Church of Lies
Praise for Church of Lies\ "Flora Jessop's story is raw, courageous, riveting, and a real eye-opener. Once you start reading, you can't put it down. Church of Lies is one more compelling reason why polygamy should not be decriminalized."\ —John R. Llewellyn, author, Polygamy's Rape of Rachael Strong: Protected Environment for Predators\ "This is an important book that sheds light on an ultra-authoritarian secretive community in our midst. Flora Jessop spares no punches in telling her story...
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Church of Lies"My name is Flora Jessop. I've been called apostate, vigilante, and crazy bitch, and maybe I am. But some people call me a hero, and I'd like to think they're right too. If I am a hero, maybe it's because . . . every time I can play a part in saving a child or a woman from a life of servitude and degradation, I'm saving a little piece of me, too."—From the IntroductionChurch of Lies is a stranger-than-fiction story that is torn from today's headlines. It recounts Flora Jessop's painful journey: she was held captive and repeatedly abused, both physically and sexually, only to flee her "family" and find herself addicted to drugs, working as a topless dancer, and involved with violent men. Ultimately, her story is one of redemption. Flora had an awakening that led her to become an outspoken advocate for women and children who are still suffering in polygamist communities. Church of Lies not only tells the heartbreaking personal story of a courageous woman but also exposes the FLDS for what it is—a renegade and abusive cult. Flora says it this way: "I understood that there were others beside myself who needed help—thousands of children and women were suffering in polygamy, just as I had. Condemned to a life of ignorance, brainwashing, and brutality; treated like property; producing as many as sixteen children; dying prematurely, all used up . . . I was so damn mad, I decided I would spend the rest of my life saving every last one of them. Rescuing a teenager from polygamy is like taking someone straight from hell and delivering her to heaven. So far, I've saved a few. But I'm far from done with my journey." Publishers Weekly It is difficult for any person not affiliated with a group like the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) to imagine the motivation for living in such a system. Jessop grew up within the strictures of the FLDS cult, subjected to its forced marriages and rampant sexual abuse. Her story is a harrowing but inspiring account of one woman's determination to break free. She relates in rather stark terms the horror of growing up in the polygamous community, the many pleasures she was denied as a child as her elders pursued a pseudo-holiness, forbidding the joys of childhood but engaging in horrible acts of pedophilia. Following her own liberation, she has worked tirelessly and fearlessly to liberate those who want out of the group. Readers will be repelled at some of what Jessop has to say, but in the end, they will be heartened by her efforts to free others in the grip of the FLDS leadership.A (Feb.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Acknowledgments. Introduction: My Name Is Flora Jessop. Part One: Pligville. 1. The End of Innocence. 2. Home Sweet Home. 3. The Rape. 4. The Great Escape. 5. Little Runaway. 6. The Prisoner. Part Two: Apostate. 7. Married. 8. Gone for Good. 9. No Boundaries. 10. The End of the Road. 11. Shauna. 12. No One’s Property. 13. Family. Part Three: Outlaw. 14. Ruby. 15. Lost and Found. 16. Changes. 17. Rescuing the Fawns. 18. Running Away Again. 19. Laurene. 20. No Sympathy for the Devil. Part Four: No More Pain. 21. Fighting On. Epilogue. Notes. About the Authors. Index.
\ Publishers WeeklyIt is difficult for any person not affiliated with a group like the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) to imagine the motivation for living in such a system. Jessop grew up within the strictures of the FLDS cult, subjected to its forced marriages and rampant sexual abuse. Her story is a harrowing but inspiring account of one woman's determination to break free. She relates in rather stark terms the horror of growing up in the polygamous community, the many pleasures she was denied as a child as her elders pursued a pseudo-holiness, forbidding the joys of childhood but engaging in horrible acts of pedophilia. Following her own liberation, she has worked tirelessly and fearlessly to liberate those who want out of the group. Readers will be repelled at some of what Jessop has to say, but in the end, they will be heartened by her efforts to free others in the grip of the FLDS leadership.A (Feb.)\ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.\ \ \ \ \ Library JournalIn this autobiography, Jessop chronicles her upbringing in a polygamist community and her eventual escape and crusade to rescue other women from plural marriages and abuse. A former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and controversial antipolygamy activist, Jessop, with the help of Brown (coauthor, Escape in Iraq), tells her story unevenly, finely detailing certain events and glossing over others. Her unorthodox childhood is well documented, and her tales of brainwashing, kidnapping, and physical, mental, and emotional abuse are harrowing. Later chapters detail her rebellion against the FLDS, her marriage to her cousin at age 16, her fight to rescue her sister from the church, and her battle against church and state authorities on behalf of women living in polygamist societies. Jessop's story is gripping and her work admirable, but the writing is choppy and slightly formulaic. The dialog is stilted, and Jessop, despite her passion, does not come across as a particularly sympathetic figure. Nonetheless, the story is compelling and timely and will be of interest to some public library audiences.\ —Julie Biando Edwards\ \ \
