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Friday, March 8, 2013

Book Review "Beyond Belief" March 2013


Title:  Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape
Author:  Jenna Miscavige Hill
Publisher:  William Morrow
Publication Date:  February 5, 2013
Non Fiction - 416 pages


Book Description (from Amazon):
Jenna Miscavige Hill, niece of Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige, was raised as a Scientologist but left the controversial religion in 2005. In Beyond Belief, she shares her true story of life inside the upper ranks of the sect, details her experiences as a member Sea Org—the church's highest ministry, speaks of her "disconnection" from family outside of the organization, and tells the story of her ultimate escape.

In this tell-all memoir, complete with family photographs from her time in the Church, Jenna Miscavige Hill, a prominent critic of Scientology who now helps others leave the organization, offers an insider's profile of the beliefs, rituals, and secrets of the religion that has captured the fascination of millions, including some of Hollywood's brightest stars such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta.


MY REVIEW:
I have always been someone who is interested in learning about the world's religions so I was looking forward to the opportunity to getting an insiders perspective of Scientology.  The authors writting style was very dry to me and I kept hoping that it would pick up at some point.  But it did not.  Although it was interesting and somewhat informative, I was left feeling that there was so much more that I wanted to know.  Maybe because the author grew up in the this religion and she and her family were so entrenched in it, she had a difficult time telling us, the outsiders, what it is really like and why.  I kept waiting to be told some of the teachings and beliefs of the founder L. Ron Hubbard but instead I just kept reading about these weird sessions.  This story was incredibly frustrating to me.  

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