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Sex Cult Nun: Growing Up in and Breaking Away from the Secretive Religious Family That Changed My Life
Educated meets The Vow in this story of liberation and self-empowerment—an inspiring and crazier-than-fiction memoir of growing up in and breaking free from the Children of God, an oppressive, extremist religious cult.
Faith Jones was raised to be part an elite army preparing for the End Times. Growing up on an isolated farm in Macau, she prayed for hours every day and read letters of prophecy written by her grandfather, the founder of the Children of God. Tens of thousands of members strong, the cult followers looked to Faith’s grandfather as their guiding light. As such, Faith was celebrated as special and then punished doubly to remind her that she was not.
Over decades, the Children of God grew into an international organization that became notorious for its alarming sex practices and allegations of abuse and exploitation. But with indomitable grit, Faith survived, creating a world of her own—pilfering books and teaching herself high school curriculum. Finally, at age twenty-three, thirsting for knowledge and freedom, she broke away, leaving behind everything she knew to forge her own path in America.
A complicated family story mixed with a hauntingly intimate coming-of-age narrative, Faith Jones’ extraordinary memoir reflects our societal norms of oppression and abuse while providing a unique lens to explore spiritual manipulation and our rights in our bodies. Honest, eye-opening, uplifting, and intensely affecting, Sex Cult Nun brings to life a hidden world that’s hypnotically alien yet unexpectedly relatable.
Faith Jones was raised to be part an elite army preparing for the End Times. Growing up on an isolated farm in Macau, she prayed for hours every day and read letters of prophecy written by her grandfather, the founder of the Children of God. Tens of thousands of members strong, the cult followers looked to Faith’s grandfather as their guiding light. As such, Faith was celebrated as special and then punished doubly to remind her that she was not.
Over decades, the Children of God grew into an international organization that became notorious for its alarming sex practices and allegations of abuse and exploitation. But with indomitable grit, Faith survived, creating a world of her own—pilfering books and teaching herself high school curriculum. Finally, at age twenty-three, thirsting for knowledge and freedom, she broke away, leaving behind everything she knew to forge her own path in America.
A complicated family story mixed with a hauntingly intimate coming-of-age narrative, Faith Jones’ extraordinary memoir reflects our societal norms of oppression and abuse while providing a unique lens to explore spiritual manipulation and our rights in our bodies. Honest, eye-opening, uplifting, and intensely affecting, Sex Cult Nun brings to life a hidden world that’s hypnotically alien yet unexpectedly relatable.
399 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 2021
787 people are currently reading
22200 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,468 reviews
March 5, 2022
Yoooooooooo. The magic trick? I was screaming. Gasping. Dialing 911.
April 14, 2022
Review The founder, David Berg, said that first a man's appetite for sex must be satisfied then he will be open to spirituality, hence the 'nun' and 'sex'. It's kind of a fantasy isn't it, nuns having taken the vow of chastity, are now involved in a sex cult and lifting up the skirts of those medieval robes to screw for all their worth! But there is nothing chaste, innocent or even fully-clothed about this book. And the title is just a hook for marketing.
The Children of God cult first came to prominence for using young women to whore themselves out to guys in the name of "flirting fishing" bringing them to the church to screw and get money from them as the only income for the 'church'. It was actually worse than that, children, girls' and women's bodies (their minds were irrelevant) were exploited in every sexual way possible. Women and children have no rights at all.
Faith Jones got out. I'm glad she did. She has a story to tell, but to me, she's not a natural writer. It was a frustrating experience trying to read the book and I could never really get into it. 2 stars, which is quite generous.
__________
Reading notes What is at the base of all religion? Control and status. In most religions it is the men who have the status and control and the women who are 'the helpmeet', 'submissive to' or is scarcely considered human and, as in Afghanistan, denied all the human rights every man takes for granted. .
In this cult, women are household slaves, breeders and prostitutes. This 'religion' differs only in that the women are expected to be prostitutes for all the men they meet, to get money from them (since no one actually works) and bring them home to be preached to. Holy prostitution. 'Flirty fishing' they call it. Being pimped out is what I call it. They don't do outside work in this cult, they all live off the earnings they get from the women being prostituted in the name of God.
Certain religions and cults appeal to people who seem to be able to suspend disbelief of what they are being told just as quickly as the rest of us do reading a fantasy novel. They might seem to be masculine, even controlling types but really they are happy to be submissive and do what they are told by a more powerful man. As a reward most of these cults and religions give them a woman, or sometimes women, that will cook, clean and fuck them and never complain nor even answer back. This 'religion' goes one step further, the men don't even need to work.
The women all, without exception, suffer from Stockholm Syndrome. If they didn't they would see that no one put them on earth to be so controlled they can't even dress as they please and must spend their lives catering to a man's every need and if they can't meet all of those needs, be happy when he brings home another wife, and maybe another, and another and another one home. This is not the only religion that controls a woman's dress or how many wives a man can have, there are several more.
These women, at least from the cult, although I would argue that religion is an exercise in brainwashing anyway, get drawn in by their husbands, boyfriends, the singing, the joy of love-bombing and communal spirit. And then when they're in and at some point find that they want to be their own selves, dress how they want, raise their children in the way they consider best, fulfil their interest or career ambitions, travel as they please, they find they can't. They have children that are 'owned' by the cult, have no money, and if they were born in it, no education, no way out. I'm glad the author made it out, and wrote this book, even if I didn't think it was a very good one.
Review: April 2022
The Children of God cult first came to prominence for using young women to whore themselves out to guys in the name of "flirting fishing" bringing them to the church to screw and get money from them as the only income for the 'church'. It was actually worse than that, children, girls' and women's bodies (their minds were irrelevant) were exploited in every sexual way possible. Women and children have no rights at all.
Faith Jones got out. I'm glad she did. She has a story to tell, but to me, she's not a natural writer. It was a frustrating experience trying to read the book and I could never really get into it. 2 stars, which is quite generous.
__________
Reading notes What is at the base of all religion? Control and status. In most religions it is the men who have the status and control and the women who are 'the helpmeet', 'submissive to' or is scarcely considered human and, as in Afghanistan, denied all the human rights every man takes for granted. .
In this cult, women are household slaves, breeders and prostitutes. This 'religion' differs only in that the women are expected to be prostitutes for all the men they meet, to get money from them (since no one actually works) and bring them home to be preached to. Holy prostitution. 'Flirty fishing' they call it. Being pimped out is what I call it. They don't do outside work in this cult, they all live off the earnings they get from the women being prostituted in the name of God.
Certain religions and cults appeal to people who seem to be able to suspend disbelief of what they are being told just as quickly as the rest of us do reading a fantasy novel. They might seem to be masculine, even controlling types but really they are happy to be submissive and do what they are told by a more powerful man. As a reward most of these cults and religions give them a woman, or sometimes women, that will cook, clean and fuck them and never complain nor even answer back. This 'religion' goes one step further, the men don't even need to work.
The women all, without exception, suffer from Stockholm Syndrome. If they didn't they would see that no one put them on earth to be so controlled they can't even dress as they please and must spend their lives catering to a man's every need and if they can't meet all of those needs, be happy when he brings home another wife, and maybe another, and another and another one home. This is not the only religion that controls a woman's dress or how many wives a man can have, there are several more.
These women, at least from the cult, although I would argue that religion is an exercise in brainwashing anyway, get drawn in by their husbands, boyfriends, the singing, the joy of love-bombing and communal spirit. And then when they're in and at some point find that they want to be their own selves, dress how they want, raise their children in the way they consider best, fulfil their interest or career ambitions, travel as they please, they find they can't. They have children that are 'owned' by the cult, have no money, and if they were born in it, no education, no way out. I'm glad the author made it out, and wrote this book, even if I didn't think it was a very good one.
Review: April 2022
January 13, 2022
Note: Don't be taken in by the title. This book has nothing to do with nuns, be they Catholic, Buddhist, Taoist, or otherwise. The title is simply being used to catch the eye and sell books.
As someone who is by nature a skeptic, I am fascinated by those who join cults. Not fascinated in an awe-filled, admiring way, but in a horrified, what-the-fuck-are-you-thinking way.
I like to read about cults in order to try to understand the mindset of people who willingly give control of their lives to some charismatic, wacky individual. Money, freedom, children, their own bodies. All of it. Voluntarily and eagerly handed over to the control of someone else.
I don't think I'll ever understand, and maybe that's a good thing.
I'm also interested in learning about those who grew up in cults and later escaped. The church I was brought up in (fundamentalist baptist) was cult-like in many ways. I identify with those who were able to free themselves of their indoctrination, who learned to think for themselves and reject the lunacies heaped upon them all their lives. Those who were able to work through the absolute terror of first questioning and then renouncing all the bullshit.
Faith Jones is one such person. She was raised in the Children of God cult, most known for its focus on sex, including adult sex with children.... mandated by "God" as sharing love.
Faith's grandfather was the founder of this cult and I learned a lot more about it from this book than books I've read by others who escaped.
However, it is So. Damn. Dry. At times it's like reading a clinical report. It's not very well written, though it is horrifying. What children in this cult endure is just sick and heart-breaking.
I really felt for the child Faith was, and the young person who desired freedom and an education. Unfortunately, in the latter part, the book took on a bragging tone that I found irritating. I don't know if she was trying to overcome her insecurities, or if she continues to have the superior sense of self that is instilled in people in extreme religions/cults. The We're-Better-Than-The-Rest-Of-The-World mentality. Special, blessed by their sky daddy, etc.
And then the last couple of chapters read like a self-help book and I loathe those kinds of books. Even though I identified with Faith in overcoming indoctrination and allowing herself the freedom to think for herself, it was just too over-the-top, preachy, Look-What-I-Did-And-Maybe-You-Can-Too. It was self-glorifying to the point that I had to skim the last part.
I was also put off when the author moved to America for college and just assumed her relatives would support her, people she barely knew or hadn't even met before. Growing up, none of the adults in the cult worked but instead begged for money (well, "busked"), relying on donations to support them.
I guess Faith thought she'd have people throwing donations at her now too. She went to visit Grandma (who she actually had met and lived with for a short time as a teen). Grandma now had Parkinson's and was in an assisted-living facility, thus unable to support Faith financially: "enthusiasm is about the only thing she can offer. There’s obviously no place for me there."
Grandma can't give her money or otherwise support her so she's of no use to her??? That's really disgusting.
I was also repulsed by her rejection of the theory of evolution. She had no science education growing up, but when she goes to college, she thinks she knows more than her professors about how scientists don't really know.
She writes, "Why can’t teachers just say, 'We don’t really know. This is our best working model so far, but we can see some holes, some places where the observable evidence doesn’t quite fit; so, we are keeping our minds open to discover more'?"
I think Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing by Lauren Hough (who was also raised in the Children of God cult) is much better written, though it doesn't have the amount of detail this book has.
2.5 stars rounded down.
(A P.S. to any non-friend reader who thinks the book is 5 star worthy and wants to jump all over me for my opinion - save your breath. Write your own review rather than point out all the ways you think I'm wrong. Or mean. Or whatever.
Less than adulating reviews of these kinds of books seem to provoke certain types of people into attacking those who fail to have googly stars in their eyes.
Go join a cult and keep your feelings off my review.)
As someone who is by nature a skeptic, I am fascinated by those who join cults. Not fascinated in an awe-filled, admiring way, but in a horrified, what-the-fuck-are-you-thinking way.
I like to read about cults in order to try to understand the mindset of people who willingly give control of their lives to some charismatic, wacky individual. Money, freedom, children, their own bodies. All of it. Voluntarily and eagerly handed over to the control of someone else.
I don't think I'll ever understand, and maybe that's a good thing.
I'm also interested in learning about those who grew up in cults and later escaped. The church I was brought up in (fundamentalist baptist) was cult-like in many ways. I identify with those who were able to free themselves of their indoctrination, who learned to think for themselves and reject the lunacies heaped upon them all their lives. Those who were able to work through the absolute terror of first questioning and then renouncing all the bullshit.
Faith Jones is one such person. She was raised in the Children of God cult, most known for its focus on sex, including adult sex with children.... mandated by "God" as sharing love.
Faith's grandfather was the founder of this cult and I learned a lot more about it from this book than books I've read by others who escaped.
However, it is So. Damn. Dry. At times it's like reading a clinical report. It's not very well written, though it is horrifying. What children in this cult endure is just sick and heart-breaking.
I really felt for the child Faith was, and the young person who desired freedom and an education. Unfortunately, in the latter part, the book took on a bragging tone that I found irritating. I don't know if she was trying to overcome her insecurities, or if she continues to have the superior sense of self that is instilled in people in extreme religions/cults. The We're-Better-Than-The-Rest-Of-The-World mentality. Special, blessed by their sky daddy, etc.
And then the last couple of chapters read like a self-help book and I loathe those kinds of books. Even though I identified with Faith in overcoming indoctrination and allowing herself the freedom to think for herself, it was just too over-the-top, preachy, Look-What-I-Did-And-Maybe-You-Can-Too. It was self-glorifying to the point that I had to skim the last part.
I was also put off when the author moved to America for college and just assumed her relatives would support her, people she barely knew or hadn't even met before. Growing up, none of the adults in the cult worked but instead begged for money (well, "busked"), relying on donations to support them.
I guess Faith thought she'd have people throwing donations at her now too. She went to visit Grandma (who she actually had met and lived with for a short time as a teen). Grandma now had Parkinson's and was in an assisted-living facility, thus unable to support Faith financially: "enthusiasm is about the only thing she can offer. There’s obviously no place for me there."
Grandma can't give her money or otherwise support her so she's of no use to her??? That's really disgusting.
I was also repulsed by her rejection of the theory of evolution. She had no science education growing up, but when she goes to college, she thinks she knows more than her professors about how scientists don't really know.
She writes, "Why can’t teachers just say, 'We don’t really know. This is our best working model so far, but we can see some holes, some places where the observable evidence doesn’t quite fit; so, we are keeping our minds open to discover more'?"
I think Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing by Lauren Hough (who was also raised in the Children of God cult) is much better written, though it doesn't have the amount of detail this book has.
2.5 stars rounded down.
(A P.S. to any non-friend reader who thinks the book is 5 star worthy and wants to jump all over me for my opinion - save your breath. Write your own review rather than point out all the ways you think I'm wrong. Or mean. Or whatever.
Less than adulating reviews of these kinds of books seem to provoke certain types of people into attacking those who fail to have googly stars in their eyes.
Go join a cult and keep your feelings off my review.)
Read
March 16, 2022maybe the latter half of this book has some profound words of wisdom on bodily autonomy but honestly i didn't want to keep reading to find out.
the sense of unease i had while reading the first 30% of this did not lead to a morbid curiosity in continuing on. absolutely no judgment towards my friends who found this fascinating but i just really do not get the hype. which feels like a weird thing to say about someone's life experiences but frankly this book was pitched as something "hyped" to me. which i think is partly where my discomfort lies. this book is just sad. i feel bad for the author. but this wasn't pitched to me as something heartbreaking but as a thrilling real life account of being in a cult.
i fought my own personal taste in picking this up in the first place and i've really got to stop doing that. dnf @ 30%
the sense of unease i had while reading the first 30% of this did not lead to a morbid curiosity in continuing on. absolutely no judgment towards my friends who found this fascinating but i just really do not get the hype. which feels like a weird thing to say about someone's life experiences but frankly this book was pitched as something "hyped" to me. which i think is partly where my discomfort lies. this book is just sad. i feel bad for the author. but this wasn't pitched to me as something heartbreaking but as a thrilling real life account of being in a cult.
i fought my own personal taste in picking this up in the first place and i've really got to stop doing that. dnf @ 30%
July 3, 2022
this book was fucking amazing, i was scared to read this book because i saw some reviews saying that the abuse made them uncomfortable. growing up in a black community, the kind of spankings they get are also pretty normal, im not saying it’s okay i’m just saying that type of abusive is normalized and this book helped me come to terms with the fact that i was abused.
this book was interesting because it kind of touches on how when you’re a kid you admire men in your family and your community and then you grow up and realize they’re fucking creepy. i have always been uncomfortable around men since i hit puberty and it was just interesting seeing that touched on in the book.
i thought the sex cult was really interesting because to me it shows if you let men completely control something how misogynistic it can be and the fact that men hate women and love children in a way that they shouldn’t. if you let some men (and women) have the chance to be with children in the way that is disgusting, they will take it. how men view women as sex objects and how much they want to control us and how much they will if you let them.
i’m fascinated with cults so i’ve read and watched a bit about them and one thing i learned is that they will always try to go back to the time before feminism was popular. they’ll make woman bear children, take care of them etc. etc. maybe i got more out of this book than most people did because i think people read this book and probably is just like “haha silly little cult” but i got so much out of this.
Faith Jones is so strong and i’m so happy that she got out and got to live the amazing life she did.
this book was interesting because it kind of touches on how when you’re a kid you admire men in your family and your community and then you grow up and realize they’re fucking creepy. i have always been uncomfortable around men since i hit puberty and it was just interesting seeing that touched on in the book.
i thought the sex cult was really interesting because to me it shows if you let men completely control something how misogynistic it can be and the fact that men hate women and love children in a way that they shouldn’t. if you let some men (and women) have the chance to be with children in the way that is disgusting, they will take it. how men view women as sex objects and how much they want to control us and how much they will if you let them.
i’m fascinated with cults so i’ve read and watched a bit about them and one thing i learned is that they will always try to go back to the time before feminism was popular. they’ll make woman bear children, take care of them etc. etc. maybe i got more out of this book than most people did because i think people read this book and probably is just like “haha silly little cult” but i got so much out of this.
Faith Jones is so strong and i’m so happy that she got out and got to live the amazing life she did.
January 11, 2022
There are many things contained within these pages that will bother most adults who read this story.
Faith Jones was born into a cult. Her grandfather was the leader, revered as a god, and his word, that he claimed was the word of god, held sway throughout the cult. Called the Children of God, these people were led to believe in the end of times, and secluded their children from the world because of sin.
However, what went on in this organization defied the rules of how one should treat and rear children. Faith and her family spent the early years of her life going from one place to another. The children would go out pan handling while trying to spread the word of god. Thousands of followers world wide followed the very words of Faith's grandfather even to the point of sexualizing the children, abusing them in god's name for infractions, and exploiting them. The tales and stories of what occurred caused followers to move greatly, although Faith did spend a portion of her life in Macau. The children, Faith included, did not attend school as it was though children only needed a sixth grade education. Of course unapproved books were forbidden and yet Faith hoped for more learning. She ultimately educated herself and after much thought, finally separated herself from the Children of God.
What she and others endured was harrowing and yet they knew no better. Encouraged to explore their sexual nature, they became pawns in a group that abused and raped them. It's hard to wrap ones arms around this concept, and yet this was a "religion" that attracted the likes of the Phoenix family (River, Joaquin, and sisters Rain, Liberty, and Summer as well as Rose McGowen))
Harrowing but uplifting that a child who grew up with this albatross of a family, in a cult, was able to succeed graduating from college and becoming a motivational speaker and author.
Faith Jones was born into a cult. Her grandfather was the leader, revered as a god, and his word, that he claimed was the word of god, held sway throughout the cult. Called the Children of God, these people were led to believe in the end of times, and secluded their children from the world because of sin.
However, what went on in this organization defied the rules of how one should treat and rear children. Faith and her family spent the early years of her life going from one place to another. The children would go out pan handling while trying to spread the word of god. Thousands of followers world wide followed the very words of Faith's grandfather even to the point of sexualizing the children, abusing them in god's name for infractions, and exploiting them. The tales and stories of what occurred caused followers to move greatly, although Faith did spend a portion of her life in Macau. The children, Faith included, did not attend school as it was though children only needed a sixth grade education. Of course unapproved books were forbidden and yet Faith hoped for more learning. She ultimately educated herself and after much thought, finally separated herself from the Children of God.
What she and others endured was harrowing and yet they knew no better. Encouraged to explore their sexual nature, they became pawns in a group that abused and raped them. It's hard to wrap ones arms around this concept, and yet this was a "religion" that attracted the likes of the Phoenix family (River, Joaquin, and sisters Rain, Liberty, and Summer as well as Rose McGowen))
Harrowing but uplifting that a child who grew up with this albatross of a family, in a cult, was able to succeed graduating from college and becoming a motivational speaker and author.
September 21, 2021
A fascinating but disturbing memoir about the life of a woman raised in the Children of God cult. Not always easy to read but very compelling.
July 24, 2023
The more I think about this book, the more frustrated I feel by it, and while I have a general rule of not giving low ratings to memoirs (because, as many other reviewers have mentioned, it feels odd to "rate" another human being's life experiences!), I have to make an exception for SCN.
First, let me get the obvious bit out of the way: Faith Jones' childhood was a horrifying example of what happens when religion and rape culture mix, and my heart aches for her and every other person who has been through similar experiences. I commend her on the courage it must have taken to write this book in the first place.
Now, I'm going to be brutally honest: this book was a chore to read and I felt like it was never going to end. The writing is dry and sterile, the dialogue is stilted, and at risk of sounding unkind, it felt to me that Jones attempts to control the narrative by sweeping things under the rug that she doesn't want to focus on.
The book starts off with Jones telling us that she has forgiven her parents and has a good relationship with them today, and as the book goes on, that introductory piece feels more and more defensive as her parents are revealed to be incredibly abusive people who never actually seem to understand where they went wrong. Maybe I'm too hung up on one particular incident, but am I actually supposed to feel an inkling of empathy or kindness towards two adults who literally had sex in front of their toddler to "teach" her about "God's love"?
That complaint leads me to my next point, which is that the child sexual abuse in this book is presented in the worst, most graphic way. I have no issue at all with survivors recounting their experiences in matter-of-fact ways, but the way Jones dwells on the most graphic elements of these memories felt unnecessary and I was immensely uncomfortable reading them. I saw one reviewer say that it read less like a memoir and more like an evidence file at these times, and I agree with that sentiment.
Finally, this is the part of the review I'm most hesitant to write because I know Jones is the heroine of this story and we're meant to be amazed by her endurance and courage in the end, but it's very difficult to enjoy reading Jones' narrative when she comes across as such a judgmental, arrogant individual. Examples:
• she clearly others the people of many of the locations she has lived in around the world and has a "savior" complex
• judges her college friends for not being as studious as she is (and therefore "lazy") because they smoked pot
• obsessively fat-shames a former partner (and was so unkind to him while they were together that he admits to developing severe anorexia after their relationship - I'm not saying anyone is to "blame" for another person's mental health struggles, but this is a screaming red flag to me)
• is very judgmental towards individuals struggling with drug addictions
• brags about how "difficult" she was as a student because she was convinced that she deserved only perfect grades
• overall has a very "bootstraps" mentality towards her college years despite the fact that she was given money, cheap or free housing, and a multitude of opportunities by family members, friends of family, etc. throughout the entire process
All of that culminates in the final section of the book, where she talks about healing and overcoming her trauma, which had some really powerful and inspirational moments that would have hit me a lot harder if she hadn't also spent that section defending some elements of the abuse she underwent (such as the "child sex games", which she essentially states weren't abuse because the kids consented to each other's advances, despite the fact that children can not consent, period, and having small children engage in sexual activity isn't less abusive just because they had fun doing it!).
To bring it all around, I'll say it again: I'm glad that Faith Jones got out of this horrific cult and it breaks my heart that she underwent such terrible abuse. I simply think that this book would have benefited tremendously from being written as a biography instead of an autobiography, perhaps with a middle person between Jones herself and the writing to step in from time to time and hold the reins back a little. I don't recommend this book and honestly regret picking it up, if only for the way some of the CSA depictions in the writing triggered me and will unfortunately stick with me for a long time to come.
✨ Content warnings for:
———
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First, let me get the obvious bit out of the way: Faith Jones' childhood was a horrifying example of what happens when religion and rape culture mix, and my heart aches for her and every other person who has been through similar experiences. I commend her on the courage it must have taken to write this book in the first place.
Now, I'm going to be brutally honest: this book was a chore to read and I felt like it was never going to end. The writing is dry and sterile, the dialogue is stilted, and at risk of sounding unkind, it felt to me that Jones attempts to control the narrative by sweeping things under the rug that she doesn't want to focus on.
The book starts off with Jones telling us that she has forgiven her parents and has a good relationship with them today, and as the book goes on, that introductory piece feels more and more defensive as her parents are revealed to be incredibly abusive people who never actually seem to understand where they went wrong. Maybe I'm too hung up on one particular incident, but am I actually supposed to feel an inkling of empathy or kindness towards two adults who literally had sex in front of their toddler to "teach" her about "God's love"?
That complaint leads me to my next point, which is that the child sexual abuse in this book is presented in the worst, most graphic way. I have no issue at all with survivors recounting their experiences in matter-of-fact ways, but the way Jones dwells on the most graphic elements of these memories felt unnecessary and I was immensely uncomfortable reading them. I saw one reviewer say that it read less like a memoir and more like an evidence file at these times, and I agree with that sentiment.
Finally, this is the part of the review I'm most hesitant to write because I know Jones is the heroine of this story and we're meant to be amazed by her endurance and courage in the end, but it's very difficult to enjoy reading Jones' narrative when she comes across as such a judgmental, arrogant individual. Examples:
• she clearly others the people of many of the locations she has lived in around the world and has a "savior" complex
• judges her college friends for not being as studious as she is (and therefore "lazy") because they smoked pot
• obsessively fat-shames a former partner (and was so unkind to him while they were together that he admits to developing severe anorexia after their relationship - I'm not saying anyone is to "blame" for another person's mental health struggles, but this is a screaming red flag to me)
• is very judgmental towards individuals struggling with drug addictions
• brags about how "difficult" she was as a student because she was convinced that she deserved only perfect grades
• overall has a very "bootstraps" mentality towards her college years despite the fact that she was given money, cheap or free housing, and a multitude of opportunities by family members, friends of family, etc. throughout the entire process
All of that culminates in the final section of the book, where she talks about healing and overcoming her trauma, which had some really powerful and inspirational moments that would have hit me a lot harder if she hadn't also spent that section defending some elements of the abuse she underwent (such as the "child sex games", which she essentially states weren't abuse because the kids consented to each other's advances, despite the fact that children can not consent, period, and having small children engage in sexual activity isn't less abusive just because they had fun doing it!).
To bring it all around, I'll say it again: I'm glad that Faith Jones got out of this horrific cult and it breaks my heart that she underwent such terrible abuse. I simply think that this book would have benefited tremendously from being written as a biography instead of an autobiography, perhaps with a middle person between Jones herself and the writing to step in from time to time and hold the reins back a little. I don't recommend this book and honestly regret picking it up, if only for the way some of the CSA depictions in the writing triggered me and will unfortunately stick with me for a long time to come.
✨ Content warnings for:
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September 20, 2021
Please note: The descriptions of sexual abuse of children, teens, and adults are explicit and may not be for everyone. Also horrifying is the parental neglect that occurred.
My fascination with the Children of God cult (later known as The Family International) started in the late 1970s when a co-worker quit and visited a year later saying she joined the Children of God group and was just glowing, saying how much she loved it. I have always wondered how caught up she got in this totally immersive cult. So even though I had read other books about this group, I was eager to read Faith Jones' account since she was the granddaughter of the founder David Berg and would have inside knowledge of the practices.
Faith starts with a short history of her family's involvement with evangelistic religion that started in the early 1900s and continued to the late 1960s when her grandfather (David Berg) started his own version of preaching and subsequently gathered followers into his "family." After that, Faith starts with the story of her family fleeing the city of Macau, settling in a remote beach area where Faith and her family lived under the rules of the Children of God leader, which included hours of learning scripture and practicing devotionals, witnessing (proselytizing to whoever would listen), and chores. Also practiced by the women was "flirty fishing," which was enticing "System" men into having sex for money, provisions, or to join the group eventually. More horrifying were the sex practices involving children and teens as sanctioned by David Berg. Faith eventually cuts ties with the group (but not without suffering through various sexual traumas) and works towards becoming a successful lawyer.
My only issue is that the word "nun" in the title is a misnomer and I'm unsure why it was included since the term was never mentioned in the book unless it is to describe the "nun-like" devotion to God and Christ.
The publisher's comparison to Educated is apt and it is also similar to Ruth Wariner's The Sound of Gravel. However, neither of these authors went through the extensive sexual abuse Faith Jones suffered.
Thanks to the publisher, HarperCollins, for the advance reading copy.
This is due to be published in November 2021.
My fascination with the Children of God cult (later known as The Family International) started in the late 1970s when a co-worker quit and visited a year later saying she joined the Children of God group and was just glowing, saying how much she loved it. I have always wondered how caught up she got in this totally immersive cult. So even though I had read other books about this group, I was eager to read Faith Jones' account since she was the granddaughter of the founder David Berg and would have inside knowledge of the practices.
Faith starts with a short history of her family's involvement with evangelistic religion that started in the early 1900s and continued to the late 1960s when her grandfather (David Berg) started his own version of preaching and subsequently gathered followers into his "family." After that, Faith starts with the story of her family fleeing the city of Macau, settling in a remote beach area where Faith and her family lived under the rules of the Children of God leader, which included hours of learning scripture and practicing devotionals, witnessing (proselytizing to whoever would listen), and chores. Also practiced by the women was "flirty fishing," which was enticing "System" men into having sex for money, provisions, or to join the group eventually. More horrifying were the sex practices involving children and teens as sanctioned by David Berg. Faith eventually cuts ties with the group (but not without suffering through various sexual traumas) and works towards becoming a successful lawyer.
My only issue is that the word "nun" in the title is a misnomer and I'm unsure why it was included since the term was never mentioned in the book unless it is to describe the "nun-like" devotion to God and Christ.
The publisher's comparison to Educated is apt and it is also similar to Ruth Wariner's The Sound of Gravel. However, neither of these authors went through the extensive sexual abuse Faith Jones suffered.
Thanks to the publisher, HarperCollins, for the advance reading copy.
This is due to be published in November 2021.
December 14, 2021
TW TW TW TRIGGER WARNING. Seriously.
This broke my heart and pissed me off. I can't even. The courage it takes to tell your story...so others can stand up and feel less alone. It is so hard to read. For anyone who is an abuse survivor please be in a good place when before reading this because it can be extremely triggering. On the other hand I can see it being healing to others. Either way it is an unbelievable story that deserves to be heard.
This broke my heart and pissed me off. I can't even. The courage it takes to tell your story...so others can stand up and feel less alone. It is so hard to read. For anyone who is an abuse survivor please be in a good place when before reading this because it can be extremely triggering. On the other hand I can see it being healing to others. Either way it is an unbelievable story that deserves to be heard.
September 1, 2021
While I can understand the author’s need to tell her story and the publisher’s need to share it, the title is absurdly misleading. In not even the most generous definition of NUN is the word fitting here. Nuns take vows, usually as adults or older teens, of chastity and prayer, in both eastern and western religious traditions. Faith Jones was born into a Christian cult that glorified the rape of children. The word “nun” does not once appear in the book, to the best of my recollection, as it shouldn’t. It’s not in any way descriptive of the author’s experience. So why include it in the title? I’ve always had a fascination with nuns, I admit, even as a Jewish child and now as a Soto Zen Buddhist. The publishers are acting irresponsibly and with intentional greed with this misnomer. They know the title will sell books despite the deception. They are trying to appeal to readers of EDUCATED, I understand that, but they are sinking low to accomplish that goal. I’ll be curious to hear if the author discusses this during her publicity rounds.
February 10, 2022
I don’t even know where to begin with reviewing this book, it’s been days since I’ve finished it and I still can’t stop thinking about it. It is by far the best nonfiction book I have ever laid my hands on and no other will ever be as good. It was an extra special read for me because it hit close to home, when I studied religious cults and sects in college we actually had a class session with 3 members of Children of God and got to pick their brains for a couple of hours and debate with them. They seemed so innocent and loving and genuinely happy and like such kind people. Little did we know the despicable truth that would come to light in the years to follow and what happened behind the happy front. Seeing the other, much darker and horrifying side of the story from one of the founding fathers grandchildren was just mind blowing. I felt sick to my stomach at some points, it’s unbelievable the lows that humanity will sink to in the name of faith and religion and the sexual abuse and harm they will inflict on each other and children. Hearing Jones’ story was just heartbreaking and shocking and my mind is still reeling, I will never get over this story and everything the Children of God did. While it is an extremely difficult read it’s also incredibly inspiring because through all the abuse and heartache Faith Jones survived, she never gave up and turned the darkest time in her life into her strength and is now able to share her story with the world.
June 3, 2022
I love a book about a cult, and this one has a great title that promised a lot of drama. As expected, this memoir of growing up in the Children of God religious cult was full of dramatic and outrageous twists and turns which makes it an interesting story. I do think it could have done with a bit of an edit. While separately interesting, I'm not sure all the vignettes needed to be included to support the overarching narrative. The end was a little positive/preachy for my taste but that's a personal preference thing. A solid memoir if this is your vibe.
January 27, 2022
Five star book!
Faith Jones is a survivor of a cult called, The Children of God or The Family Inernational. Her story is an important document and testimony of what she experienced growing up in a cult that was wanted for questioning by the FBI for rape, incest, incarceration, and kidnapping.
I remember back in the 1980s and the 1990s hearing on the news that the FBI was looking for David Berg, Moses or “Mo”, the founder of The Children of God or The Family Inernational. I remember David Berg being on the run, and how he predicted the great apocalypse would end the world in 1989 and 1993. I also remember the news media calling this group a cult.
I had always wondered what made this religious group a cult. I wondered why the people in the cult stayed and how they were convinced to stay on their own free will. I wondered how the people could become so brain-washed to think that their behavior was ok to sexually abuse minors. Then, I saw this book, Sex, Cult, Nun, a memoir by Faith Jones. Faith grew up in the Children of God cult and she was David Berg’s granddaughter. I knew I had to read the book to find out what Faith had to say as a cult victim. All of my questions were answered in Faith Jone’s memoir. I felt a sense of closure for myself to finally know the inside story behind the cult that I heard about in the news many years ago.
When I first started reading the book, I agree with other reviewers that the writing seemed less polished than what I was accustomed to. As I read more into the book, the writing became less of an issue for me. I was used to Faith’s writing style and engaged in the story.
The first part of the book starts with the history of the cult family members, titled “A Not So Brief History of My Family and The Children of God,” which kind of threw me off. I wasn’t quite understanding the history and I felt a little bored. I did go back and reread the history again after I had finished reading the entire book; and the history made a lot more sense the second time around.
Chapter one was a little rough getting into. I was still trying to understand the characters and I was still getting used to Faith’s writing style. I was also trying to make sense of what I was reading and at that point I felt like the book was going to be 3.5 stars. Well, I kept reading the book anyways, and once I got further along into the book, I change my mind to 5 stars.
Faith Jones really shared some horrific moments of her life. Adults were abusing the children, including her. I felt her pain and I was really disgusted with the idea of adults sharing sex with minors. I cringed at the corporal punishment that was used to discipline the children. It was a harsh sterile environment.
Some reviewers on Good Reads thought the sexual abuse Faith wrote about was too much to entail. Sexual abuse is a part of the story, but it is sprinkled throughout some of the chapters. There are chapters where there is no mention of sexual abuse at all.
Many forms of abuse took place in this cult, not just through sex. Faith writes about other unfair and cruel experiences that were also abusive. Faith allows readers to see what her daily routines were like, how they lived, her fears, frustrations, successes and how she eventually escapes the cult. Her belief in God is very strong. She knows Biblical verses well enough to quote scripture. Unfortunately, the cult used the Biblical scriptures to support their radical behavior.
I didn’t think Faith Jones was bragging or haughty through writing her story. I felt she was crying out, telling the world what happened through many years of the cult’s abusive history. There’s very little to brag about with a life of hiding and being abused, until she escapes. Once she escapes, she finds out how dysfunctional her life really was, and then she lives with the mental torment about how she was was lied to by her parents, her grandpa David Berg, and the cult leaders that brain-washed her to believe the cult’s distorted abusive lives were justified.
Even though Faith has never seen her Grandpa David Berg or “Mo,” his rules and his way of life were written in “Mo” letters and sent to all of the Family members. Family members followed these rules, so the abuse continued even after David died in 1994. Davidito, David Berg’s son, was to be the successor of the organization. Davidito was mentally ill due to the many years of sexual abuse, beginning as a baby. He committed suicide in 2005. His story will never be fully told; but Faith Jones has survived to tell her story. Her book “Sex, Cult, Nun” describes what it was like living in a religious cult that made national and world news over the course of many years. Her book may even answer questions or bring closure due to what was going on back then.
This book is worth reading and it provides readers with an inside knowledge of what life was like growing up as a child in the religious cult, The Children of God or The Family International.
https://timeline.com/children-of-god
Faith Jones is a survivor of a cult called, The Children of God or The Family Inernational. Her story is an important document and testimony of what she experienced growing up in a cult that was wanted for questioning by the FBI for rape, incest, incarceration, and kidnapping.
I remember back in the 1980s and the 1990s hearing on the news that the FBI was looking for David Berg, Moses or “Mo”, the founder of The Children of God or The Family Inernational. I remember David Berg being on the run, and how he predicted the great apocalypse would end the world in 1989 and 1993. I also remember the news media calling this group a cult.
I had always wondered what made this religious group a cult. I wondered why the people in the cult stayed and how they were convinced to stay on their own free will. I wondered how the people could become so brain-washed to think that their behavior was ok to sexually abuse minors. Then, I saw this book, Sex, Cult, Nun, a memoir by Faith Jones. Faith grew up in the Children of God cult and she was David Berg’s granddaughter. I knew I had to read the book to find out what Faith had to say as a cult victim. All of my questions were answered in Faith Jone’s memoir. I felt a sense of closure for myself to finally know the inside story behind the cult that I heard about in the news many years ago.
When I first started reading the book, I agree with other reviewers that the writing seemed less polished than what I was accustomed to. As I read more into the book, the writing became less of an issue for me. I was used to Faith’s writing style and engaged in the story.
The first part of the book starts with the history of the cult family members, titled “A Not So Brief History of My Family and The Children of God,” which kind of threw me off. I wasn’t quite understanding the history and I felt a little bored. I did go back and reread the history again after I had finished reading the entire book; and the history made a lot more sense the second time around.
Chapter one was a little rough getting into. I was still trying to understand the characters and I was still getting used to Faith’s writing style. I was also trying to make sense of what I was reading and at that point I felt like the book was going to be 3.5 stars. Well, I kept reading the book anyways, and once I got further along into the book, I change my mind to 5 stars.
Faith Jones really shared some horrific moments of her life. Adults were abusing the children, including her. I felt her pain and I was really disgusted with the idea of adults sharing sex with minors. I cringed at the corporal punishment that was used to discipline the children. It was a harsh sterile environment.
Some reviewers on Good Reads thought the sexual abuse Faith wrote about was too much to entail. Sexual abuse is a part of the story, but it is sprinkled throughout some of the chapters. There are chapters where there is no mention of sexual abuse at all.
Many forms of abuse took place in this cult, not just through sex. Faith writes about other unfair and cruel experiences that were also abusive. Faith allows readers to see what her daily routines were like, how they lived, her fears, frustrations, successes and how she eventually escapes the cult. Her belief in God is very strong. She knows Biblical verses well enough to quote scripture. Unfortunately, the cult used the Biblical scriptures to support their radical behavior.
I didn’t think Faith Jones was bragging or haughty through writing her story. I felt she was crying out, telling the world what happened through many years of the cult’s abusive history. There’s very little to brag about with a life of hiding and being abused, until she escapes. Once she escapes, she finds out how dysfunctional her life really was, and then she lives with the mental torment about how she was was lied to by her parents, her grandpa David Berg, and the cult leaders that brain-washed her to believe the cult’s distorted abusive lives were justified.
Even though Faith has never seen her Grandpa David Berg or “Mo,” his rules and his way of life were written in “Mo” letters and sent to all of the Family members. Family members followed these rules, so the abuse continued even after David died in 1994. Davidito, David Berg’s son, was to be the successor of the organization. Davidito was mentally ill due to the many years of sexual abuse, beginning as a baby. He committed suicide in 2005. His story will never be fully told; but Faith Jones has survived to tell her story. Her book “Sex, Cult, Nun” describes what it was like living in a religious cult that made national and world news over the course of many years. Her book may even answer questions or bring closure due to what was going on back then.
This book is worth reading and it provides readers with an inside knowledge of what life was like growing up as a child in the religious cult, The Children of God or The Family International.
https://timeline.com/children-of-god
November 8, 2021
This is the second book I've read by someone who grew up in Children of God aka The Family, forced into questionable practices because of decisions their parents made. Faith Jones' grandfather is actually the founder, Mo, of this one.
CW for sexual abuse, religious brainwashing, psychological harm, etc.
For such a vibrant title, the book is a bit dry. Most of it is just sad, knowing how many years Faith and her family suppressed their own desires to try to follow all the crazy rules. If you've never had an inside view, there's nothing like a child who suffered through it for a chilling perspective. Another interesting component is a childhood lived almost entirely outside the United States.
Her journey into law follows an interesting logic and I'm glad she found a way to learn past how The Family wanted to limit her.
CW for sexual abuse, religious brainwashing, psychological harm, etc.
For such a vibrant title, the book is a bit dry. Most of it is just sad, knowing how many years Faith and her family suppressed their own desires to try to follow all the crazy rules. If you've never had an inside view, there's nothing like a child who suffered through it for a chilling perspective. Another interesting component is a childhood lived almost entirely outside the United States.
Her journey into law follows an interesting logic and I'm glad she found a way to learn past how The Family wanted to limit her.
January 18, 2022
Nota real: 2.75 estrellas?
Este libro va a ser muy difícil de reseñar. Sin duda hay que empezar por decir que todo lo que ha logrado Faith Jones después de haber crecido como parte del culto Children of God, sin una educación formal, víctima de un gaslight tremendo, sin un sistema de apoyo tradicional y, obvio, tras la normalización del abuso, es increíble y que ella es una mujer digna de admiración. Sin embargo, al tener un título como Sex Cult Nun, este libro hace hace pensar al lector que va a encontrar una visión crítica, quizá hasta un poco "sassy" de lo que fue crecer en un culto. No es lo que hay aquí, ésta es básicamente una autobiografía de Jones. Los primeros capítulos narran su infancia y en ellos adopta una voz casi infantil para contar su vida en Macao, extrañamente sentí que este narrador infantilizado siguió siendo igual durante todo el libro. En ningún momento sentí que hubiera una exploración del culto tal cual y solamente el capítulo final ofrece una mirada crítica al abuso desde la perspectiva legal de Jones. Creo que esto se debe a que al haber nacido dentro de este culto, Jones nos está mostrando cómo todas estas cosas estaban normalizadas para ella y no las cuestionó hasta muchos años después, pero entonces hubiera preferido un título más referente a sus memorias o autobiografía, que el título tan flashy que le pusieron. Buena estrategia de marketing, supongo.
TW: abuso sexual, abuso infantil.
Este libro va a ser muy difícil de reseñar. Sin duda hay que empezar por decir que todo lo que ha logrado Faith Jones después de haber crecido como parte del culto Children of God, sin una educación formal, víctima de un gaslight tremendo, sin un sistema de apoyo tradicional y, obvio, tras la normalización del abuso, es increíble y que ella es una mujer digna de admiración. Sin embargo, al tener un título como Sex Cult Nun, este libro hace hace pensar al lector que va a encontrar una visión crítica, quizá hasta un poco "sassy" de lo que fue crecer en un culto. No es lo que hay aquí, ésta es básicamente una autobiografía de Jones. Los primeros capítulos narran su infancia y en ellos adopta una voz casi infantil para contar su vida en Macao, extrañamente sentí que este narrador infantilizado siguió siendo igual durante todo el libro. En ningún momento sentí que hubiera una exploración del culto tal cual y solamente el capítulo final ofrece una mirada crítica al abuso desde la perspectiva legal de Jones. Creo que esto se debe a que al haber nacido dentro de este culto, Jones nos está mostrando cómo todas estas cosas estaban normalizadas para ella y no las cuestionó hasta muchos años después, pero entonces hubiera preferido un título más referente a sus memorias o autobiografía, que el título tan flashy que le pusieron. Buena estrategia de marketing, supongo.
TW: abuso sexual, abuso infantil.
November 6, 2021
Incredible book and such an incredible person. This isn’t always easy reading, sometimes it’s so brutal I was cringing, but she writes so brilliantly and eloquently about her experiences and how they shaped and then reshaped her that it’s well worth it. It’s beautifully written too.
And no, she’s not a literal nun, but yes, the word nun does appear in the book - quite early on, actually - and she clearly explains (and shows, in my opinion) why that applies to her time and experience in the Family, considering how she was expected to live and what she had to sacrifice under which terms, while at the same time, being in a sex cult. I found it a pretty apt title and label for such a shocking juxtaposition, actually. You just have to consider more of the common parlance of how “nun” is used - for example it’s used quite often to describe certain life phases or conditions, like when someone isn’t dating or having sex, etc., and as shorthand for ideas around deprivation and sacrifice. And of course her experience is even more than that - she even says something at one point about feeling as if she was married in some way to her belief system, I think it was, and the way it was phrased was reminiscent of the nuns as brides of Christ bit.
So as long as you’re not wildly offended at the use of the word nun in the title and the publisher deviously using it because surely it’ll make this book fly off the shelves since anything nun-related makes for the hottest bestsellers (🙄) there’s so much to appreciate here.
I’m sure it’ll draw inevitable comparisons to Educated although I didn’t particularly like that one and I really loved this. It’s the best breakdown I’ve read of how the Children of God operated too. Insanity all around. It makes her accomplishments all the more impressive.
And no, she’s not a literal nun, but yes, the word nun does appear in the book - quite early on, actually - and she clearly explains (and shows, in my opinion) why that applies to her time and experience in the Family, considering how she was expected to live and what she had to sacrifice under which terms, while at the same time, being in a sex cult. I found it a pretty apt title and label for such a shocking juxtaposition, actually. You just have to consider more of the common parlance of how “nun” is used - for example it’s used quite often to describe certain life phases or conditions, like when someone isn’t dating or having sex, etc., and as shorthand for ideas around deprivation and sacrifice. And of course her experience is even more than that - she even says something at one point about feeling as if she was married in some way to her belief system, I think it was, and the way it was phrased was reminiscent of the nuns as brides of Christ bit.
So as long as you’re not wildly offended at the use of the word nun in the title and the publisher deviously using it because surely it’ll make this book fly off the shelves since anything nun-related makes for the hottest bestsellers (🙄) there’s so much to appreciate here.
I’m sure it’ll draw inevitable comparisons to Educated although I didn’t particularly like that one and I really loved this. It’s the best breakdown I’ve read of how the Children of God operated too. Insanity all around. It makes her accomplishments all the more impressive.
December 9, 2021
This book's copy compares it to Educated which I think is very valid because, like Educated, I feel like this is a book where the sheer story is very compelling and the author's struggle is admirable, while the quality of the writing is like, fine. If you're into cult shit I'd recommend it, but it's not like, for example The Glass Castle where the story was bonkers AND the writing was gorgeous.
August 24, 2023
I have no clue what to say. Like at all. It's shocking, mortifying, insane, heartbreaking... all you wanna do is ask why? And how?
But these children didn't choose this life. Faith didn't choose this life. So my why's and how's are directed to the adults who either intentionally or via manipulation from others brought these innocent kids into this mix and exposed them to so much turmoil and abuse. I just can't even imagine. Like it pained me SO much to witness it third-hand via this book.
Faith's epilogue is one of the most profound, strong, and passionate pieces of text I have read in a LONG time. It made me want to act. To learn. To take a stand! I am so proud of Faith. I am so happy she chose herself.
But these children didn't choose this life. Faith didn't choose this life. So my why's and how's are directed to the adults who either intentionally or via manipulation from others brought these innocent kids into this mix and exposed them to so much turmoil and abuse. I just can't even imagine. Like it pained me SO much to witness it third-hand via this book.
Faith's epilogue is one of the most profound, strong, and passionate pieces of text I have read in a LONG time. It made me want to act. To learn. To take a stand! I am so proud of Faith. I am so happy she chose herself.
December 10, 2021
I really think this needed a lot more work to be a truly readable book. I felt like I was reading sworn legal testimony, like it was so careful to present things chronologically and without a lot of editorializing or emotion. But the editorializing and the emotion are what I want to help make sense of this bananas story, not account after account of horrific sexual abuse. It gets there a little bit by the end but it was too little, too late for me. I am glad that the author has come out on the other side of this horror show, however!
***Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.***
***Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.***
August 14, 2023
It’s always difficult to rate a memoir so this is based purely on my own enjoyment levels. This was interesting for the most part, but some parts were surprisingly dry. I think I expected a little more from this one!
April 15, 2022
I am blown away by this book. I picked this up because I am intrigued by Cults and two of my favorite book tubers read this and rated it highly.
First please know this is not an easy read. The abuse and trauma exposed and endured is disturbing and heart breaking. I can understand why this would not be for everyone.
I am amazed by the authors determination. Her courage in leaving everything she knew to pursue a new life that was her choice.
I loved her love of books and the freedom she found in the written word. Something I take for granted was so precious to her and it moved me. Her mantra at one point was "fear is the mind killer" which is from Dune is a mantra I tell myself as well. I don't know this book resonated with me.
To escape and make a life for herself all while coming to terms with the trauma she experienced is so inspiring.
I am so glad I read this book. One of my favorites this year for sure.
First please know this is not an easy read. The abuse and trauma exposed and endured is disturbing and heart breaking. I can understand why this would not be for everyone.
I am amazed by the authors determination. Her courage in leaving everything she knew to pursue a new life that was her choice.
I loved her love of books and the freedom she found in the written word. Something I take for granted was so precious to her and it moved me. Her mantra at one point was "fear is the mind killer" which is from Dune is a mantra I tell myself as well. I don't know this book resonated with me.
To escape and make a life for herself all while coming to terms with the trauma she experienced is so inspiring.
I am so glad I read this book. One of my favorites this year for sure.
September 6, 2022
WOW. You want an extremely disturbing cult book? This is the one for you, but don't say I didn't warn you. Some of the things I read in this book were things I never thought people would do. I think I listened to this book with my mouth hanging open the whole time.
Do not attempt to read this if you are triggered by any underage sexual assault - its pretty much what the whole book is about.
Do not attempt to read this if you are triggered by any underage sexual assault - its pretty much what the whole book is about.
March 3, 2022
TW: Molestation, grooming, gaslighting, abuse, toxic relationships, animal death, rape
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Faith Jones was raised to be part an elite army preparing for the End Times. Growing up on an isolated farm in Macau, she prayed for hours every day and read letters of prophecy written by her grandfather, the founder of the Children of God. Tens of thousands of members strong, the cult followers looked to Faith’s grandfather as their guiding light. As such, Faith was celebrated as special and then punished doubly to remind her that she was not.
Over decades, the Children of God grew into an international organization that became notorious for its alarming sex practices and allegations of abuse and exploitation. But with indomitable grit, Faith survived, creating a world of her own—pilfering books and teaching herself high school curriculum. Finally, at age twenty-three, thirsting for knowledge and freedom, she broke away, leaving behind everything she knew to forge her own path in America.
Release Date: 11/30/2021
Genre: Cult memoir
Pages: 384
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (what an emotional ride)
What I Liked:
• How moving the author and brave she is to tell her story
• That there is a happy ending and she is free from the abuse
What I Didn't Like:
• The weird title
• Using religion to excuse sexual abuse
Overall Thoughts: Omg. This book. Fuck. Everyone is just using religion as a cover for pedo's to abuse kids.
60 pages in and I just screamed what at work. Are you kidding me? The mother jerked off her husband in front of their 4 year old daughter and made her watch him cum. They are all just grooming these kids to be okay to be abused by adults. That is all this religion is.
I am so sick of religion telling people what to do and people listening to their demands. There is just no fucking way that sane people fall into this cult.... You don't just get told that it's okay to let a 6 year jerk off a grown man and that's God's way. You can't just be a sane
I'm mad.
Came back to this
We are told that grandfather was molested by his babysitter at a young age when she would suck on him before nap time. His mother catches him and throws the lady out. I guess we are to believe at 2 he remembers this and remembers enjoying this... He sets out when he is 7 to have "sex" with others and that's why he believes in freelove abuse. He was molested but takes that as God telling him it's okay to molest other innocent kids but cover it up with religion. He clearly needed therapy to cope with his feelings from the situation. Of course therapy didn't really exist back then.
I had the hardest time trying to finish this book. It was just horrible. It just kept breaking my heart.
It's been a month and I am back to finish the rest of it. This poor woman. I hope she's doing well. This is such a terrible life.
Final Thoughts: fuck man.... It's seriously heartbreaking.
IG | Blog
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Faith Jones was raised to be part an elite army preparing for the End Times. Growing up on an isolated farm in Macau, she prayed for hours every day and read letters of prophecy written by her grandfather, the founder of the Children of God. Tens of thousands of members strong, the cult followers looked to Faith’s grandfather as their guiding light. As such, Faith was celebrated as special and then punished doubly to remind her that she was not.
Over decades, the Children of God grew into an international organization that became notorious for its alarming sex practices and allegations of abuse and exploitation. But with indomitable grit, Faith survived, creating a world of her own—pilfering books and teaching herself high school curriculum. Finally, at age twenty-three, thirsting for knowledge and freedom, she broke away, leaving behind everything she knew to forge her own path in America.
Release Date: 11/30/2021
Genre: Cult memoir
Pages: 384
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (what an emotional ride)
What I Liked:
• How moving the author and brave she is to tell her story
• That there is a happy ending and she is free from the abuse
What I Didn't Like:
• The weird title
• Using religion to excuse sexual abuse
Overall Thoughts: Omg. This book. Fuck. Everyone is just using religion as a cover for pedo's to abuse kids.
60 pages in and I just screamed what at work. Are you kidding me? The mother jerked off her husband in front of their 4 year old daughter and made her watch him cum. They are all just grooming these kids to be okay to be abused by adults. That is all this religion is.
I am so sick of religion telling people what to do and people listening to their demands. There is just no fucking way that sane people fall into this cult.... You don't just get told that it's okay to let a 6 year jerk off a grown man and that's God's way. You can't just be a sane
I'm mad.
Came back to this
We are told that grandfather was molested by his babysitter at a young age when she would suck on him before nap time. His mother catches him and throws the lady out. I guess we are to believe at 2 he remembers this and remembers enjoying this... He sets out when he is 7 to have "sex" with others and that's why he believes in free
I had the hardest time trying to finish this book. It was just horrible. It just kept breaking my heart.
It's been a month and I am back to finish the rest of it. This poor woman. I hope she's doing well. This is such a terrible life.
Final Thoughts: fuck man.... It's seriously heartbreaking.
IG | Blog
January 13, 2024
I want to start this by saying that im aware this is a real cult, with many real victims. This author is also a victim. With that being said, that doesnt make this book good, nor the the authors personal experience real.
Do i believe she had dealt with rape and assault since she was little? Yes. Do I believe that a 3 year old was masterbating on a pillow? Do i believe that she was raped, and then trying to have sex with boys almost the next day? Do I believe shes this smart educated woman who is surpassing others with little effort? Do I believe everyone just kept turning on her and she never stops being guilible? Do I believe she was in the prostitute cult and then punished for having sex over and over? Do I believe this woman spoke and thought like an adult while being 5? Do I believe she remembered all her childhood with perfectly recalling her feelings, thoughts, and words?
No to all of it.
She doesnt even learn about the word rape till she's in college, but how this is written, she has known what rape is. She used it so often.
Im not saying she wasnt raped or assualted, but she definently plays the victim of everyone else. That everyone hated her and betrayed her. That shes so smart and loves reading, and yet wrote a poorly written book?????? I felt like she was one of the kids who dealt with a mild version of this cult, and she had to write this to be a victim of other cult members and make herself feel better than others.
AAAAAAND most of the things she dealt with, was very generic. The most generic cult story, but because it doesnt feel genuine, and with it being poorly written, I just cant believe 60-70% of what happened to this woman.
Edit: I think the biggest part that really makes me feel like shes making most of this stuff up is because she never talked about any other victims. All the other girls were enemies. While men were just walking up to the author as a 8 year old, making out with her infront of others, she never spoke about other girls being treated the same. Instead, shes a victim of the other girls. Theyre out to get her. Theyre "consenting" to things, so its just fine for them. She was always reluctant and rebellious, and so she was ostrasized by the other 8 year olds who aparently were never assaulted because theyre just sluts. Idk man, I feel like so much didnt happen, but she watched it happen, and made it her story.
Honestly, a waste of a read.
Do i believe she had dealt with rape and assault since she was little? Yes. Do I believe that a 3 year old was masterbating on a pillow? Do i believe that she was raped, and then trying to have sex with boys almost the next day? Do I believe shes this smart educated woman who is surpassing others with little effort? Do I believe everyone just kept turning on her and she never stops being guilible? Do I believe she was in the prostitute cult and then punished for having sex over and over? Do I believe this woman spoke and thought like an adult while being 5? Do I believe she remembered all her childhood with perfectly recalling her feelings, thoughts, and words?
No to all of it.
She doesnt even learn about the word rape till she's in college, but how this is written, she has known what rape is. She used it so often.
Im not saying she wasnt raped or assualted, but she definently plays the victim of everyone else. That everyone hated her and betrayed her. That shes so smart and loves reading, and yet wrote a poorly written book?????? I felt like she was one of the kids who dealt with a mild version of this cult, and she had to write this to be a victim of other cult members and make herself feel better than others.
AAAAAAND most of the things she dealt with, was very generic. The most generic cult story, but because it doesnt feel genuine, and with it being poorly written, I just cant believe 60-70% of what happened to this woman.
Edit: I think the biggest part that really makes me feel like shes making most of this stuff up is because she never talked about any other victims. All the other girls were enemies. While men were just walking up to the author as a 8 year old, making out with her infront of others, she never spoke about other girls being treated the same. Instead, shes a victim of the other girls. Theyre out to get her. Theyre "consenting" to things, so its just fine for them. She was always reluctant and rebellious, and so she was ostrasized by the other 8 year olds who aparently were never assaulted because theyre just sluts. Idk man, I feel like so much didnt happen, but she watched it happen, and made it her story.
Honestly, a waste of a read.
January 1, 2022
tw: graphic descriptions of child sexual assault and child abuse, religious abuse, financial abuse, racism, fatphobia.
this book is comped with Educated, and there are absolutely portions that are just as difficult to read as westover's book. but the two differ in writing style -- this is where sex cult nun falls short.
i think the main issue with SCN is that it's written in present tense, mostly from the point of view of a child, and that makes it really hard to achieve any nuance. there are many totally horrifying scenes describing children being sexually assaulted, including jones herself, but because they're written through her eyes at that age, there's no real condemnation or analysis of the abuse and the way it affected her then and now. this extends to other terrible non-sexual scenes, such as ones describing the people they lived with in macau and ones describing fat bodies. the author neither endorses nor decries some really awful stuff and that's tough.
a secondary issue with the tense is that the dialogue is really stilted. there's no way jones remembers all these conversations that are described in the book, and her voice even as a child sounds like an adult's. she's reluctant to blame either of her parents for subjecting her to this unimaginable abuse and white knights for them throughout.
there's no denying that this is a powerful book -- it's certainly not shying away from presenting the abuses jones suffered as a child in this cult. but it's not thinking critically about their long-term effects, either, and that's its ultimate failing.
if you liked this book (or even didn't like it but wanted to), definitely try Educated if you haven't already, or fathermothergod: My Journey Out of Christian Science.
this book is comped with Educated, and there are absolutely portions that are just as difficult to read as westover's book. but the two differ in writing style -- this is where sex cult nun falls short.
i think the main issue with SCN is that it's written in present tense, mostly from the point of view of a child, and that makes it really hard to achieve any nuance. there are many totally horrifying scenes describing children being sexually assaulted, including jones herself, but because they're written through her eyes at that age, there's no real condemnation or analysis of the abuse and the way it affected her then and now. this extends to other terrible non-sexual scenes, such as ones describing the people they lived with in macau and ones describing fat bodies. the author neither endorses nor decries some really awful stuff and that's tough.
a secondary issue with the tense is that the dialogue is really stilted. there's no way jones remembers all these conversations that are described in the book, and her voice even as a child sounds like an adult's. she's reluctant to blame either of her parents for subjecting her to this unimaginable abuse and white knights for them throughout.
there's no denying that this is a powerful book -- it's certainly not shying away from presenting the abuses jones suffered as a child in this cult. but it's not thinking critically about their long-term effects, either, and that's its ultimate failing.
if you liked this book (or even didn't like it but wanted to), definitely try Educated if you haven't already, or fathermothergod: My Journey Out of Christian Science.
Want to read
December 4, 2021a memoir from the life of the granddaughter of the founder of Children of God, should be eyeopening
June 21, 2024
Some of this was great, but a lot of it was dull and I didn't care about it. Mostly disappointed, tbh.
May 21, 2022
This book was honestly wild. It was so heartbreaking to read about all the abuse Faith and the other women and children went through in the name of religion. As a Christian myself it’s disgusting to see men and women use the Bible as an excuse to get away with their perversion. This book was so inspiring because even with no formal education or school experiences, Faith was able to go to a super prestigious college all on her own. The children of god cult is truly horrific and I feel very sorry for anyone that has to suffer sexual abuse or rape of any kind.
February 17, 2022
Finished this on audio during my commute this morning I just need to spill my thoughts out.
Incredible. Absolutely incredible. Yes, this deals with some terrible topics and at times it's hard to take in, but I think Faith Jones has a wonderful way with words. She writes about her life in a way that's engaging and at times charming (especially her childhood years), but it doesn't shy away from the realities of what was done to her in The Family.
I think what made this so powerful for me from the start was the way she wrote about everything from a normalized, practical lens - because to her growing up, sexual abuse WAS normal. Physical, mental, emotional, religious abuse was all normal. It wasn't abuse, it was Love.
I've read enough and listened to enough podcasts on true crime to know that I will never blame a victim, but cults always seem a little different, don't they? How could someone fall for that? How can they not see? As an outsider, it's always hard to imagine how it could happen. Faith Jones brings in the perspective of someone born into a religious cult. It was simply her life. You can see how the indoctrination informed the lives of her family and her entire world. Even through her eyes, you can see how adults who were brought into The Family could have been swayed by the life and promise of salvation and love. It all makes a terrible sort of sense.
What I truly loved was Faith's journey away from The Family. It wasn't a big, grand realization and leaving for her. It was all the small things, a lifetime of moments and questions and desires, that led to her finally wanting to go to school, to learn more and better herself. And the fact that it wasn't until she was in her mid 20s that she began to TRULY question everything about her childhood and faith and The Family breaks my heart.
This was eye opening. It was charming, and heartfelt, and painful, and I'm so glad Faith Jones decided to tell her story.
I would say this strikes a balance somewhere between Educated and Know My Name in terms of content and themes. Probably closer to Educated; this isn't quite as emotionally raw as Know My Name.
Her TEDx talk that she references in the epilogue is so interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18oDU...
Incredible. Absolutely incredible. Yes, this deals with some terrible topics and at times it's hard to take in, but I think Faith Jones has a wonderful way with words. She writes about her life in a way that's engaging and at times charming (especially her childhood years), but it doesn't shy away from the realities of what was done to her in The Family.
I think what made this so powerful for me from the start was the way she wrote about everything from a normalized, practical lens - because to her growing up, sexual abuse WAS normal. Physical, mental, emotional, religious abuse was all normal. It wasn't abuse, it was Love.
I've read enough and listened to enough podcasts on true crime to know that I will never blame a victim, but cults always seem a little different, don't they? How could someone fall for that? How can they not see? As an outsider, it's always hard to imagine how it could happen. Faith Jones brings in the perspective of someone born into a religious cult. It was simply her life. You can see how the indoctrination informed the lives of her family and her entire world. Even through her eyes, you can see how adults who were brought into The Family could have been swayed by the life and promise of salvation and love. It all makes a terrible sort of sense.
What I truly loved was Faith's journey away from The Family. It wasn't a big, grand realization and leaving for her. It was all the small things, a lifetime of moments and questions and desires, that led to her finally wanting to go to school, to learn more and better herself. And the fact that it wasn't until she was in her mid 20s that she began to TRULY question everything about her childhood and faith and The Family breaks my heart.
This was eye opening. It was charming, and heartfelt, and painful, and I'm so glad Faith Jones decided to tell her story.
I would say this strikes a balance somewhere between Educated and Know My Name in terms of content and themes. Probably closer to Educated; this isn't quite as emotionally raw as Know My Name.
Her TEDx talk that she references in the epilogue is so interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18oDU...
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