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Brides of Eden
In our defense, I can say only that nothing seemed so terribly strange in the beginning...
When, in 1903, the fiery preacher Joshua arrives in sleepy Corvallis, Oregon, Eva Mae -- and the whole town -- is never the same again.
Joshua is wonderful. He's charismatic. Insisting on simplicity, he commands his converts to burn their possessions. Demanding devotion to Christ, he tells them to abandon their personal ties.
But there's a surge of violence rising, and before it's over, families will be ripped apart and lives will be destroyed. Eva Mae's gripping true story is a stranger-than-fiction tale of a turn-of-the-century apocalyptic cult.
When, in 1903, the fiery preacher Joshua arrives in sleepy Corvallis, Oregon, Eva Mae -- and the whole town -- is never the same again.
Joshua is wonderful. He's charismatic. Insisting on simplicity, he commands his converts to burn their possessions. Demanding devotion to Christ, he tells them to abandon their personal ties.
But there's a surge of violence rising, and before it's over, families will be ripped apart and lives will be destroyed. Eva Mae's gripping true story is a stranger-than-fiction tale of a turn-of-the-century apocalyptic cult.
256 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2001
11 people are currently reading
532 people want to read
About the author
Linda Crew
13 books30 followersMy early books were for young readers, and perhaps my best-known is my first, Children of the River. Set against the backdrop of the Cambodian refugee crisis of 1979, it’s still used in schools and English-as-a-second-language classes across the country twenty-seven years since publication. My two most recent—Brides of Eden: a True Story Imagined and A Heart for Any Fate: Westward to Oregon 1845—were published as cross-over titles, and I suspect have been read by more adults than teenagers.
With my new book, I have had to take a completely different turn. When I inadvertently became addicted to both Oxycodone and Xanax after undergoing total knee replacement surgery, there was suddenly no material more compelling to me than my own survival and healing. And when I realized the extent to which the problem of addiction to prescription drugs was affecting people all across the nation, I knew I needed to speak up and be at least one of the people telling this story. If the sharing of my pharmaceutically-induced trainwreck can comfort somebody else or, even better, help save them from heading down this horrible path in the first place, it will help me feel that perhaps some good can come of my past four years.
With my new book, I have had to take a completely different turn. When I inadvertently became addicted to both Oxycodone and Xanax after undergoing total knee replacement surgery, there was suddenly no material more compelling to me than my own survival and healing. And when I realized the extent to which the problem of addiction to prescription drugs was affecting people all across the nation, I knew I needed to speak up and be at least one of the people telling this story. If the sharing of my pharmaceutically-induced trainwreck can comfort somebody else or, even better, help save them from heading down this horrible path in the first place, it will help me feel that perhaps some good can come of my past four years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
January 31, 2019
3 stars--I liked the book.
I read this book in 2002 or so, then recalled it later and wanted to reread it, but couldn't remember what it was called. Thanks to the detectives in the "What's the Name of That Book?" group here on Goodreads! They found it for me.
This is a pretty shocking story--all the more so because it's based on true events. This is a short book, and I wish it had a bit more depth and characterization; it's pretty sparse. Still, the story is fascinating, and I devoured it (both times I read it!) because I had to know what would happen next.
I read this book in 2002 or so, then recalled it later and wanted to reread it, but couldn't remember what it was called. Thanks to the detectives in the "What's the Name of That Book?" group here on Goodreads! They found it for me.
This is a pretty shocking story--all the more so because it's based on true events. This is a short book, and I wish it had a bit more depth and characterization; it's pretty sparse. Still, the story is fascinating, and I devoured it (both times I read it!) because I had to know what would happen next.
June 11, 2017
In the early 1900's, Franz Creffield comes to the sleepy town of Corvallis. He is good looking, charismatic, and full of religious fervor. Soon he has the women of the town entranced and they start a cult - the "Brides of Christ" and they begin to prepare for the end of the world. He changes his name to Joshua and tells the women that one of them is to be the second Mary.
The book is based on a true event, reimagined from the perspective of one of the women. The story talks about how they got entranced and how the fathers and brothers kept taking the women away and they would sneak back.
It's a story for younger audiences and so the writing is simple and some of the facts are repeated a few too many times, but it was still a good story and I liked it.
The book is based on a true event, reimagined from the perspective of one of the women. The story talks about how they got entranced and how the fathers and brothers kept taking the women away and they would sneak back.
It's a story for younger audiences and so the writing is simple and some of the facts are repeated a few too many times, but it was still a good story and I liked it.
July 5, 2012
Three cheers for historical fiction!
Cults are scary. Based on true events and characters that formed the “Holy Rollers” cult in Corvallis, Oregon at the turn of the century, this story is compelling, and at times heartbreaking. The God I believe in and love gave me free agency, and I’m grateful for that truth. I kept wanting to share it with the girls in this story! This author knew a good story when she found one, and there are both tragic lessons and powerful messages of redemption and hope in it.
There is also—as a side-note—an interesting commentary about women’s rights/identity in this book. Many of the men in this story seek to declare their sisters/wives/daughters in the Church of the Brides of Christ mentally insane because of their behavior. Notably NOT because of the sexual “rites” performed on the island commune, nor because of their prostrate prayers, or Bible-quoting. But because they wear their hair down, and refuse to wear corsets and shoes, and refuse to cook meals for their male family members. THAT, apparently in 1904, equals insanity. The irony is, of course, that the women WERE mentally delusional. But it was because they were under the influence of a hypnotic and dangerous man, not because of the way they dressed or their refusals to slave away in the home.
Cults are scary. Based on true events and characters that formed the “Holy Rollers” cult in Corvallis, Oregon at the turn of the century, this story is compelling, and at times heartbreaking. The God I believe in and love gave me free agency, and I’m grateful for that truth. I kept wanting to share it with the girls in this story! This author knew a good story when she found one, and there are both tragic lessons and powerful messages of redemption and hope in it.
There is also—as a side-note—an interesting commentary about women’s rights/identity in this book. Many of the men in this story seek to declare their sisters/wives/daughters in the Church of the Brides of Christ mentally insane because of their behavior. Notably NOT because of the sexual “rites” performed on the island commune, nor because of their prostrate prayers, or Bible-quoting. But because they wear their hair down, and refuse to wear corsets and shoes, and refuse to cook meals for their male family members. THAT, apparently in 1904, equals insanity. The irony is, of course, that the women WERE mentally delusional. But it was because they were under the influence of a hypnotic and dangerous man, not because of the way they dressed or their refusals to slave away in the home.
November 6, 2011
A thoroughly fascinating story, made only more so by the fact that it is true. It also struck my particular fancy because I have actually visited many of the towns mentioned within, and I had no idea that such an incredible, thoroughly creepy incident happened in Corvallis and around Yahats and other neighboring towns. And Linda Crew is an author whose research can generally be trusted.
What was probably most disturbing about Brides of Eden was that there are still people - Christians included - who allow crazy individuals like Joshua move their emotions into a frenzy, making all logical thought almost impossible. Such events are not just confined to the spiritualism of the 1800s.
There is very little content to be addressed. There is one bedroom scene, when Joshua informs the women that one of them will give birth to the Second Christ, and he requests to see each woman alone in his private shelter. It is necessary to events, and the Author handles the scene with kind delicacy. Also, there are two g-ddamns, and other references to Joshua having affairs with married women. But nothing explicit.
Brides of Eden is a book which will disturb Readers because it is a true story, but it is really interesting and is a highly recommended historical-fiction read.
What was probably most disturbing about Brides of Eden was that there are still people - Christians included - who allow crazy individuals like Joshua move their emotions into a frenzy, making all logical thought almost impossible. Such events are not just confined to the spiritualism of the 1800s.
There is very little content to be addressed. There is one bedroom scene, when Joshua informs the women that one of them will give birth to the Second Christ, and he requests to see each woman alone in his private shelter. It is necessary to events, and the Author handles the scene with kind delicacy. Also, there are two g-ddamns, and other references to Joshua having affairs with married women. But nothing explicit.
Brides of Eden is a book which will disturb Readers because it is a true story, but it is really interesting and is a highly recommended historical-fiction read.
July 2, 2014
I love historical fiction and am always intrigued by religious cults. That said, the subtitle of the book is "A true story imagined" and I feel much of this particular story is, in fact, imagined. While many facts are verifiable (mostly those relating to dates and places) the story is told from the perspective of Eva Mae Hurt, a young girl who gets caught up with the Brides of Christ church, and is entirely fabricated. Unfortunately, while the story is interesting and held my attention, none of the accounts credited to Eva Mae are truly hers. Even her personality and the way she might interact with other major characters is not on record anywhere except in the imagined reality of the book. As a result, the characters' voices aren't very strong and do not feel like true people, but rather two-dimensional, half-fleshed-out characterizations.
August 12, 2025
Full disclosure: I live just outside of Corvallis, OR where the events of this imagined true story takes place. I had finished reading The Ascent by Allison Buccola when someone in our neighborhood book club mentioned there had been an actual cult in Corvallis and that she knew the author of a book about it, Linda Crew. Moreover, she loaned me this book. It is an excellent portrayal of how and why a charismatic leader can precipitate people (in this case very young women) to do unthinkable things under the influence of “religious” fervor. The book contains many wonderful photos of Corvallis in the late Eighteenth and early Nineteenth centuries, as well as lots of quotes from those years. Additionally, there were nine Christian churches at the time for a mere two thousand people. The book is fascinating.
February 28, 2021
They say that truth is stranger than fiction and with this book, I certainly have to agree.
It relates the events that took place in the small American community of Corvallis, Oregon when Mr Creffield joins the congregation at the local Salvation Army church. Eva Mae Hurt and her family are ardent Salvationists and when the handsome young Mr Creffield turns up Eva Mae, her sister Maud and most of the other girls in the congregation are drawn to his good looks, his blond curls and winning manner. It is not very long before Mr Creffield leaves the Salvation Army and starts a group of his own and most of the females of the congregation follow him, he insists that he shall be called Joshua the second and that his followers burn their possessions and follow him. As with most cult leaders, Creffield was charismatic and the women were all soon in his thrall, they let their hair hang down their backs, they went without corsets and barefoot, they became known as The Holy Rollers. The women were convinced that the end of the world was imminent and that one of them would bear the Christ child as the second mother of God. As demands on his followers grew more extreme so the families of the women became more frantic to save their relatives from his clutches. The women were so mesmerised that they did not seem to realise that they were being abused, Eva Mae was the youngest, only fifteen and very innocent, that innocence was to lost forever.
So many lives were ruined and reputations lost because of Creffield and the repercussions would reverberate down the years, long after he had gone.
This was an interesting story, easy and quick to read and very sad for all involved.
It relates the events that took place in the small American community of Corvallis, Oregon when Mr Creffield joins the congregation at the local Salvation Army church. Eva Mae Hurt and her family are ardent Salvationists and when the handsome young Mr Creffield turns up Eva Mae, her sister Maud and most of the other girls in the congregation are drawn to his good looks, his blond curls and winning manner. It is not very long before Mr Creffield leaves the Salvation Army and starts a group of his own and most of the females of the congregation follow him, he insists that he shall be called Joshua the second and that his followers burn their possessions and follow him. As with most cult leaders, Creffield was charismatic and the women were all soon in his thrall, they let their hair hang down their backs, they went without corsets and barefoot, they became known as The Holy Rollers. The women were convinced that the end of the world was imminent and that one of them would bear the Christ child as the second mother of God. As demands on his followers grew more extreme so the families of the women became more frantic to save their relatives from his clutches. The women were so mesmerised that they did not seem to realise that they were being abused, Eva Mae was the youngest, only fifteen and very innocent, that innocence was to lost forever.
So many lives were ruined and reputations lost because of Creffield and the repercussions would reverberate down the years, long after he had gone.
This was an interesting story, easy and quick to read and very sad for all involved.
July 30, 2019
I have lived in Corvallis, Oregon as a child and later as an adult, but had never heard the story of the Bride of Christ cult. It’s nothing new—charismatic men have always found ways to seduce people into doing and saying and believing things that to outsiders appear irrational. Unfortunately, religion is often used in this way, and in fact continues to drive such movements. Linda Crew’s extensive research has resulted in a gripping story, and serves as a window into the minds of vulnerable people caught up in their devotion to a supposed prophet.
May 15, 2025
"But for our family, there has never been the slightest amusement in it, and we would forever be haunted by the more painfully personal question: How could such a thing happen to US?''
....not sure why recently, Goodreads has chosen to delete MANY of the reviews I've left. 😑
....not sure why recently, Goodreads has chosen to delete MANY of the reviews I've left. 😑
August 9, 2021
Cult leader with a Manson stare and a Messiah complex gathers and cavorts with his group of mostly naive women and girls in early 1900s Oregon. Surprisingly bland as told in the imagined voice of one of the girls.
July 19, 2017
this was an interesting book, but not particularly gripping. For a book with a little over 200 pages, it took me a rather long time to read because once I put it down I wasn't particularly motivated to pick it back up. I pretty much read it 20 pages at a time when I was waiting for other things to happen (water to boil for making dinner, dryer to finish, etc).
Not a compelling book, but I guess it was interesting enough.
Not a compelling book, but I guess it was interesting enough.
January 8, 2024
Interesting historical fiction of a utopian society at the turn of last century and the hold a charismatic Pentecostal preacher has over his followers. The press reports from the time focused heavily on the fact that female followers were letting their hair be loose and unpinned and were not wearing corsets. Those two features alone might convince me to join. Interesting look at early life in the PNW.
March 11, 2019
Fascinating true history about a cult started in Corvallis, Oregon that also had history in Yachats, but the writing and character development left the story feeling forced and less compelling than promised.
May 26, 2019
Interesting account of the power of organized religion.
April 26, 2021
Based on a true story of a false prophet in Oregon in 1902. Culture has changed but "Crazy" has not. A one day read.
February 12, 2024
Intriguing book, a true story. A must read.
July 3, 2024
Loved this book. I did not know anything about this incident until I read the book.
January 2, 2026
I have read this book several times! It’s one of my favorites. An easy read, riveting story, cult classic tale set in the early 1900’s.
September 6, 2016
I know a little about the Brides of Christ, so when I heard there was a fictionalization of their story, I knew I had to get my hands on it.
In 1903, a preacher who calls himself Joshua moves to Corvallis, Oregon and sets up a new church. At first, everything goes well, but when Joshua’s preaching strays too far from what’s in the Bible, the men in Corvallis chase him into the wilderness. But, he doesn’t go alone. A few women from his congregation go with him. After that, things get weird.
This is a hard book to review because it’s based on a true story, and the author is working within the confines of history. The book is short, fast-paced, and written for a young adult audience, so I was able to finish it in a few hours. The story hooked me immediately. I couldn’t put it down, even though I already knew the basics of the plot.
The story takes place over several years and is narrated by Eva, the youngest of the women who refuse to give up on Joshua. Eva is confused because everyone in her life is telling her something different. Her mother, brother, and sister love Joshua; her father hates him; some of her friends disown her for following him; and others encourage her not to give up on him because he’s trying to help people. It’s easy for the reader to understand Eva’s confusion and feel bad for her. Everyone in her life is pressuring her to do something different.
The most interesting part of this book is that it shows the culture of rural Oregon in 1903. Back then, religious freedom and women’s rights weren’t really things. When Joshua’s church becomes a public nuisance, the police look the other way while the townspeople try to murder Joshua and harass his congregation. Men have no trouble getting their wives and daughters sent to mental institutions for refusing to abandon their religion. And, when Eva is raped, she becomes a “ruined” woman. Very few people care about her body or mind, but everybody cares about her virginity and marriage potential. I guess 1903 was a terrible time to be a woman with a non-mainstream religion.
Eva’s father is a product of his time, but I still have a lot of respect for him. He knows that Joshua is dangerous, and he refuses to lose his family to the preacher’s abuse. Even though Eva argues, and runs away, and behaves like a teenage tyrant, her father refuses to let Joshua have her. He loves Eva, even when she makes really bad decisions.
I wish the characters had been better developed. I know they’re real people, and we probably don’t have many details about their lives, but they didn’t have much personality. Some of the characters’ actions also felt forced to me. The author tries very hard to help the reader understand why these women follow Joshua into the woods, but since Joshua’s character is underdeveloped, I didn’t see the appeal of him. If I had seen more of his personality, maybe the characters’ choices would have been easier to accept.
Also, I don’t usually say this, but the plot moves too fast for me. This is a very short book that covers several huge moments in Eva’s life. It probably moves quickly because we don’t know much about the real Eva’s life, but I wish the story had been slower and more detailed.
Despite a few issues, I really liked Brides of Eden. This is one of those stories that need to be told. Brides of Eden might be a perfect book for anyone who wants to read a fast-paced story that’s stranger than fiction.
In 1903, a preacher who calls himself Joshua moves to Corvallis, Oregon and sets up a new church. At first, everything goes well, but when Joshua’s preaching strays too far from what’s in the Bible, the men in Corvallis chase him into the wilderness. But, he doesn’t go alone. A few women from his congregation go with him. After that, things get weird.
This is a hard book to review because it’s based on a true story, and the author is working within the confines of history. The book is short, fast-paced, and written for a young adult audience, so I was able to finish it in a few hours. The story hooked me immediately. I couldn’t put it down, even though I already knew the basics of the plot.
The story takes place over several years and is narrated by Eva, the youngest of the women who refuse to give up on Joshua. Eva is confused because everyone in her life is telling her something different. Her mother, brother, and sister love Joshua; her father hates him; some of her friends disown her for following him; and others encourage her not to give up on him because he’s trying to help people. It’s easy for the reader to understand Eva’s confusion and feel bad for her. Everyone in her life is pressuring her to do something different.
The most interesting part of this book is that it shows the culture of rural Oregon in 1903. Back then, religious freedom and women’s rights weren’t really things. When Joshua’s church becomes a public nuisance, the police look the other way while the townspeople try to murder Joshua and harass his congregation. Men have no trouble getting their wives and daughters sent to mental institutions for refusing to abandon their religion. And, when Eva is raped, she becomes a “ruined” woman. Very few people care about her body or mind, but everybody cares about her virginity and marriage potential. I guess 1903 was a terrible time to be a woman with a non-mainstream religion.
Eva’s father is a product of his time, but I still have a lot of respect for him. He knows that Joshua is dangerous, and he refuses to lose his family to the preacher’s abuse. Even though Eva argues, and runs away, and behaves like a teenage tyrant, her father refuses to let Joshua have her. He loves Eva, even when she makes really bad decisions.
I wish the characters had been better developed. I know they’re real people, and we probably don’t have many details about their lives, but they didn’t have much personality. Some of the characters’ actions also felt forced to me. The author tries very hard to help the reader understand why these women follow Joshua into the woods, but since Joshua’s character is underdeveloped, I didn’t see the appeal of him. If I had seen more of his personality, maybe the characters’ choices would have been easier to accept.
Also, I don’t usually say this, but the plot moves too fast for me. This is a very short book that covers several huge moments in Eva’s life. It probably moves quickly because we don’t know much about the real Eva’s life, but I wish the story had been slower and more detailed.
Despite a few issues, I really liked Brides of Eden. This is one of those stories that need to be told. Brides of Eden might be a perfect book for anyone who wants to read a fast-paced story that’s stranger than fiction.
December 9, 2019
In 1903 Corvallis, Oregon, a group consisting primarily of young women were drawn into a twisted cult by a handsome young man who claimed to be the Second Christ. In the beginning, everything seemed perfectly ordinary, and no one noticed when things began to gradually slip into chaos.
The account, though fictional, of a true story was both horrifying and fascinating to read about. As things progress, the events become darker, more extreme, and more tragic.
I couldn't put this book down, and I devoured it in only about 45 minutes. It was certainly a page-turner, and the fact that it isn't all that taxing of a read helped.
However, while the story and meaning behind this book are memorable and interesting, everything else was left at mediocre quality.
The characters were never fully developed, written to be mostly shallow sketches. I found the best character to be Mr. Hurt, the main character's father, even though he was not featured extensively. His story of losing everything was a heartbreaking one, and the way that he unconditionally loves his family after everything they put him through was touching and sad.
The false prophet, the evil and mysterious Joshua, was a disappointment. What was his story? Why would he go to such lengths to invent this cult, and where did he get the idea? I kept wanting to really feel the power of that gaze Eva always spoke about, to be charmed by him like the characters were, to be heartbroken when I learned of his betrayal. Instead, he is simply left at being bad, and there is little background, leaving him as a rather weak villain, unfortunately.
The main character, Eva, never got through to me. Her feelings are muffled, mentioned only fleetingly and in simple wording.
This book is classified as YA - but I wish that the author would have had the courage to write it as it should have been. YA or not, this is a mature subject that deserves mature writing. Rape, suicide, murder, starvation, and a twisted cult all play a part here, and yet they are watered down as much as possible.
After her assault, Eva is confused, but far from traumatized, and it is barely brought up again.
If you have some imagination, and can picture what such events and circumstances must have really been like for these people, it really fills in a lot of the story, and it certainly did for me.
This book is a good attempt, even if not an entirely successful one. Nevertheless, worth reading.
The account, though fictional, of a true story was both horrifying and fascinating to read about. As things progress, the events become darker, more extreme, and more tragic.
I couldn't put this book down, and I devoured it in only about 45 minutes. It was certainly a page-turner, and the fact that it isn't all that taxing of a read helped.
However, while the story and meaning behind this book are memorable and interesting, everything else was left at mediocre quality.
The characters were never fully developed, written to be mostly shallow sketches. I found the best character to be Mr. Hurt, the main character's father, even though he was not featured extensively. His story of losing everything was a heartbreaking one, and the way that he unconditionally loves his family after everything they put him through was touching and sad.
The false prophet, the evil and mysterious Joshua, was a disappointment. What was his story? Why would he go to such lengths to invent this cult, and where did he get the idea? I kept wanting to really feel the power of that gaze Eva always spoke about, to be charmed by him like the characters were, to be heartbroken when I learned of his betrayal. Instead, he is simply left at being bad, and there is little background, leaving him as a rather weak villain, unfortunately.
The main character, Eva, never got through to me. Her feelings are muffled, mentioned only fleetingly and in simple wording.
This book is classified as YA - but I wish that the author would have had the courage to write it as it should have been. YA or not, this is a mature subject that deserves mature writing. Rape, suicide, murder, starvation, and a twisted cult all play a part here, and yet they are watered down as much as possible.
After her assault, Eva is confused, but far from traumatized, and it is barely brought up again.
If you have some imagination, and can picture what such events and circumstances must have really been like for these people, it really fills in a lot of the story, and it certainly did for me.
This book is a good attempt, even if not an entirely successful one. Nevertheless, worth reading.
June 20, 2012
This book was a trip. I picked it up at a local library sale for $2 and was actually really compelled to read it. The concept of religious cults is interesting, albeit often disturbing, and the fact that this story was based on TRUE happenings just clenched it for me.
I couldn't put it down once I'd opened it up. I started it and read it it well into the night until I was done. Now, it wasn't that long, barely over 250 pages but I kept finding myself rereading passages completely blown away by what was going on. Occasionally I would get on my computer and look up information regarding the happenings in this book to read the accounts of what really happened.
Linda Crew connects the reader to these women who suffered under the hand of a charming and charismatic man that truly must have been out of his mind. However, he was a clever criminal and regardless of what his motives were he was atrocious and the women who were caught in his web truly could not withdraw themselves from him no matter how hard they tried.
Asylums, Strychnine poisoning, abuse, starvation, trials, and the tribulations of all of these women (and men) who were traumatized by these events keeps the reader tense.
This book is sure to wrench your heart strings and cause you to feel a plethora of emotions from disgust, to pity, to joy, then dismay, and then right back to disgust.
The ending of these women's stories are both heartbreaking and victorious and I recommend this book to anyone who is looking to see into the hearts (though perhaps imagined) of the women who suffered under the crazed ideals of "Joshua".
I couldn't put it down once I'd opened it up. I started it and read it it well into the night until I was done. Now, it wasn't that long, barely over 250 pages but I kept finding myself rereading passages completely blown away by what was going on. Occasionally I would get on my computer and look up information regarding the happenings in this book to read the accounts of what really happened.
Linda Crew connects the reader to these women who suffered under the hand of a charming and charismatic man that truly must have been out of his mind. However, he was a clever criminal and regardless of what his motives were he was atrocious and the women who were caught in his web truly could not withdraw themselves from him no matter how hard they tried.
Asylums, Strychnine poisoning, abuse, starvation, trials, and the tribulations of all of these women (and men) who were traumatized by these events keeps the reader tense.
This book is sure to wrench your heart strings and cause you to feel a plethora of emotions from disgust, to pity, to joy, then dismay, and then right back to disgust.
The ending of these women's stories are both heartbreaking and victorious and I recommend this book to anyone who is looking to see into the hearts (though perhaps imagined) of the women who suffered under the crazed ideals of "Joshua".
June 13, 2016
Based on a true event, this is the sad story of women in small Oregon town in 1903 who are mesmerized by a self proclaimed prophet who led them away from everything they had ever known and cherished into a life of deprivation, sacrifice, and solitude. I could never understand the attraction of contemporary cults and why people would follow these charismatic leaders. This book helped my see how vulnerable people can be led astray by a powerful speaker. These individuals begin with connections to average folks, sharing their religion and then, bit by bit, lead them to extreme views and lifestyles. Unfortunately, some women lose their lives in their quest to personify religious perfection.
October 9, 2010
I couldn't put this book down--in fact, I kept flipping ahead trying to guess how it all ended.
A fascinating man comes to a small town, starts a church, and a group of women throw almost eveyrthing away to follow him.
Fascinating story, though the writing was sometimes a bit lacking. It's told through the eyes of one of the younger members of the group--who does eventually leave, but part of me wanted to know more about Joshua's motivations. Did he really believe he was a prophet? Or was he always scamming them?
Worth reading, and it would be a great choice for a book club.
A fascinating man comes to a small town, starts a church, and a group of women throw almost eveyrthing away to follow him.
Fascinating story, though the writing was sometimes a bit lacking. It's told through the eyes of one of the younger members of the group--who does eventually leave, but part of me wanted to know more about Joshua's motivations. Did he really believe he was a prophet? Or was he always scamming them?
Worth reading, and it would be a great choice for a book club.
October 7, 2011
In 1903 a charismatic young man seduces a number of women in Corvallis, Oregon, with his tales of a coming End Time and his own sexual magnetism. They leave their families to become obedient converts to his Bride of Christ Church. The story, based on a true incident, is told from the point of view of one of these women whose sister and mother are also in thrall to this self-proclaimed prophet who calls himeself Joshua. She eventually returns to her forgiving father and ends up living a long and happy life as the wife of a Swedish farmer. Others are not so lucky.
April 22, 2008
A charismatic preacher stirs up the town's womenfolk and convinces them he has heard from God. Gradually he takes over their lives asking each to give up their worldly goods, ways, and ideas and they gladly do so. Finally he reveals that one of them will be chosen as a mother for God's new child. Based on a true story, (though all details are imagined) this is the story about how confusion, a strong personality and group dynamics can influence a person.
February 21, 2009
A quirky little story that takes place in Corvallis Oregon, about 3 hours from where I live. She does a good job of "retelling" what occured. She had to construct the charachters, but how a "pastor" seduced these women and made them "his flock" so much they left their husband's and would do whatever he wanted.
Not everyone's cup of tea, unless you like quirky historical stories and it is a fun and easy read.
Not everyone's cup of tea, unless you like quirky historical stories and it is a fun and easy read.
January 18, 2013
I was looking forward to reading this book. The storyline sounded enthralling, and the cover art draws you in; but I was disappointed when I got the book. The whole thing moves too quickly, and the author's writing is very repetitive. The main character seemed very empty, and didn't have a very deep mindset or anything. It was meh, overall. The topic was interesting but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
May 15, 2014
This book was a little boring. I think that may have been due to the author trying to stay within the bounds of history. It was not developed very well and the characters infatuation with Joshua seemed forced rather than like a natural progression of the cult mindset. I think that by trying to stick to the solid facts the author failed to develop the narrator enough for the reader to understand why she went along with the craziness.
July 25, 2008
Good look at a true story of polygamy and cult following in the early American days. Scary how one man can convince so many to follow him so completely. Liked the fact that at the end they tell what happened to the people. Isolated community and no strong religious upbringing add to the ease of conformation. Relevant with the Texas polygamy scandel today.
January 15, 2009
The cult following of charismatic religious figures has been going on for thousands of years. Even in Oregon in the 1980s we had the Rajneshees. But in the early 20th century, Corvallis had its own "Holy Rollers." Linda Crew's book, Brides of Eden, is the account of this cult -- mostly women -- that lived, breathed and even died at the word of a self-proclaimed prophet.
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