cult like this exists.
May 5, 2013
I really liked this book, although it is very graphic and what was done to the sisters was horrific, but I liked it because I feel like I got a look behind the curtain, to these three young women's inner selves, their path to their final decision to finally leave....
I am always interested in stories that give the reader or viewer some insight into what makes a person tick, what makes them go in the directions they choose, what makes them decide on one thing, rather than something else? Or why it can be so hard to make "the right" choice....
I could definitely relate to the girls, having grown up with a caregiver whose love had a price, and who would take it away on a whim.... These girls are stronger than I am, because they have not let that stop them from becoming successful and, presumably, happy....
These girls seemed to me to at least have a sense of a moral compas, a sense of what is right and wrong.... That being said, that does not mean that one would trust that inner compas, when everything you learn and are being told is the exact opposite.... How does one unlearn years and years of "programming" like that? Maybe I will find that out in the next book I read, because this one does not say.... :-)
I am always interested in stories that give the reader or viewer some insight into what makes a person tick, what makes them go in the directions they choose, what makes them decide on one thing, rather than something else? Or why it can be so hard to make "the right" choice....
I could definitely relate to the girls, having grown up with a caregiver whose love had a price, and who would take it away on a whim.... These girls are stronger than I am, because they have not let that stop them from becoming successful and, presumably, happy....
These girls seemed to me to at least have a sense of a moral compas, a sense of what is right and wrong.... That being said, that does not mean that one would trust that inner compas, when everything you learn and are being told is the exact opposite.... How does one unlearn years and years of "programming" like that? Maybe I will find that out in the next book I read, because this one does not say.... :-)
January 18, 2013
I first came across this book when I accidentally learnt that one of well-known celebrities was born into the cult, then managed to leave. I was curious to find out more and stumbled across the book. I'm really thankful to the sisters for bringing out all those painful memories. Although, luckily I was never in a cult, in many ways I can relate, sometimes even our own small world can compare (a family unit, a 9-5 job where you're not allowed to think and so on). Thank you for your story, I wish I could hug each and every one of you for what happened. I was really happy to learn at the end of your book that all is going well, and each of you have found your place in the world. Hello from Poland!! It was nice to see that little mention of Krakow in the book, as I live only about 60-70km from the city where Kritina got engaged! I'm really thankful I've read the book, and recommend it to anyone just curious or those who enjoy reading true stories.
May 25, 2012
I couldn't put this book down, what happened in these girls lives was so deplorable I had to read it to the end just to find out how everything turned out for them. An excellent insight to this cult while pulling you in emotionally with their journey. Not a good book if you are looking for a light read, I came away exhausted with my mind reeling and emotionally drained but none the less I highly rate this book.
January 2, 2020
‘Not Without My Sister’ is written by 3 sisters who were born into and raised in a cult called The Children of God. This is a true story of the abuse, abandonment and the horrific upbringing they experienced. From a young age they were exposed to and expected to do things children should not see or do. Paedophilia and incest were both acceptable in the cult until the girls were in their early adolescence. The man in charge, who went by several names to keep his identity hidden, made the young girls send him videos of them dancing naked in a flirtatious way. This was just one of the shocking things they were made to do at a very young age, and quite mild compared to the other things written about in this book. This is a pretty confronting read. It’s hard to believe so many people around the world were and probably still are involved in cults like this. I felt incredibly sorry for the 3 girls throughout this entire book.
April 21, 2018
I've recently started reading anything available about these sorts of cults due to a simultaneous uptick in watching cult documentaries on Netflix, so I borrowed this no question.
Because it's a memoir written in turns by the three girls (or narrated, or pieced together from their individual testimony, it's not clear which) there's a certain disjointedness and some repetition. Plus it's not the most sophisticated piece of writing you'll come across. But those things don't matter because what's important is reading the number of hurdles the sisters had to clear, and how it's never as easy to leave a cult as it might seem to people on the outside.
Because it's a memoir written in turns by the three girls (or narrated, or pieced together from their individual testimony, it's not clear which) there's a certain disjointedness and some repetition. Plus it's not the most sophisticated piece of writing you'll come across. But those things don't matter because what's important is reading the number of hurdles the sisters had to clear, and how it's never as easy to leave a cult as it might seem to people on the outside.
July 10, 2009
This was a true story about three sisters who grew up within the Children of God cult. I am very interested in reading about ritualistic abuse and cults, and was so excited for this book. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The book started and jumped right into the story. I didn't feel like I got any sort of background information on cults in general or the Children of God. I learned the name of the leader and that was about it.
The story continues with each sister giving her portion of the story, which of course was disgusting and tragic. The girls were physically, sexually, and mentally abused, all under the watch of their parents. It is unbelieveable to me how these kinds of things can go on, where one person can brainwash and manipulate so many people!
The story wrapped up, not really happily, but the girls did escape and ended up reconnecting in the end, which was a miracle in and of itself. The epilouge was short, and basically gave a quick wrap up of the whereabouts of the people in the book, but again, didn't really give me a feel for where the Children of God group stands in today's society. The cult is still in existence, but why? Why and how have they not been stopped? What are the current memberships and rules within the group? Overall, the book was okay... I didn't love it and I didn't hate it, but I just feel like although I got a really good feel for the girls' lives, I missed out completely on the background that is necessary for such a story.
February 10, 2020
Though at times strangely repetitive (the book is told through the experiences of three sisters, and sometimes describes the same events with little variation), this is a powerful, horrific true story of a family torn apart by a bizarre cult.
In The Children of God, children are treated like slaves and subjected to horrendous physical and sexual abuse. Adults are encouraged to have sex with everyone, including their own children (some of the accounts of abuse involve infants and children as young as three), and are told that God will protect them from STDs and pregnancy.
Families are regularly broken apart, with parents forced to move far away from their children, who are then left in the care of relative strangers who abuse them. Women in the cult are expected to prostitute themselves to lure new members to the group, and anyone who succeeds in this diabolical system is punished for having too much pride.
It's hard to believe sane people could follow the doctrines of this cult and believe in them, but apparently, too many do. This is the story of three young women who decided to escape the Family and build their own.
If anyone is triggered by graphic depictions of children being sexually and physically abused, I'd recommend skipping this one.
In The Children of God, children are treated like slaves and subjected to horrendous physical and sexual abuse. Adults are encouraged to have sex with everyone, including their own children (some of the accounts of abuse involve infants and children as young as three), and are told that God will protect them from STDs and pregnancy.
Families are regularly broken apart, with parents forced to move far away from their children, who are then left in the care of relative strangers who abuse them. Women in the cult are expected to prostitute themselves to lure new members to the group, and anyone who succeeds in this diabolical system is punished for having too much pride.
It's hard to believe sane people could follow the doctrines of this cult and believe in them, but apparently, too many do. This is the story of three young women who decided to escape the Family and build their own.
If anyone is triggered by graphic depictions of children being sexually and physically abused, I'd recommend skipping this one.
May 19, 2012
This book made me wish for an afterlife and hope that hell is much worse than anyone ever depicted it, knowing that if such a place exists, David Berg will be languishing there for millions of years. It is the horrific story of children born into the cult and the abuses they suffered, forced to accept the only life they had ever been exposed to as normal. The most incredible thing about the entire story is the parents' acceptance of the words of Berg as divine, never stepping in to protect their own children, or leaving to expose the cult to the world.
April 12, 2013
Don't read this book for its literary merit, it has none. Very poorly edited, very rambling, often overlapping, and kept going into senseless and uninteresting details, while leaving relevant areas in the dark.
The story is harrowing no doubt, but the sisters just keep going on and on, till finally you start feeling desensitized.
The way cults seems to take over an individual's capacity of independent thought is frightening. No limit to human stupidity.
The story is harrowing no doubt, but the sisters just keep going on and on, till finally you start feeling desensitized.
The way cults seems to take over an individual's capacity of independent thought is frightening. No limit to human stupidity.
July 7, 2018
Once again rating based on personal experience. I grew up in the same countries & colonies, knew many of the same people & shared many of the same experiences as Celeste. One thing that would have made this an easier read was if they'd had a header at the top of the page so you knew which of the 3 authors was speaking. Especially towards the last half of the book.
July 6, 2009
Well this book was hard to read especially because I knew the outcome having looked up this cult on The Internet and that they still exist and still call tribute to that horrible pedophile and his wife who is the leader.
If you look at there website all you see is pictures of happy children. Well I don't buy it and I am shocked that they were never punished.
Finished this last night July 5
If you look at there website all you see is pictures of happy children. Well I don't buy it and I am shocked that they were never punished.
Finished this last night July 5
February 9, 2022
A very difficult and heartbreaking read. Though, because the way the book was written and how the three girls (now women) stories were narrated, it felt jumbled and repetitive, and it was sometimes difficult to tell their stories apart.
November 2, 2021
Nov 1 2021 update: Suddenly this 2017 review, which had one like, has 5 new likes, from 5 brand new Goodreads members, each of whom has about 50 books listed, with only 5-star ratings, and mostly the same 50 books (I didn't check in detail). I suspect some kind of sock-puppets, maybe somehow promoting another book on their lists (but not mine) about the same cult. Has anyone else ever had that happen? Nov 2: Make that 6, and each of them also has 0 friends, and no profile pics. Now back to the original review:
This book is by three sisters (same father, two mothers) who grew up in the Children of God cult, were physically, sexually, and emotionally abused in it, and managed to get out of it. There are sections by each of the three sisters, and a last section that alternates their stories as older teens and young women. The cult had a horrific focus on sex; everyone pretty much had sex with everyone else, and it was mandated for children too, with each other and adults, starting at a very young age. There was also a lot of physical punishment, along with shaming and scare tactics that made leaving the cult seem terrifying.
Kristina was separated from her sisters at a young age and stayed with her mother and abusive stepfather. When she was a teenager, she left the cult with her mother and younger siblings, and she was able to start putting her life back together. Wanting to save other children, she also spoke out against the cult and testified to the courts about it.
Celeste (the oldest sister) and Juliana (the youngest, who has a different mother) were shuttled among the various cult locations, occasionally together, occasionally with their father, but mostly with neither. They were abused systematically and almost continuously. Thoroughly indoctrinated, neither left when they reached adulthood, but each of them left in their mid-twenties. It's interesting to read about the intellectual and emotional paths that led them to leaving.
This book puts the reader right there witnessing the sisters' trauma. It's all the more traumatic seeing that they each had to accept the abuse as normal and Godly as well as inevitable.
Juliana Buhring also has a later book, This Road I Ride, about her bicycle trip around the world (the first such trip by a woman to make the Guinness Book of World Records). That book mentions her background, which led me to this book. I recommend it to anyone who wants to know what she's been doing since then.
This book is by three sisters (same father, two mothers) who grew up in the Children of God cult, were physically, sexually, and emotionally abused in it, and managed to get out of it. There are sections by each of the three sisters, and a last section that alternates their stories as older teens and young women. The cult had a horrific focus on sex; everyone pretty much had sex with everyone else, and it was mandated for children too, with each other and adults, starting at a very young age. There was also a lot of physical punishment, along with shaming and scare tactics that made leaving the cult seem terrifying.
Kristina was separated from her sisters at a young age and stayed with her mother and abusive stepfather. When she was a teenager, she left the cult with her mother and younger siblings, and she was able to start putting her life back together. Wanting to save other children, she also spoke out against the cult and testified to the courts about it.
Celeste (the oldest sister) and Juliana (the youngest, who has a different mother) were shuttled among the various cult locations, occasionally together, occasionally with their father, but mostly with neither. They were abused systematically and almost continuously. Thoroughly indoctrinated, neither left when they reached adulthood, but each of them left in their mid-twenties. It's interesting to read about the intellectual and emotional paths that led them to leaving.
This book puts the reader right there witnessing the sisters' trauma. It's all the more traumatic seeing that they each had to accept the abuse as normal and Godly as well as inevitable.
Juliana Buhring also has a later book, This Road I Ride, about her bicycle trip around the world (the first such trip by a woman to make the Guinness Book of World Records). That book mentions her background, which led me to this book. I recommend it to anyone who wants to know what she's been doing since then.
September 8, 2011
In this true story about 3 sisters raised in an international cult then called the Family of God, every horrible thing we have ever heard about cults is confirmed. From the age of three they were molested, beaten, made to work like slaves and separated from their parents and siblings. Their story is truly a story of survival. Not the most well written book, but certainly one of the most compelling. It is also not an easy story to read. Some of the accounts of abuse are told so matter-of-factly that you can clearly see that these girls are still struggling to come to terms with that happened in their lives. What brave young women they are to come forward with their story for the sole purpose of preventing such abuses from happening again to other children still within the cult, and to enlighten those on the outside of the cult to what is truly going on.
June 6, 2020
Its been quite a while since I read any cult memoirs, and this one, written by 3 sisters who were second generation Children of God- growing up during the most perverted years of Berg's crazy cult- totally reminded me of both why I stopped reading them and why I find them so damned intriguing. Celeste, Kristina, and Juliana are trafficked all over the world throughout their lives, rarely seeing their families, often for years at a time, their names are changed over and over again, they each seem to have a ton of siblings and half siblings, thanks to the Flirty Fishing/prostitution the women in their parents' generation were encouraged to do for both members and money and their total man-whore father, learning that adults are laregley untrustworthy at best and perverted rapists at best. The info about the cult itself was largely stuff I'd read in other books/scene in documentaries years ago, but some of the stuff, particularly in the later chapters where they talk about the African ministries and the absolutely batshit craziness of Karen Zerby's residence was definitely new. I have no idea how these women were able to make real lives for themselves once they were able to get out of the group- I think I would have liked a detailed epilogue about how they're all doing NOW, but there's always the internet! I can't believe this cult still exists, that people still are willing to join groups like this, that when I googled, there are videos from this decade advertising "The Family International" as some kind of Peace Corps style missionary work. So. Creepy.
I only gave the book 3 stars because its a difficult book to read due to subject matter, because sometimes it gets a little too detailed/graphic, and its REALLY long- I think it probably could have benefitted from a more thorough editing job. At any rate, for cult memoir fans- Yes, recommended, but it is LONG.
I only gave the book 3 stars because its a difficult book to read due to subject matter, because sometimes it gets a little too detailed/graphic, and its REALLY long- I think it probably could have benefitted from a more thorough editing job. At any rate, for cult memoir fans- Yes, recommended, but it is LONG.
April 8, 2013
Children growing up under the domination of a cult are said to know only one thing, the society of the cult. That is not necessarily true. We all have a sense of what is right and wrong. Some of us turn off that knowledge in order to survive. Some rebel.
Regardless of what the Children of God cult claims (and I have no idea what it claims these days), it is a cult based on perversion. It calls sex, even sex with children, the ultimate expression of love. It perverts the Gospel of Christ, whose love was to release us FROM sin, not enmesh us in it.
There were many that escaped from the domination of this perverse power structure. Some escaped through suicide. Three young women escaped by labeling what happened to them as wrong, and finding a way to survive outside the confines of their world.
They paid a price no child should pay, and once they left, they needed to learn to survive in a completely different world than that which they knew.
Follow Celeste, Kristina, and Juliana as they struggled through verbal, physical and sexual abuse. Cheer with them as they faced their doubts, and finally escaped.
This is a true story. Names have NOT been changed to protect the innocent. It this story, the adults were not innocent, and they should be brought up on charges of sex with children, incest, rape, imprisonment and torture.
It was an excellent book, informative and well-written.
Regardless of what the Children of God cult claims (and I have no idea what it claims these days), it is a cult based on perversion. It calls sex, even sex with children, the ultimate expression of love. It perverts the Gospel of Christ, whose love was to release us FROM sin, not enmesh us in it.
There were many that escaped from the domination of this perverse power structure. Some escaped through suicide. Three young women escaped by labeling what happened to them as wrong, and finding a way to survive outside the confines of their world.
They paid a price no child should pay, and once they left, they needed to learn to survive in a completely different world than that which they knew.
Follow Celeste, Kristina, and Juliana as they struggled through verbal, physical and sexual abuse. Cheer with them as they faced their doubts, and finally escaped.
This is a true story. Names have NOT been changed to protect the innocent. It this story, the adults were not innocent, and they should be brought up on charges of sex with children, incest, rape, imprisonment and torture.
It was an excellent book, informative and well-written.
January 17, 2011
There was a story to be told here. This could have been an informative and touching journey though the lives of 3 girls born into a cult. But sadly, the story remains to be told. Only Juliana was able to write well enough to hold a reader's interest, but even she had difficulty in the first three quarters of the book. It almost seemed as if they were all programmed to use only certain words to describe their experiences, as if their words were censored.
How I made it all the way through escapes me. I suppose I kept hoping...
How I made it all the way through escapes me. I suppose I kept hoping...
July 12, 2021
What a sad, horrible story - and what's worse is tis book is not a "story" at all, but three sisters recounting their childhoods of being raised in a cult religion. So much sexual abuse, incest, pedophilia and rape takes place in this book, and in their culture as a whole. It is truly heartbreaking. These women are brave warriors, who have -Thank God- made it out alive. May the "Family" leaders all burn in hell for the pain they've caused.
A tough read, due to its horrifying content. The book also bounces around a lot to cover the girls' individual stories and a little difficult to follow all the times they were tossed from home to home, country to country. I found myself needing to construct a timeline to stay on track.
A tough read, due to its horrifying content. The book also bounces around a lot to cover the girls' individual stories and a little difficult to follow all the times they were tossed from home to home, country to country. I found myself needing to construct a timeline to stay on track.
February 3, 2014
Empowering and inspiring first-hand account of the survivors of cult!
August 24, 2014
The first half of the book, which tells of the sisters early years in the cult, I found flat and slightly boring. I decided if I managed to finish it I was only going to rate it 2 stars.
The second half of the book, however, I found much more interesting. The girls are older and it tells of their struggles to regain their lost family and find a life for themselves away from the Children of God. Hence the 3 stars.
There were quite a lot of typos and missing punctuation in the e-book I read.
Overall, a disturbing but worthwhile read.
February 7, 2017
OMG that was such a scary and sad story. What those poor children went through because of one evil man's distortion of God. I was so happy they turned out free and successful in the end. I am humbled truly. What amazing strength and courage!!
December 21, 2018
I think the title is misleading and its blurb here on Goodreads is not accurate either.
Kristina did not "return to the place of her torture to free Celeste". All three sisters left the Family of their own accord, by themselves, at different times. There were no daring rescue attempts by one sister for another. Also, Juliana was the one of the three who did not end up pregnant and having a child which factored into her decision to leave.
Other than that it is your typical insiders account of life inside a disgusting cult and how people were able to separate from it.
Desperate to save her sisters, Kristina eventually returned to the place of her torture to free Celeste. Years later, Juliana found the courage to escape, knowing that the child she was carrying would be subjected to the same fate if she did not.
Kristina did not "return to the place of her torture to free Celeste". All three sisters left the Family of their own accord, by themselves, at different times. There were no daring rescue attempts by one sister for another. Also, Juliana was the one of the three who did not end up pregnant and having a child which factored into her decision to leave.
Other than that it is your typical insiders account of life inside a disgusting cult and how people were able to separate from it.
January 14, 2019
Horrifying, tragic, shocking, and at the same time intriguing. Honestly had a hard time reading through some parts of it. The horrible details of some of the events made me sick to my stomach. But the story deserves to be heard. The strength and bravery of these girls is astonishing. This story is an eye opener for sure. Very well told.
August 28, 2008
Great book. Interesting look into the world of cults and their members. Also a worthy tale of young people who knew something just wasn't right and were able to break through the conditioning. Almost voyeuristic to read about their lives as the story unfolds. Sad, telling and a worthwhile read.
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