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Hell Minus One
When Anne A Johnson Davis was just three years old, her mother and stepfather began to physically, sexually and mentally torture her in the name of Satan. Until she ran away from home at 17, her parents and other cult members subjected her to satanic ritual abuse (SRA), a criminally inhumane and bizarre form of devil worship. In the middle of the night, Anne would be drugged and forced to endure hours of ritualistic torture as a symbolic sacrifice. The horrors she experienced, the miracles that made it possible for her to survive, and the hard choices she made as an adult to triumph over her past, are revealed in her new book, Hell Minus My Story of Deliverance from Satanic Ritual Abuse and My Journey to Freedom. Anne's story is different from other previously published memoirs by victims of SRA. Instead of distressing, heart-breaking accounts without collaborative or corroborative evidence, Anne's story is fully and responsibly documented. Her parents confessed their atrocities-both in writing and verbally-to clergymen, and to detectives from the Utah Attorney General's Office. Anne's suppressed memories, which erupted when she was in her mid-30s, were fully substantiated by her mother and stepfather. Hell Minus One is an unforgettable and moving story that takes the reader to the depths of human depravity, and to the heavens of human will and forgiveness. The foreword was written by Lt. Detective Matt Jacobson, who was the lead investigator with the Utah Attorney General's Office on Anne's case.
264 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
123 people are currently reading
485 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 10, 2009
I know the author well and was looking forward to her releasing this book for a long time. I knew some of her story from what she told me herself, but the way she is able to put it down on paper is amazing.
She not only tells of the horrors of Satanic ritual abuse but shows how she was able to overcome its effects and triumph despite it.
I know that there are probably many readers who wouldn't even want to begin to read this because of the unpleasant subject matter. However, Anne's ability to stay positive and spiritual while describing even the most horrific ordeals makes this not only readable but even inspiring.
I would highly recommend this book and wouldn't mind my daughters reading it when they are 15 or so...
She not only tells of the horrors of Satanic ritual abuse but shows how she was able to overcome its effects and triumph despite it.
I know that there are probably many readers who wouldn't even want to begin to read this because of the unpleasant subject matter. However, Anne's ability to stay positive and spiritual while describing even the most horrific ordeals makes this not only readable but even inspiring.
I would highly recommend this book and wouldn't mind my daughters reading it when they are 15 or so...
February 4, 2009
This book was incredible. Anne got signed verified confessions of satanic ritual abuse from her parents. They confessed both in writing and verbally. She has a great website, too at http://www.hellminusone.com/
We have more information on her book at http://ritualabuse.us/ritualabuse/sur...
We have more information on her book at http://ritualabuse.us/ritualabuse/sur...
February 2, 2009
My friend visit teaches the author of this book. It is non fiction. I cried while reading it. At first I wasn't going to read it because it is about escaping from Satanic Abuse. Her story is amazing!
June 27, 2012
If this isn't on your reading list, it should be. It follows the life of Anne Johnson Davis, the victim of horrendous satanic ritual abuse (SRA) and how she overcame her past to live a vibrant, full life. It has scenes that are disturbing, but they are shared so that the reader can understand that no matter how horrible the abuse is, healing is possible.
December 17, 2019
I always give memoirs of any kind of torture five stars because it takes incredible courage and guts to survive. I am reading as many stories about ritual abuse as I can as part of a writing project to analyze their commonalities, and to understand RA from a historical perspective. I believe based on evidence that it has deep antecedents in US history.
One of the commonalities that I've found is that healing from ritual abuse comes from reaching back to parts of the writer that hold key pieces of memory for her. Many survivors of ritual abuse become multiple, aka develop dissociative identity disorder. The forgotten parts of Davis didn't become full personalities but she still had to find answers hidden deep within, that started asserting themselves later in life, years after Davis escaped at the age of 17. Her healing takes place as she discovers the violence her true life story, and cares for the parts of her devastated by it. The story of her therapeutic relationship, the support of a loving and patient husband and family, and deep Christian faith are also themes echoed in other stories.
Many of these memoirs were written in the 90s when authors had to defend themselves against accusations of false memory. Davis and her therapist recognize the unstable nature of memory and took care that all of her excavations of the past took place outside their sessions, so his influence could never taint her memories. I hope that defensiveness is no longer warranted in the post---me-too, Epstein, Jerry Sandusky, pedophile priests, Larry Nasar, I could go on---era. One of the reasons I'm writing here is put ritual abusers on that list of predators and validate the testimony of victims.
In Davis' case, the defensiveness is particularly ironic, since she never would have written the memoir if her home state of Utah had not published a report in 1992 claiming that ritual abuse did not occur there, after a high-ranking member of the LDS Church issued a memorandum giving credence to Davis' claims and those of others within the church. Davis' stepfather and mother confessed to their crimes and were excommunicated, which is tantamount to ruin in that community, although they never had to face punishment in the criminal justice system.
Ritual abuse memoirs are firmly in the genre of the Christian conversion narrative, whereby the writer tells of her conversion (all that I have read so far describe that moment of conversion when the writer accepts and commits herself to Jesus Christ) with the purpose of testifying against sin. They detail all aspects of the violent rituals to testify to the war between good and evil taking place within the church. For this reason, I think it's more helpful to think of ritual abuse as a kind of spiritual warfare inherent to Christianity in the United States, rather than as the product of a bunch of crazies who worship Satan. This is an essential conflict within Christianity for hundreds of years. That Davis and others survived to tell of their redemption is a testament to their resilience, one that we should all heed.
One of the commonalities that I've found is that healing from ritual abuse comes from reaching back to parts of the writer that hold key pieces of memory for her. Many survivors of ritual abuse become multiple, aka develop dissociative identity disorder. The forgotten parts of Davis didn't become full personalities but she still had to find answers hidden deep within, that started asserting themselves later in life, years after Davis escaped at the age of 17. Her healing takes place as she discovers the violence her true life story, and cares for the parts of her devastated by it. The story of her therapeutic relationship, the support of a loving and patient husband and family, and deep Christian faith are also themes echoed in other stories.
Many of these memoirs were written in the 90s when authors had to defend themselves against accusations of false memory. Davis and her therapist recognize the unstable nature of memory and took care that all of her excavations of the past took place outside their sessions, so his influence could never taint her memories. I hope that defensiveness is no longer warranted in the post---me-too, Epstein, Jerry Sandusky, pedophile priests, Larry Nasar, I could go on---era. One of the reasons I'm writing here is put ritual abusers on that list of predators and validate the testimony of victims.
In Davis' case, the defensiveness is particularly ironic, since she never would have written the memoir if her home state of Utah had not published a report in 1992 claiming that ritual abuse did not occur there, after a high-ranking member of the LDS Church issued a memorandum giving credence to Davis' claims and those of others within the church. Davis' stepfather and mother confessed to their crimes and were excommunicated, which is tantamount to ruin in that community, although they never had to face punishment in the criminal justice system.
Ritual abuse memoirs are firmly in the genre of the Christian conversion narrative, whereby the writer tells of her conversion (all that I have read so far describe that moment of conversion when the writer accepts and commits herself to Jesus Christ) with the purpose of testifying against sin. They detail all aspects of the violent rituals to testify to the war between good and evil taking place within the church. For this reason, I think it's more helpful to think of ritual abuse as a kind of spiritual warfare inherent to Christianity in the United States, rather than as the product of a bunch of crazies who worship Satan. This is an essential conflict within Christianity for hundreds of years. That Davis and others survived to tell of their redemption is a testament to their resilience, one that we should all heed.
September 26, 2019
Painfully Educational About SRA
Like many books of this nature, this book was painfully informative and educational about the very real crimes of Ritual Abuse and the stories and memories of the survivors. In my view, anyone that feels passionate about the protection and care of children, the most innocent and vulnerable among us, should take the time to educate themselves on this subject or similar ones. As it always has been, it is our children that will be one day guiding the future. Therefore, it is of immense importance that they have all the support, love, and tools they need in order to be fully healed, compassionate, and self actualized in their journey. For many children, due to the practice of secrecy, denial, and very real threats and attacks, they are silenced, suffering in loneliness and darkness from the harrowing effects of horrific abuse at the hands of soulless adults. Allowing those abused survivors a voice, belief in their experiences, and the support they need in order to share their stories and engage in the therapies needed for their healing is the most compassionate thing a human can do for another human.
As more stories like Anne’s begin to surface and come to light, and more people are tried and convicted for such atrocities against these defenseless children, I feel books and stories such as Anne’s need to heard in order to foster understanding and offer the compassion and support that is so truly needed for these survivors. Humanity... this is the wake up call... please respond with compassion.
Like many books of this nature, this book was painfully informative and educational about the very real crimes of Ritual Abuse and the stories and memories of the survivors. In my view, anyone that feels passionate about the protection and care of children, the most innocent and vulnerable among us, should take the time to educate themselves on this subject or similar ones. As it always has been, it is our children that will be one day guiding the future. Therefore, it is of immense importance that they have all the support, love, and tools they need in order to be fully healed, compassionate, and self actualized in their journey. For many children, due to the practice of secrecy, denial, and very real threats and attacks, they are silenced, suffering in loneliness and darkness from the harrowing effects of horrific abuse at the hands of soulless adults. Allowing those abused survivors a voice, belief in their experiences, and the support they need in order to share their stories and engage in the therapies needed for their healing is the most compassionate thing a human can do for another human.
As more stories like Anne’s begin to surface and come to light, and more people are tried and convicted for such atrocities against these defenseless children, I feel books and stories such as Anne’s need to heard in order to foster understanding and offer the compassion and support that is so truly needed for these survivors. Humanity... this is the wake up call... please respond with compassion.
March 28, 2011
Good but very disturbing. If you can't handle reading about child abuse this is not the book for you. I deal with child abuse on a daily basis and this book took me 5 months to read because I had to keep putting it down to get the images out of my head. But if you can make it through the first half the second half isn't nearly as disturbing.
January 5, 2016
Amazing
So well written. So amazing that she is still able to keep her faith after whAt she's been through. She is truly an inspiration. This was tastefully written, even while the subject matter was sometimes very touchy. She was able to describe some of the horrible abominations that She was forced to endure with a degree of nobility and strength.
So well written. So amazing that she is still able to keep her faith after whAt she's been through. She is truly an inspiration. This was tastefully written, even while the subject matter was sometimes very touchy. She was able to describe some of the horrible abominations that She was forced to endure with a degree of nobility and strength.
October 17, 2013
This book was very disappointing. I thought it was about a child who had been through ritual abuse and her healing. The story primarily focused on a woman who was with the LDS religion. This was a VERY religious book which held no interest for me. I was hoping for a little more psychology.
January 16, 2021
I am new to goodreads as of this year and so "catching up" on rating books I've read. Usually only those books that made a strong impression on me do I feel confident in rating (either for good or for ill) and my ratings are generally based upon my own subjective feelings of the book and not necessarily scholarly merits (did I enjoy the book or not, would I recommend it or not, would I read it again or not.) HOWEVER, this book is a lot more complicated. I never want to read it again and wouldn't say that I enjoyed reading it. But I am glad I read it.
The title "Hell Minus One" intrigued me from the moment I saw it in the publisher's house in Tooele, Utah. As a Christian myself, I believe any book that is "virtuous, lovely, of good report & praiseworthy" should be sought after. And the title struck a chord deep within my soul. But the content of "Satanic Ritual Abuse" made me wonder if this book would in fact bring me closer to God or farther away, and I wondered if I could even stomach the content. I'm very sensitive regarding any type of abuse to people and anything living, including animals. I eventually decided after staring at it time and again and feeling this pull of sorts to buy it and read it.
A difficult read that I would not recommend unless an adult & you know what you are about to get into - some of the content is so very sad and "hellacious." But this book is written by a woman who actually lived through these atrocities. A story of suffering, of healing & ultimately of triumph. A book that strengthened my belief that God will send angels - especially in our deepest moments of despair. And a book about what real evil looks like (thus why I would choose not to read it again). It's a lot to know. My greatest respect to this brave author, Anne A. Johnson Davis. I thank her for sharing not only what she went through but how she overcame. This is a raw, real read that I recommend for anyone who is suffering with abuse or knows someone who is. This is the true story of how depraved people can really be, but also of how a soul can heal from and overcome the most heinous of horrors.
The title "Hell Minus One" intrigued me from the moment I saw it in the publisher's house in Tooele, Utah. As a Christian myself, I believe any book that is "virtuous, lovely, of good report & praiseworthy" should be sought after. And the title struck a chord deep within my soul. But the content of "Satanic Ritual Abuse" made me wonder if this book would in fact bring me closer to God or farther away, and I wondered if I could even stomach the content. I'm very sensitive regarding any type of abuse to people and anything living, including animals. I eventually decided after staring at it time and again and feeling this pull of sorts to buy it and read it.
A difficult read that I would not recommend unless an adult & you know what you are about to get into - some of the content is so very sad and "hellacious." But this book is written by a woman who actually lived through these atrocities. A story of suffering, of healing & ultimately of triumph. A book that strengthened my belief that God will send angels - especially in our deepest moments of despair. And a book about what real evil looks like (thus why I would choose not to read it again). It's a lot to know. My greatest respect to this brave author, Anne A. Johnson Davis. I thank her for sharing not only what she went through but how she overcame. This is a raw, real read that I recommend for anyone who is suffering with abuse or knows someone who is. This is the true story of how depraved people can really be, but also of how a soul can heal from and overcome the most heinous of horrors.
February 9, 2021
Mindblowing
A severely traumatizing story about the religious practices of closet Satanists operating under the guise of LDS church members.
Heartbreaking to read and absorb the torture that these parents inflicted on their small daughter at the tender age of 3, and continuing with extreme criminal acts throughout the remainder of her childhood.
The audacity these adults had to carry on outside of these practices as normal, law abiding citizens will make your stomach cramp.
How ever did Anne manage to survive?
This is her incredibly dark story of countless abuse by the hands of those who were supposed to love and protect her.
Truly gut-wrenching; story does end on a lighter side.
This not for the faint of heart.
A severely traumatizing story about the religious practices of closet Satanists operating under the guise of LDS church members.
Heartbreaking to read and absorb the torture that these parents inflicted on their small daughter at the tender age of 3, and continuing with extreme criminal acts throughout the remainder of her childhood.
The audacity these adults had to carry on outside of these practices as normal, law abiding citizens will make your stomach cramp.
How ever did Anne manage to survive?
This is her incredibly dark story of countless abuse by the hands of those who were supposed to love and protect her.
Truly gut-wrenching; story does end on a lighter side.
This not for the faint of heart.
June 11, 2017
Anne Johnson Davis grew up with a mother and stepfather who were Mormons and also members of a satanic cult. She was raped, tortured and survived, thanks to her faith. Unlike other victims of abuse, Anne's perpetrators actually confessed to their crimes. Her story is inspiring and Anne is incredibly brave.
March 27, 2018
Amazing and heartbreaking
This womans story is not only heartbreaking and at times left me crying, but its amazing in how she has gained strength. This woman is a beacon of light and hope among a world that can be so cold. I have questions left unanswered but I am thankful she was able to heal and thats the main point. May blessings continue to follow her.
This womans story is not only heartbreaking and at times left me crying, but its amazing in how she has gained strength. This woman is a beacon of light and hope among a world that can be so cold. I have questions left unanswered but I am thankful she was able to heal and thats the main point. May blessings continue to follow her.
June 21, 2019
Amazing story.....
Thank you for writing this book.
I cannot fathom the sickening perverse things you were subject to.
It makes my heart sick to think of the poor animals also.
I have nothing but pure loathing for your parents.
So sad to hear about Bruce also.
You are a true warrior!🌟
Thank you for writing this book.
I cannot fathom the sickening perverse things you were subject to.
It makes my heart sick to think of the poor animals also.
I have nothing but pure loathing for your parents.
So sad to hear about Bruce also.
You are a true warrior!🌟
January 13, 2018
Amazing
It was an amazing book! I wish people would take her writing more seriously because she has confessions of her abusers, so the SRA survivors would be viewed as legitimate instead of deranged.
It was an amazing book! I wish people would take her writing more seriously because she has confessions of her abusers, so the SRA survivors would be viewed as legitimate instead of deranged.
June 18, 2018
Far out
When I first began reading this, I didn’t believe it was true. I thought the author was mistaken about her memories until I kept reading. This book is interesting until the last part where the author and her husband go and meet with her father’s side of her family.
When I first began reading this, I didn’t believe it was true. I thought the author was mistaken about her memories until I kept reading. This book is interesting until the last part where the author and her husband go and meet with her father’s side of her family.
February 16, 2022
This was such an eye-opening book. Anne is so strong to write all this, and it's amazing that her parents fessed up to what they did. Amazing story.
There are definitely some really disturbing things in this book.
There are definitely some really disturbing things in this book.
August 25, 2019
Stunning
Loved this book from cover to cover. Anne shares painful memories and how she recovered. A book you will feel sick over but hopeful at the same time. A definite must.
Loved this book from cover to cover. Anne shares painful memories and how she recovered. A book you will feel sick over but hopeful at the same time. A definite must.
January 12, 2024
Tough and disturbing story
This story was extremely disturbing to read about but Anne’s faith and strength, even as a little girl, is inspiring. The Holy Spirit really can heal us and God truly has a plan even through our darkest despairs
This story was extremely disturbing to read about but Anne’s faith and strength, even as a little girl, is inspiring. The Holy Spirit really can heal us and God truly has a plan even through our darkest despairs
February 4, 2025
I found this to be a very powerful story of faith as well as a retelling of a satanic ritual abuse survivor.
Very very powerful…. I related heavily to parts about the meeting of the family.
Very very powerful…. I related heavily to parts about the meeting of the family.
February 11, 2025
Read Mary Lou Lakes book instead.
August 8, 2023
Having read both To Hell with Sarah and Hell Minus One recently, I can't help but compare them. Although they are both about Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA), they couldn't be more different. Perhaps a simple list will illustrate what I mean.
1.In To Hell with Sarah, Sarah seeks to overcome the trauma of past SRA through the help of a deliverance (exorcism) minister named Jess Parker. In Hell Minus One, Anne Davis seeks to overcome the trauma of past SRA through the help of a psychologist named Sterling Ellsworth.
2. In To Hell with Sarah, Sarah is treated through exorcism; Pastor Jess Parker addresses the demons within Sarah and casts them out. In Hell Minus One, Anne Davis is treated though psychotherapy; Dr. Ellsworth encourages Anne to let her rage out for what was done to her as a form of catharsis.
3. In To Hell with Sarah, Sarah's problem is seen to be the continual torment from demons who entered her during the abuse she experienced as a child. In Hell Minus One, Anne Davis' problem is seen to be residual effects of trauma she experienced from her childhood abuse. Many who experience SRA as a child develop multiple personality disorder, Anne writes, but fortunately she did not. A quote from To Hell with Sarah is instructive here:
5. In To Hell with Sarah, Jess Parker removes the wires still implanted in Sarah's body by casting out demons (though once these implants started coming out, they continued to come out without any further intervention; Parker writes, "It was as if God said 'Time to go,' and they left" (144). In Hell Minus One, an ObGyn doctor noticed during a routine examination that Anne Davis' cervix was "heavily scarred" and asked Anne if she had experienced any trauma (106). (At that time she didn't think she had; she didn't remember at that point the satanic rituals of her childhood when she was abused by her mom, stepdad, and others in black robes.) The doctor performed cryosurgery to remove the scar tissue from Anne's cervix.
There is much more I could say, but this should be sufficient to show the stark difference between these two books' worldviews. I myself don't know which book is correct—probably, as with most things in life, the truth is somewhere in the middle. I am somewhat suspect of the Anne Davis' worldview because she is a Mormon. In addition, due to my respect for the late Christian minister Derek Prince, who often drove out demons from people, I think the worldview of To Hell with Sarah is more accurate. That said, I definitely do not agree with To Hell with Sarah's worldview wholeheartedly. There are things in that book that are downright ridiculous. For example, Parker writes on page 137, "As hard as it is to believe, the family [that performed SRA on Sarah] performed magic rituals that changed [the family pendant] from solid to liquid. It was then put in her food and after she had eaten it, they performed more rituals to move it into her womb and transform the pendant back into its original solid form."
In the end, these two books raise more questions than they answer. Perhaps my biggest question is this: Why would any human purposely try to worship Satan or partner with demons? To me, to do so is like cheering for the losing Superbowl team after the game is over, after the crowd is gone, and after the stadium lights have been turned off.
1.In To Hell with Sarah, Sarah seeks to overcome the trauma of past SRA through the help of a deliverance (exorcism) minister named Jess Parker. In Hell Minus One, Anne Davis seeks to overcome the trauma of past SRA through the help of a psychologist named Sterling Ellsworth.
2. In To Hell with Sarah, Sarah is treated through exorcism; Pastor Jess Parker addresses the demons within Sarah and casts them out. In Hell Minus One, Anne Davis is treated though psychotherapy; Dr. Ellsworth encourages Anne to let her rage out for what was done to her as a form of catharsis.
3. In To Hell with Sarah, Sarah's problem is seen to be the continual torment from demons who entered her during the abuse she experienced as a child. In Hell Minus One, Anne Davis' problem is seen to be residual effects of trauma she experienced from her childhood abuse. Many who experience SRA as a child develop multiple personality disorder, Anne writes, but fortunately she did not. A quote from To Hell with Sarah is instructive here:
There are many Christian counselors who believe an alter is simply a splintered fragment of the mind resulting from the trauma and that the solution is to reunite these fragments with the original personality.... Others, myself included, are firmly convinced that the alter-personality is nothing more than a demon...(170)4. In To Hell with Sarah, SR abusers inserted wires into Sarah's body—into her womb, neck, and spine—when she was a child in order to provide "entry points to allow demons to enter and leave the body freely without having to pass through the soul which requires the person to first create a door through negative emotions" (148). In Hell Minus One, SR abusers inserted a wire up into Anne Davis' cervix, but then withdrew it.
5. In To Hell with Sarah, Jess Parker removes the wires still implanted in Sarah's body by casting out demons (though once these implants started coming out, they continued to come out without any further intervention; Parker writes, "It was as if God said 'Time to go,' and they left" (144). In Hell Minus One, an ObGyn doctor noticed during a routine examination that Anne Davis' cervix was "heavily scarred" and asked Anne if she had experienced any trauma (106). (At that time she didn't think she had; she didn't remember at that point the satanic rituals of her childhood when she was abused by her mom, stepdad, and others in black robes.) The doctor performed cryosurgery to remove the scar tissue from Anne's cervix.
There is much more I could say, but this should be sufficient to show the stark difference between these two books' worldviews. I myself don't know which book is correct—probably, as with most things in life, the truth is somewhere in the middle. I am somewhat suspect of the Anne Davis' worldview because she is a Mormon. In addition, due to my respect for the late Christian minister Derek Prince, who often drove out demons from people, I think the worldview of To Hell with Sarah is more accurate. That said, I definitely do not agree with To Hell with Sarah's worldview wholeheartedly. There are things in that book that are downright ridiculous. For example, Parker writes on page 137, "As hard as it is to believe, the family [that performed SRA on Sarah] performed magic rituals that changed [the family pendant] from solid to liquid. It was then put in her food and after she had eaten it, they performed more rituals to move it into her womb and transform the pendant back into its original solid form."
In the end, these two books raise more questions than they answer. Perhaps my biggest question is this: Why would any human purposely try to worship Satan or partner with demons? To me, to do so is like cheering for the losing Superbowl team after the game is over, after the crowd is gone, and after the stadium lights have been turned off.
Want to read
December 12, 2008@ neither. 5/20/09
April 28, 2015
One Brave Girl All Grown Up
A moving and engrossing true life story. Thanks to the author for her honesty and hope. She is an inspiration to all who have suffered.
A moving and engrossing true life story. Thanks to the author for her honesty and hope. She is an inspiration to all who have suffered.
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