Shunned Audiobook By Linda A. Curtis cover art

Shunned

How I Lost My Religion and Found Myself

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Shunned

By: Linda A. Curtis
Narrated by: Emily Ellet
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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.

©2018 Linda Curtis (P)2020 Tantor Christianity Religious Studies Inspiring Heartfelt Thought-Provoking Jehovah Witness Memoir
Compelling Memoir • Honest Storytelling • Excellent Narration • Emotional Journey • Insightful Perspective
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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.

Much is lost

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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.

Absolutely amazing

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This book brought back all the feelings for me. I smiled and cried throughout the whole book. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

All the feels

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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.

Cult life for a woman

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As someone whose life purpose is devoted to helping people break free from authority dependency and reconnect with their inner truth, I can say without hesitation that Shunned is one of the most important books I've encountered on this path.

Linda Curtis tells her story with such clarity, intelligence, and grace that I found myself completely captivated. I listened to the audiobook and couldn't stop. I finished all ten hours and twenty-six minutes in just two days. The narration was excellent, but it was the strength of Linda's storytelling, her honesty, insight, and grounded perspective that truly pulled me in.

Whenever I truly love a book, I buy the hard copy after listening to the audio version. Shunned absolutely earned a place on my bookshelf. I wanted to hold it in my hands, underline passages, and keep it close as a reminder that we can walk away from the systems that no longer align with who we truly are, and we can do so with dignity, love, strength, and self-trust.

I recommend it for anyone, especially those questioning high-control environments, religions, or communities, who is yearning to honor their truth and live a life that is dedicated to self-responsiveness and inner soul alignment.

Rave Review for Shunned by Linda Curtis

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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,

Very relatable if you grew up “in the truth” and left

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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

Very informative

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This book held my attention beginning to end. I learned a lot about the Jehovah religion that I never knew. And aside from that the story was very interesting and narrator is perfect!

outstanding

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I’ve read other books written by shunned JWs. I no longer need to write one myself. Linda Curtis wrote what I have experienced and expressed my feelings so eloquently. I was brought to tears and brought to peace. Thank you.

Emotionally stirring

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Beautiful story of a woman learning to listen to her inner voice, rather than the voice of an organized religion…

Honest and Unapologetic

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