Book description
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
treated as sexual beings 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, had to wander the streets
begging 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, cutting herself off from
her remaining children in a bid to save at least one child. Desperate to
save her sisters, Kristina eventually returned to the place of her
torture to free Celeste. Years later, Juliana found the courage to
escape, knowing that the child she was carrying would be subjected to
the same fate if she did not.
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. 'A chilling account of life in the grip of a sinister madness'
Daily Mail Kristina, Celeste and Julianna were all born into the cult
The Children of God to the same father, David Jones, who remains a
member of the organisation. Kristina and Celeste share the same mother.
The three girls were separated from each other and their mothers at an
early age and lived in various missions throughout the world under the
'care' of various foster parents.
Both Kristina and Celeste were eventually able to escape the cult and
study psychology at university. Julianna remained in the cult until well
into her twenties, when falling pregnant provided the catalyst to make
her escape. Julianna now works in Uganda, where she remains in contact
with her remaining siblings in the cult.
