Overview

The bestselling, devastating account of three sisters torn apart, abused and exploited at the hands of a community that robbed them of their childhood. It reveals three lives, separate but entwined, that have experienced unspeakable horror, unrelenting loyalty and unforgettable courage. From as early as three years old, Juliana, Celeste and Kristina were separated from their parents and physically and sexually abused by their ‘guardians’ in the infamous religious cult known as the Children of God. They were made to watch and mimic orgies, received love letters and sexual advances from men old enough to be their grandfather, and were forced into abusive relationships. They were denied access to formal schooling and medical care, had to busk on the streets, beg for money, and were mercilessly beaten for 'crimes' as unpredictable as reading an encyclopaedia. Finally, unable to live with the guilt of what had happened to her children, their mother escaped with Kristina and her younger siblings, cutting herself off from Celeste in a bid to save her remaining children. Desperate to save her sister, Kristina eventually began a search to find Celeste,but it would be many years until Celeste found the courage to escape, wanting freedom and a different future for the child she was carrying. The suicide of one of their sisters drove Juliana to exit the group a couple of years later. Now the three sisters have finally come together to reveal in full and horrific detail their existence within the Children of God cult. Their stories reveal a community spread throughout the world and its legacy of anorexia, depression, drug abuse, suicide and even murder. Lives are ripped apart and painstakingly mended with a shared strength that finally enabled the sisters to free themselves from the shadows of their past.

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9780008422561

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'A chilling account of life in the grip of a sinister madness' Daily Mail

Author Information

Celeste, Kristina and Juliana were all born into the cult The Children of God to the same father, who remains a member. The three girls were separated from each other and their mothers at an early age and lived in communes throughout the world under the guardianship of foster parents. Kristina and her mother escaped when she was 11 years old, but Celeste and Juliana were hidden by the cult until they were adults. Celeste gathered the courage to escape in her mid-twenties when she became pregnant, wanting a better life for her daughter in freedom. The suicide of one of their sisters spurred Juliana to leave the cult and reunite with her sisters. Celeste graduated from university and is now a Play and Creative Art Therapist. Kristina runs a community cafe supporting people with learning difficulties. Juliana lives in Italy as a writer and ultra endurance cyclist with the first woman's Guinness World Record for circumnavigating the globe by bicycle.

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