Shunned
How I Lost My Religion and Found Myself
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Narrated by:
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Emily Ellet
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By:
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Linda A. Curtis
About this listen
Linda Curtis was raised as a Jehovah's Witness and is an unquestioning true believer who has knocked on doors from the time she was nine years old. Like other Witnesses, she has been discouraged from pursuing a career, higher education, or even voting, and her friendships are limited to the Witness community.
Then one day, at age 33, she knocks on a door - and a coworker she deeply respects answers the door. To their mutual consternation she launches into her usual spiel, but this time, for the first time ever, the message sounds hollow. In the months that follow, Curtis tries hard to overcome the doubts that spring from that doorstep encounter, knowing they could upend her "safe" existence. But ultimately, unable to reconcile her incredulity, she leaves her religion and divorces her Witness husband - a choice for which she is shunned by the entire community, including all members of her immediate family.
Shunned follows Linda as she steps into a world she was taught to fear and discovers what is possible when we stay true to our hearts, even when it means disappointing those we love.
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In Cult Insanity, Spencer reveals the outrageous behavior of her brother-in-law Ervil---a self-proclaimed prophet who determined he was called to set the house of God in order---and how he terrorized their colony. Claiming to be God's avenger and to have a license to kill in the name of God, Ervil ordered the murders of friends and family members, eliminating all those who challenged his authority. Cult Insanity is a riveting, terrifying memoir of polygamist life under the tyranny of a madman.
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Not as good as the First
- By Debra A on 12-07-09
By: Irene Spencer
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Daughter of Gloriavale
- My Life in a Religious Cult
- By: Lilia Tarawa
- Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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In this personal account, Lilia Tarawa exposes the shocking secrets of the cult, with its rigid rules and oppressive control of women. She describes her fear when her family questioned Gloriavale's beliefs and practices. When her parents fled with their children, Lilia was forced to make a desperate choice: to stay or to leave. No matter what she chose, she would lose people she loved.
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Incredibly disturbing.
- By Barbara W. on 10-11-24
By: Lilia Tarawa
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Shattered Dreams
- My Life as a Polygamist's Wife
- By: Irene Spencer
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Irene Spencer did as she felt God commanded in marrying her brother-in-law, Verlan LeBaron, becoming his second wife. When the government raided the fundamentalist, polygamous Mormon village of Short Creek, Arizona, Irene and her family fled to Verlan's brothers' Mexican ranch. They lived in squalor and desolate conditions in the Mexican desert with Verlan's six brothers, one sister, and numerous wives and children.
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Eye Opening... Difficult Listen... Honest
- By Paul Mullen on 06-24-08
By: Irene Spencer
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Prophet's Prey
- My Seven-Year Investigation into Warren Jeffs and the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints
- By: Sam Brower, Jon Krakauer
- Narrated by: Jonah Cummings
- Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Despite considerable press coverage and a lengthy trial, the full story of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints has remained largely untold. Only one man can reveal the whole, astounding truth: Sam Brower, the private investigator who devoted years of his life to breaking open the secret practices of the FLDS and bringing Warren Jeffs and his inner circle to justice.
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Incredible Story of the FLDS
- By S on 11-11-11
By: Sam Brower, and others
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Stolen Innocence
- My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs
- By: Elissa Wall, Lisa Pulitzer
- Narrated by: Renée Raudman
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In September 2007, Elissa Wall, the star witness against polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs, gave captivating testimony of how Jeffs forced her to marry her first cousin at age 14. This harrowing account proved to be the most compelling evidence against Jeffs, showing the harsh realities of this closed community and the lengths to which Jeffs went in order to control the sect's women. Now, in this courageous memoir, Wall tells the incredible story of how she emerged from the confines of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints and helped bring one of America's most notorious criminals to justice.
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Chris from Cedar City, UT USA
- By Christine on 06-14-08
By: Elissa Wall, and others
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Church of Lies
- By: Flora Jessop, Paul T. Brown
- Narrated by: Eve Bianco
- Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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"I was one of 28 children born to my dad and his three wives. Indoctrinated to believe that the outside world was evil, and that I resided among the righteous, I was destined to marry a man chosen for me by the Prophet. I would then live in harmony with my sister-wives, bear many children, and obey and serve my future husband in this life and throughout eternity. But my innocence didn't last long." Flora goes on from there to tell the dramatic true story of how she ultimately escaped and has been rescuing women and children from the FLDS.
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So sad!
- By Granny of 9 on 08-02-20
By: Flora Jessop, and others
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Cult Insanity
- A Memoir of Polygamy, Prophets, and Blood Atonement
- By: Irene Spencer
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In Cult Insanity, Spencer reveals the outrageous behavior of her brother-in-law Ervil---a self-proclaimed prophet who determined he was called to set the house of God in order---and how he terrorized their colony. Claiming to be God's avenger and to have a license to kill in the name of God, Ervil ordered the murders of friends and family members, eliminating all those who challenged his authority. Cult Insanity is a riveting, terrifying memoir of polygamist life under the tyranny of a madman.
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Not as good as the First
- By Debra A on 12-07-09
By: Irene Spencer
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Daughter of Gloriavale
- My Life in a Religious Cult
- By: Lilia Tarawa
- Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
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Performance
-
Story
In this personal account, Lilia Tarawa exposes the shocking secrets of the cult, with its rigid rules and oppressive control of women. She describes her fear when her family questioned Gloriavale's beliefs and practices. When her parents fled with their children, Lilia was forced to make a desperate choice: to stay or to leave. No matter what she chose, she would lose people she loved.
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Incredibly disturbing.
- By Barbara W. on 10-11-24
By: Lilia Tarawa
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Shattered Dreams
- My Life as a Polygamist's Wife
- By: Irene Spencer
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Irene Spencer did as she felt God commanded in marrying her brother-in-law, Verlan LeBaron, becoming his second wife. When the government raided the fundamentalist, polygamous Mormon village of Short Creek, Arizona, Irene and her family fled to Verlan's brothers' Mexican ranch. They lived in squalor and desolate conditions in the Mexican desert with Verlan's six brothers, one sister, and numerous wives and children.
-
-
Eye Opening... Difficult Listen... Honest
- By Paul Mullen on 06-24-08
By: Irene Spencer
-
Prophet's Prey
- My Seven-Year Investigation into Warren Jeffs and the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints
- By: Sam Brower, Jon Krakauer
- Narrated by: Jonah Cummings
- Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Despite considerable press coverage and a lengthy trial, the full story of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints has remained largely untold. Only one man can reveal the whole, astounding truth: Sam Brower, the private investigator who devoted years of his life to breaking open the secret practices of the FLDS and bringing Warren Jeffs and his inner circle to justice.
-
-
Incredible Story of the FLDS
- By S on 11-11-11
By: Sam Brower, and others
-
Stolen Innocence
- My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs
- By: Elissa Wall, Lisa Pulitzer
- Narrated by: Renée Raudman
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In September 2007, Elissa Wall, the star witness against polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs, gave captivating testimony of how Jeffs forced her to marry her first cousin at age 14. This harrowing account proved to be the most compelling evidence against Jeffs, showing the harsh realities of this closed community and the lengths to which Jeffs went in order to control the sect's women. Now, in this courageous memoir, Wall tells the incredible story of how she emerged from the confines of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints and helped bring one of America's most notorious criminals to justice.
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Chris from Cedar City, UT USA
- By Christine on 06-14-08
By: Elissa Wall, and others
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Runaway Amish Girl
- The Great Escape
- By: Emma Gingerich
- Narrated by: Amy Melissa Bentley
- Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Growing up Amish and leaving the fold, Emma Gingerich left her Amish community in Eagleville, Missouri, at the age of 18. Her memoir Runaway Amish Girl: The Great Escape captivates even the timid listener. Disagreeing with the beliefs of Amish traditions and upbringing, the pressure became too much for her to bear. Forced to make a personal decision, Emma found the courage to leave the only life she had ever known. She had no idea the emotional turmoil she'd inflict on her family and friends.
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So Slow
- By Karla porras on 10-18-22
By: Emma Gingerich
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The Polygamist’s Daughter
- A Memoir
- By: Anna LeBaron, Leslie Wilson - contributor
- Narrated by: Anna LeBaron
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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"My father had more than 50 children." So begins the haunting memoir of Anna LeBaron, daughter of the notorious polygamist and murderer Ervil LeBaron. With her father wanted by the FBI for killing anyone who tried to leave his cult - a radical branch of Mormonism - Anna and her siblings were constantly on the run with the other sister-wives. Often starving and always desperate, the children lived in terror. Even though there were dozens of them together, Anna always felt alone.
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Bait and Switch
- By A. C. on 04-25-17
By: Anna LeBaron, and others
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Favorite Wife
- Escape from Polygamy
- By: Susan Ray Schmidt
- Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
- Length: 22 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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She had no choice in the matter - none of the girls did. Her mission was to give birth to and raise many children in devoted service to a shared husband. Susan was 15 years old when she became the sixth wife of Verlan LeBaron, one of the leaders of a rogue Mormon cult, who was engaged in a blood feud with his brother that from 1972 to 1988 claimed up to two dozen lives. In this gripping and eloquent book, Susan Ray Schmidt tells the story of growing up on the inside and of her ultimate escape with her children from an oppressive and violent life.
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If you have 22 hours to kill...
- By BarB on 03-30-20
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Behind Blue Curtains
- A True Crime Memoir of an Amish Woman's Survival, Escape, and Pursuit of Justice
- By: Lizzy Hershberger, M. Maeve Eagan
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 4 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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When Lizzy Hershberger turns fourteen, her schooling ends at eighth grade, and she has no choice but to leave home to work as an unpaid maid for another family. To avoid being rejected by her ultra-conservative Swartzentruber Amish family and community, Lizzy is forced to abandon her dreams because they are “too worldly.” After being raped by an Amish deacon over two dozen times, Lizzy makes her first attempt at “jumping the fence” to pursue a non-Amish lifestyle. But without any modern life experience or education, Lizzy must decide whether the risks of this unpredictable and ...
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Such bravery and truth
- By Amazon Customer on 02-19-24
By: Lizzy Hershberger, and others
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Leaving the Witness
- Exiting a Religion and Finding a Life
- By: Amber Scorah
- Narrated by: Amber Scorah
- Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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A third-generation Jehovah's Witness, Amber Scorah had devoted her life to sounding God's warning of impending Armageddon. She volunteered to take the message to China, where the preaching she did was illegal and could result in her expulsion or worse. Here, she had some distance from her community for the first time. Immersion in a foreign language and culture - and a whole new way of thinking - turned her world upside down, and eventually led her to lose all that she had been sure was true.
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Astonishing book, delightfully read by the author
- By Lori DiCola on 06-04-19
By: Amber Scorah
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Broken Faith
- Inside the Word of Faith Fellowship, One of America's Most Dangerous Cults
- By: Mitch Weiss, Holbrook Mohr
- Narrated by: Vivienne Leheny
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1979, a fiery preacher named Jane Whaley attracted a small group of followers with a promise that she could turn their lives around. In the years since, Whaley’s following has expanded to include thousands of congregants across three continents. Based on hundreds of interviews, secretly recorded conversations, and thousands of pages of documents, Pulitzer Prize winner Mitch Weiss and Holbrook Mohr’s Broken Faith is a terrifying portrait life inside the Word of Faith Fellowship, and the harrowing account of one family who escaped after two decades.
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A must read!
- By laura toney on 03-22-20
By: Mitch Weiss, and others
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When the World Didn't End
- A Memoir
- By: Guinevere Turner
- Narrated by: Guinevere Turner
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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In this immersive, spell-binding memoir, an acclaimed screenwriter tells the story of her childhood growing up with the infamous Lyman Family cult—and the complicated and unexpected pain of leaving the only home she’d ever known.
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Boring
- By Jes on 06-15-23
By: Guinevere Turner
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Cults
- Inside the World's Most Notorious Groups and Understanding the People Who Joined Them
- By: Max Cutler
- Narrated by: Pete Simonelli, Raquel Beattie, Erin Ruth Walker, and others
- Length: 15 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Cults prey on the very attributes that make us human: our desire to belong, to find a deeper meaning in life, to live everyday with divine purpose. Their existence creates a sense that any one of us, at any time, could step off the cliff’s edge and fall into that daunting abyss of manipulation and unhinged dedication to a misplaced cause. Perhaps it’s this mindset that keeps us so utterly obsessed and desperate to learn more, or it’s that the stories are so bizarre and unsettling that we are simply in awe of the mechanics that make these infamous groups tick.
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Disappointed
- By KJ on 04-12-23
By: Max Cutler
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Kingdom of Nauvoo
- The Rise and Fall of a Religious Empire on the American Frontier
- By: Benjamin E. Park
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Compared to the Puritans, Mormons have rarely gotten their due, often treated as fringe cultists or marginalized polygamists unworthy of serious examination. In Kingdom of Nauvoo, Benjamin E. Park excavates the brief, tragic life of a lost Mormon city, demonstrating that the Mormons are essential to understanding American history writ large. Using newly accessible sources, Park re-creates the Mormons' 1839 flight from Missouri to Illinois.
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Can't get over "Nauvoo" pronunciation
- By Emily Christensen on 03-10-20
By: Benjamin E. Park
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Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond
- A Meditator's Handbook
- By: Ajahn Brahm
- Narrated by: Peter Wickham
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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In Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond, self-described meditation junkie Ajahn Brahm shares his knowledge and experience of the jhanas - a core part of the Buddha's original meditation teaching. Never before has this material been approached in such an empowering way, by a teacher of such authority and popularity. Full of surprises, delightfully goofy humor, and entertaining stories that inspire, instruct, and illuminate, Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond will encourage those new to meditation, and give a shot in the arm to more experienced practitioners as well.
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one in a thousand
- By Yetanotherguy on 11-03-16
By: Ajahn Brahm
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Bastards
- A Memoir
- By: Mary King
- Narrated by: Christina Delaine
- Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Living in Oklahoma with her maternal grandfather, Mary gets a new name and a new life. But she's haunted by the past: by the baby girls she's sure will come looking for her someday, by the mother she left behind, by the father who left her. Mary is a college student when her sisters start to get back in touch. With each subsequent reunion, her family becomes closer to whole again.
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No sugarcoating, no bitterness, just brilliance
- By Michele Sharpe on 06-26-18
By: Mary King
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New Boy
- Life and Death at the World Headquarters of the Jehovah’s Witnesses
- By: Keith Casarona
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Keith Casarona’s story, is a story of one person’s fifty-year journey as a member of the Watch tower Bible and Tract society. Otherwise known as the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Indoctrinated as an infant, Keith would become a fanatical worshiper and raised to believe that this organization known as the Jehovah’s Witnesses was the only organization that was directly ruled by the only true God of the universe, Jehovah. This zeal led to Keith serving as a fulltime minister for two years in Salina Kansas. Because of his dedication, he was invited to serve at the world headquarters of the ...
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Story Too Long
- By fay on 10-21-24
By: Keith Casarona
What listeners say about Shunned
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amanda Tucker
- 06-20-23
Very relatable if you grew up “in the truth” and left
I too, was born and raised as a JW. At 38 I left for the same reasons. It was really reassuring to hear her story and how she thrived after making such a difficult decision. If you’re not familiar with the teachings of the Witnesses, this book is completely accurate in its description of their beliefs and community. Thank you for being brave and telling your story,
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1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 03-03-23
Very informative
is excellent information as a previous Jehovah witness I went through all the same feelings are the same
I am so happy and proud that you were able to get out of this situation
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- Ana Gonzalez
- 10-24-24
Much is lost
My heart goes out to those who leave the Jehovah’s Witness religion. They have so much to lose—family, community, and a sense of identity. This book brought an eye-opening insight into the challenges and emotional toll of leaving, which I wasn’t fully aware of before. It’s a powerful, thought-provoking read that deepened my understanding and empathy.
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- GinnyLee
- 10-26-23
Absolutely amazing
I went through a similar faith transition albeit different religion. Listening to this brought back so many memories as well as intense appreciation for my family who did not shun me. I absolutely recommend this book. It’s beautiful and the performance is outstanding.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 11-25-22
All the feels
This book brought back all the feelings for me. I smiled and cried throughout the whole book. I thoroughly enjoyed this.
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- indicarol
- 09-30-24
Cult life for a woman
Christian cults fascinate me. This author broke out of the life she seemed trapped in and shared herself. What a hard thing to have changed so much.
I recommend reading it.
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- Mei
- 10-07-23
Humanity wins over rigid religious rules
I grew up with parents who had strong values and morals, yet with no organized religion. I’ve seen positive things that religion has done for people, and I’ve also seen the hatred and fear that it can incite by turning nonbelievers into “others”.
This book gave me insight into a faction of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and I always find this type of learning both fascinating and scary… because humans are willing to abandon decency and empathy against other people (in this case their own child) to follow man-made rules that they attribute to a God.
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- sugarsnap
- 03-24-24
Well Written
This was written in a way that was engaging, relatable, and educational. I know others who have gone through a similar struggle so it was great to hear more in depth from this perspective
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- margaret l valentine
- 11-29-21
Exquisite memoir & left me a better understanding of JWs
Very intricate detail of a beautiful life, despite the pain of the Jehovah Witness cult. Very unusual story as I’ve heard many many Jehovah Witness stories. This one stood out mainly because of the thoughtfulness and of the high degree of sensitivity and intelligence of the writer. This person was not cleaning toilets or washing windows.
Extraordinary story. Well worth the time to listen to it. I learned so much.
Obviously the writer is extra smart anyway I loved the story and will go back and listen again.
Beautiful voice telling the story. I was very relieved to see that the writer didn’t try telling the story herself because it always sounds so much better with a professional voice. Hallelujah for that small miracle; it made the listening experience lovely. Thank you!!!
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- sdenise
- 11-20-23
Loved this book.
I enjoyed this book and was saddened when it ended. This book gives me hope.
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1 person found this helpful