Triumph

Jessop, Carolyn. Triumph: Life After the Cult. New York: Random House, 2010.

Carolyn Jessop grew up in the FLDS (Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints) cult, a subset of the Mormon faith that still practices polygamy. When her oldest daughter was fourteen and about to be forced into a marriage with a much older man, Carolyn chose to flee the cult. Not only did she escape the cult, but she also rescued her children and gained sole custody of them. The story of her flight from the FLDS is chronicled in her book Escape.

Triumph tells the next chapter of the story. Acting on a phone tip, the police in Texas raided a large FLDS compound and removed over four hundred children on the grounds that these children had been abused. Jessop was involved in helping the relief workers to understand the FLDS mindset as well as petitioning that these children not be returned to life in the cult.

I did enjoy this book, but not as much, I think, as I would have enjoyed Escape. Tales of court battles and television interviews are not so interesting to me as what actually happened with the children when they were yanked from the only life they had ever known. I was also interested in learning more about Jessop's own children and how they handled the transition to what most of us would call a "normal" life.

In any case, this book was interesting. It is definitely worth checking out of the library.

The Naming

Croggon, Alison. The Naming. Cambridge: Candlewick Press, 2005.

Maerad has only known the life of a slave. When she was very young, her father was murdered, her brother was kidnapped, and she and her mother were sold as slaves. Later, when her mother dies, Maerad feels completely alone.

Cadvan is a Bard whose chance meeting with Maerad will change her life forever. She is destined for far greater things than her life of servitude. But is she brave enough to face the dangers that her future holds?

I really, really liked this story. The descriptions and details are wonderful, I enjoyed the plot and the characters, and I was easily lost inside this story as I read "just one more chapter" to find out what happened next. I especially enjoyed the fact that this Tolkien-esque tale was only the first in a series of four books, so I am now able to read the second book and continue with Maerad's adventures. This one is definitely worth it, folks.

The Wrong Way Home

Deikman, Arthur. The Wrong Way Home: Uncovering Patterns of Cult Behavior in American Society. Beacon Press, 1994.

It is entirely possible for perfectly intelligent, well-meaning people to be sucked into cults unawares, and it is very, very difficult for those same people to escape and nearly impossible to escape unharmed. This book explores the patterns of cult behavior we can see in American society and how and why well-intentioned people can be deluded by what the cult promises. I found this book to be rather dry and clinical, but an interesting read nonetheless.

The Falling Away

Hines, T. L. The Falling Away. Nashville: Thomas-Nelson, 2010.

Dylan Runs Ahead is on the run. With a drug deal gone bad, two dead men left in the snow, and his partner injured, Dylan isn't sure where to run or whom to trust anymore.

Quinn is one of the people chasing Dylan. She chases Dylan because she is part of The Falling Away, a group that rescues people from cults. Quinn is attempting to rescue Dylan without his knowing because he is one of the Chosen.

Wow. This was an interesting and confusing book. By the time I finished the last page, I can honestly say that I understood most of what happened. I still didn't get it all. The book was interesting, and rather suspenseful, but the plot made me rather confused. I kept waiting for that confusion to clear so I could begin rooting for the good guys, but I was still fuzzy on the details by the time I turned that last page.

If you like odd, suspenseful books, then this book is right up your alley. If you become frustrated when authors are intentionally vague on some details, don't bother with this book. You'll thank me later.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for the purposes of review.

Finding Alice

Carlson, Melody. Finding Alice. Colorado Springs: Waterbrook Press, 2003.

This book gives readers an opportunity to jump into the head of a schizophrenic. Alice at first seems to be like any average college student, until she begins hearing voices and seeing a hallucination named Amelia who convinces her that everyone is out to get her, that her food has been poisoned, that there are no safe people in the world. Eventually, Alice does find help and hope, which brings this story to a very satisfying ending.

I enjoyed looking at the world through Alice's eyes, as disturbing as that view could occasionally be. I also appreciated the treatment of Alice's restored relationship with her mother toward the end of the story. Alice finds healing because there are people around her who show her love and grace, something she was not getting before. This book is a great testament to the power of one life touching another life - not necessarily by preaching or handing out tracts or direct witnessing- but by living and showing love every single day, both on good days and bad days.

I am impressed with the author's ability to jump inside the head of a schizophrenic, and to write a book that is Christian in worldview without being another cheezy fiction book where everyone gets saved by the end. This one, my friends, is definitely worth reading.