So Much More
So Much More
Town of Tiny Hope
Town of Tiny Hope
So Much More
This book highlights the author’s experiences in a closed religious group that had many controlling, brain-washing, and abusive aspects to it. She respectfully changes names and locations to protect privacy but those who are familiar know who she is talking about. She writes about the conclusions she has drawn about good and evil as a result. I applaud her courage in writing about such a humiliating process, as it takes a lot of honesty and fortitude to write about a personal story such as hers. The gutsy process she went through as she processed her experiences deserves a 5 star rating, but I am giving ithe book 3 stars because 1) the title does not seem to be very connected with the content, and 2) if the reader does not know her or her story, it might seem primarily like material that has not been fully processed yet emotionally. Others who have taken similar honest journeys have come away with different conclusions, just as has this author. Perhaps the best point she makes in the book is that people often inherit beliefs about God but they have not really made them their own. She required her students to think about how they got their beliefs and come up with their own. In my humble opinion, her writing style in this book does not convince me she has fully recovered from her traumatic experiences because I wonder if she is still embedded in the trauma–which is indicative of what such trauma does to a person. It is a book that describes the abusive effects to the self that controlling religious environments perpetrate, and that is important.
So Much More
What a fascinating life story! I purchased the book soon after release. I was so intrigued by the unexpected day-to-day details shared by the author. The heartbreak of forced detachment from family members who wanted a life outside the cult was still raw and quite touchingly authentic.
I loved the revealing details of the author’s life at school but found the particulars also rather shocking and rather tragic on some level. Also, her brave experiences in a foreign country and giving birth so far away from home were touching. The sense of betrayal by church leadership that the author related was easy to identify with but heart-rending all the same.
I read through the book very quickly and was unable to get enough of this unimaginable, mind-blowing story. I was clueless that this sort of lifestyle was even possible!
The author writes in such a way that I felt like I was there. Ms. King is genuinely talented as a writer, and I am excited to read whatever is next, and I hope there is something additional in the works! 🙂
My only complaint is that I would love to read more on this subject! I selfishly want the WHOLE story. I agree with the reviewers who shared that the title could be more apropos. The prologue was fascinating but would probably work better as a stand-alone bonus piece on the author’s website, etc.
I’m sure I’ll reread this book. I hope is that the author writes more about her unfathomable experiences with “the church.” Allowing others to better understand these (and similar cult-like or religious) lifestyles is powerful.
Ms. King’s riveting account enables the reader to gain a more comprehensive insight into the disturbing forces that compel persons and organizations to control their members at a micro-level, and the effects of growing up and maturing in such a detrimental and damaging environment.
Well done!
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