Tag: cult

americana, book review, investigative journalism, narrative nonfiction, true crime

The Hows and Whys of a Church-Turned-Cult and a Murder

Book review: Without a Prayer, by Susan Ashline (Amazon / Book Depository) Each year, Chadwicks had a Halloween parade, and families would line Oneida Street–except for the spot in front of the redbrick building. People from the church would chase them off the lawn. Though Oneida Street was a typical stream for trick-or-treaters, no one knocked on door 3354. The men in trench coats would … Continue reading The Hows and Whys of a Church-Turned-Cult and a Murder

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americana, biography, essays, France, Germany, history, investigative journalism, memoir, narrative nonfiction, Russia, travel, true crime, world war II

12 More Upcoming Nonfiction Titles in 2019

One last installment of 2019’s upcoming nonfiction new releases: We’ve got cult insiders, lesser known Cold War tales, undercover in asylums, retracing Napoleon’s Russian retreat, jackasses, life and death in colonial Sydney, women profiling women, and a genre-bending look at domestic abuse, and some new nonfiction in translation, among others. The Berlin Mission: The American Who Resisted Nazi Germany from Within, by Richard Breitman (October … Continue reading 12 More Upcoming Nonfiction Titles in 2019

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book review, investigative journalism, narrative nonfiction, Sociology

Lawrence Wright’s Look at the Satanic Panic

Book review: Remembering Satan, by Lawrence Wright (Amazon / Book Depository) Journalist Lawrence Wright is one of my favorite nonsense-busters. It just doesn’t get past him. And his books are so well-written that even when they’re dealing with the eye-rolling (but also very sad) “Satanic Panic” of the late 80s/90s, they’re meticulous and brilliantly laid out. If there’s anyone who can take a kooky cult … Continue reading Lawrence Wright’s Look at the Satanic Panic

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2018, book review, memoir

Moving, Hopeful Writing on Growing Up Under Control and Getting Away

Book review: Apocalypse Child, by Flor Edwards Amazon I have no memory of my ancestry or record of my lineage; there is only Father David…When I picture my family tree, I see Mom…Dad…and my siblings – too many to count on two hands. When I envision my ancestors I see faraway Nordic countries where fjords split the land. I see Spain, where my parents met…When … Continue reading Moving, Hopeful Writing on Growing Up Under Control and Getting Away

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2007, book review, history, investigative journalism, true crime

Pain and Consequences for the Second Generation of the Children of God

Book review: Jesus Freaks, by Don Lattin (Amazon / Book Depository) This was an okay book, but nowhere near a great one, and I’d say there are multiple reasons not to read it. One of them being that Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” will be stuck in your head nonstop for the duration of reading it. I kid! (that song’s the best) but we need something … Continue reading Pain and Consequences for the Second Generation of the Children of God

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2017, book review, France, memoir

A Light in the Darkest Places

Book review: The Only Girl in the World, by Maude Julien (Amazon / Book Depository) My father is convinced that the mind can achieve anything. Absolutely anything: it can overcome every danger and conquer every obstacle. But to do this requires long, rigorous training away from the impurities of this dirty world. He’s always saying, “Man is profoundly evil, the world is profoundly dangerous.” This … Continue reading A Light in the Darkest Places

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2017, book review, memoir

The Prophet’s Daughter Tells Her Story

Book review: Breaking Free, by Rachel Jeffs (Amazon / Book Depository) I am not a victim, and I do not want anyone’s sympathy. I wrote this book to help others who have suffered from similar experiences, whether in the FLDS church, or in thrall to some other circumstance beyond their control. I want people to know that it is possible not only to overcome their … Continue reading The Prophet’s Daughter Tells Her Story

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book review, memoir, new york city

Inside a Manhattan New Age Cult

Book review: The Cult Next Door, by Elizabeth Burchard Amazon When cults make the news, it’s often because they’ve done something awful on a compound somewhere, or in the jungles of Guyana. This memoir shows the mesmerizing power of a cult close to home, one that forms in the heart of a major metropolis, in one of Manhattan’s poshest neighborhoods, and for decades ensnared members in a cycle of … Continue reading Inside a Manhattan New Age Cult

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