Today’s post is on Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape by Jenna Miscavige Hill and Lisa Pulitzer. It is 402 pages long and is published by HarperCollins. The cover is a picture of Hill as a young girl. The intended reader is someone who is interested in Scientology and the people who live in it. There is foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From the dust jacket- Jenna Miscavige was raised to obey. As niece of the Church of Scientology's leader David Miscavige, she grew up at the center of this controversial organization. At 21, she made a break, risking everything she'd ever known and loved to leave Scientology once and for all. Now she speaks out about her life, the Church, her escape, going deep inside a religion that, for decades, has been the subject of fierce debate and speculation worldwide.
Piercing the veil of secrecy that has shrouded the world of Scientology, this insider reveals unprecedented firsthand knowledge of the religion, its rituals and its mysterious leader—David Miscavige. From her prolonged separation from her parents as a small child to being indoctrinated to serve the Church, from her lack of personal freedoms to the organization's emphasis on celebrity recruitment, Jenna goes behind the scenes of Scientology's oppressive and alienating culture, detailing an environment rooted in control in which the most devoted followers often face the harshest punishments when out of line. Detailing some of the Church's notorious practices, she also describes a childhood of isolation and neglect—a childhood that, painful as it was, prepared her for a tough life in the Church's most devoted order, the Sea Org.
Despite this hardship, it's only when her family approaches dissolution and her world begins to unravel that she's finally able to see the patterns of stifling conformity and psychological control that have ruled her life. Faced with a heartbreaking choice, she mounts a courageous escape, but not before being put thru the ultimate test of family, faith and love. Captivating and disturbing, Beyond Belief is an exploration of the limits of religion and the lengths to which some went to break free.
Piercing the veil of secrecy that has shrouded the world of Scientology, this insider reveals unprecedented firsthand knowledge of the religion, its rituals and its mysterious leader—David Miscavige. From her prolonged separation from her parents as a small child to being indoctrinated to serve the Church, from her lack of personal freedoms to the organization's emphasis on celebrity recruitment, Jenna goes behind the scenes of Scientology's oppressive and alienating culture, detailing an environment rooted in control in which the most devoted followers often face the harshest punishments when out of line. Detailing some of the Church's notorious practices, she also describes a childhood of isolation and neglect—a childhood that, painful as it was, prepared her for a tough life in the Church's most devoted order, the Sea Org.
Despite this hardship, it's only when her family approaches dissolution and her world begins to unravel that she's finally able to see the patterns of stifling conformity and psychological control that have ruled her life. Faced with a heartbreaking choice, she mounts a courageous escape, but not before being put thru the ultimate test of family, faith and love. Captivating and disturbing, Beyond Belief is an exploration of the limits of religion and the lengths to which some went to break free.
Review- This is Scientology from an insider was who a true believer and that makes this a heartbreaking but interesting read. Hill was a true believer and loved her religion, she wanted to make a difference with Scientology and its teachings but that is not what happened to her. Her parents were high up in the ranks and left her behind at the place called the Ranch and that is when I knew that it was going to be bad. It was not the worse escape book I have ever read but it was still very chilling at parts with Hill dealing with verbal abuse and people just not understanding that children are not mini-adults. When she decided to leave it was a fight to get out with her husband but that is only the very last part of the book. The book is really about growing in Scientology and what that means. Having classes in Hubbard’s philosophy instead of normal subjects and thinking that the world outside was a sad and dangerous place makes for a very nervous child who is easily lead by those around her. It is impressive that Hill got out and got her husband out too.
I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.
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