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68
/100
I Index Overall Rating
Readers
56/100Critics
81/100Scholars
Author:
Daniella Mestyanek Young
Publisher:
St. Martin's Press
Date:
September 20, 2022
Behind the tall, foreboding gates of a commune in Brazil, Daniella Mestyanek Young was raised in the religious cult The Children of God, also known as The Family, as the daughter of high-ranking members. At fifteen years old, fed up with The Family and determined to build a better and freer life for herself, Daniella escapes to Texas.
What The Reviewers Say
As hard as it is to absorb the grotesque details of her childhood, so unflinchingly disclosed, reading about Mestyanek Young’s life after leaving the cult behind is no easier on the heart.
... page-turning.
The author recounts her story in a series of episodes that become repetitive in the reading even as it’s clear that she was treated unjustly, at least by civilian standards. In the end, her message is compelling.
