In a story of liberation and self-empowerment, the author shares her hauntingly intimate coming-of-age narrative of growing up in and escaping from the Children of God, an oppressive, extremist religious cult. Growing up on an isolated farm in Macau, Jones was raised to be part a religious army preparing for the End Times. Thousands of members strong, the cult followers of the Children of God looked to her grandfather as their guiding light. Over decades the Children of God became notorious for its alarming sex practices and allegations of abuse and exploitation. When Jones broke away, at age twenty-three, she left behind everything she knew to forge her own path in America. Her memoir reflects our societal norms of oppression and abuse while providing an exploration of spiritual manipulation and our rights in our bodies. -- adapted from jacket

A (not so brief) history of my family and the Children of God -- The great escape! -- Watch out for snakes -- It takes a village -- Don't work for money, honey -- Train up a child -- Heavenly houris -- A change in attitude -- My sister is a Jesus baby -- Farm life -- Burn after reading -- It's a teen revolution! -- The silent coup -- The grand experiment -- Suffering makes you bitter or better -- The land of much too much -- The new kid in the class -- Gentling and breaking -- Education is power -- Breaking the rules -- All for one means none for you -- Long live the Prophet -- Meeting the prince -- The breaking -- Pretending is the first step to being -- The big decision -- Suffering is never godly -- On my own -- Knowledge and truth -- Never give up -- The truth will set you free -- Epilogue: I own me.