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.
