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Sex Cult Nun: Breaking Away from the Children of God, a Wild, Radical Religious Cult
Named a Best Book of 2021 by Newsweek and Recommended by People, TIME, USA Today, Real Simple, Glamour, Nylon, Bustle, Purewow, Shondaland, and more!
Educated meets The Vow in this story of liberation and self-empowerment-an inspiring and stranger-than-fiction memoir of growing up in and breaking free from the Children of God, an oppressive, extremist religious cult.
Faith Jones was raised to be part of a religious army preparing for the End Times. Growing up on an isolated farm in Macau, she prayed for hours every day and read letters of prophecy written by her grandfather, the founder of the Children of God. Tens of thousands of members strong, the cult followers looked to Faith's grandfather as their guiding light. As such, Faith was celebrated as special and then punished doubly to remind her that she was not.
Over decades, the Children of God grew into an international organization that became notorious for its alarming sex practices and allegations of abuse and exploitation. But with indomitable grit, Faith survived, creating a world of her own-pilfering books and teaching herself high school curriculum. Finally, at age twenty-three, thirsting for knowledge and freedom, she broke away, leaving behind everything she knew to forge her own path in America.
Honest, eye-opening, uplifting, and intensely affecting, Sex Cult Nun is a complicated family story mixed with an intimate coming-of-age narrative that brings to life a hidden world that's hypnotically alien yet unexpectedly relatable.
Educated meets The Vow in this story of liberation and self-empowerment-an inspiring and stranger-than-fiction memoir of growing up in and breaking free from the Children of God, an oppressive, extremist religious cult.
Faith Jones was raised to be part of a religious army preparing for the End Times. Growing up on an isolated farm in Macau, she prayed for hours every day and read letters of prophecy written by her grandfather, the founder of the Children of God. Tens of thousands of members strong, the cult followers looked to Faith's grandfather as their guiding light. As such, Faith was celebrated as special and then punished doubly to remind her that she was not.
Over decades, the Children of God grew into an international organization that became notorious for its alarming sex practices and allegations of abuse and exploitation. But with indomitable grit, Faith survived, creating a world of her own-pilfering books and teaching herself high school curriculum. Finally, at age twenty-three, thirsting for knowledge and freedom, she broke away, leaving behind everything she knew to forge her own path in America.
Honest, eye-opening, uplifting, and intensely affecting, Sex Cult Nun is a complicated family story mixed with an intimate coming-of-age narrative that brings to life a hidden world that's hypnotically alien yet unexpectedly relatable.
Editorial Reviews
"[Jones's] gripping memoir-like Educated-takes you inside a disturbing childhood and leaves you marveling at the resilience of the human spirit." - People
"Jones bridges entertainment and empathy by penning a page-turning memoir that is not just a fascinating and heartbreaking look at life inside a cult, but ultimately an empowering story of resilience." - USA Today (four stars)
"The no-holds-barred story of growing up in an extremist religious cult preparing for the end of days is hard to put down from its very first sentence. Jones brings us along as she tries to navigate a world few of us can imagine while contending with the conflicts of love, loyalty and growing up." - Newsweek
"The author's absorbing, meticulously detailed description of her early life with her eight siblings in Macau, and later episodes in Thailand, Hong Kong, the US, and Kazakhstan, recall both The Glass Castle and Educated. The extreme poverty, hard work, and over-the-top physical punishment are balanced by a child's-eye view of a fascinating, unfamiliar world…It is engrossing and well-crafted; it is shocking and at times, salacious; it is also seriously important." - Washington Post
"Both inspiring and disturbing, Sex Cult Nun unravels Jones' complicated upbringing, the trauma she endured as a result and her eventual path to liberation." - Time
"In this outstanding debut, Jones recounts her upbringing in and escape from the infamous cult, the Children of God… As Jones transports readers from Macau to Kazakhstan to the United States, Jones skillfully provides the mental framework to understand her past as an indoctrinated individual in hopes of helping others ‘stand up for themselves.' This remarkable account of self-liberation is not to be missed." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Jones...tells her harrowing story in a brisk present-tense voice, lending her recollections a sense of disturbing immediacy...in this powerful book." - San Francisco Chronicle
"It is an extraordinary book, chilling in its account of delusion and depravity, but also inspiring." - The Daily Telegraph...
"Jones bridges entertainment and empathy by penning a page-turning memoir that is not just a fascinating and heartbreaking look at life inside a cult, but ultimately an empowering story of resilience." - USA Today (four stars)
"The no-holds-barred story of growing up in an extremist religious cult preparing for the end of days is hard to put down from its very first sentence. Jones brings us along as she tries to navigate a world few of us can imagine while contending with the conflicts of love, loyalty and growing up." - Newsweek
"The author's absorbing, meticulously detailed description of her early life with her eight siblings in Macau, and later episodes in Thailand, Hong Kong, the US, and Kazakhstan, recall both The Glass Castle and Educated. The extreme poverty, hard work, and over-the-top physical punishment are balanced by a child's-eye view of a fascinating, unfamiliar world…It is engrossing and well-crafted; it is shocking and at times, salacious; it is also seriously important." - Washington Post
"Both inspiring and disturbing, Sex Cult Nun unravels Jones' complicated upbringing, the trauma she endured as a result and her eventual path to liberation." - Time
"In this outstanding debut, Jones recounts her upbringing in and escape from the infamous cult, the Children of God… As Jones transports readers from Macau to Kazakhstan to the United States, Jones skillfully provides the mental framework to understand her past as an indoctrinated individual in hopes of helping others ‘stand up for themselves.' This remarkable account of self-liberation is not to be missed." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Jones...tells her harrowing story in a brisk present-tense voice, lending her recollections a sense of disturbing immediacy...in this powerful book." - San Francisco Chronicle
"It is an extraordinary book, chilling in its account of delusion and depravity, but also inspiring." - The Daily Telegraph...
Readers Top Reviews
PatriciaSarahinwa
I have often wondered what happened to the People in cults when they were no longer considered newsworthy.. This girl speaks out and tells a hard truth. Sometimes it was difficult to follow because of the number of major players in her ljfe. She did a good job of telling her story and the difficulties of leaving a cult..
Avid ReaderPatric
This is a nonfiction book grounded in reality. It is a memoir written by an intelligent woman who grew up in a cult that was an extensive international organization. The first part is grisly, real, heart breaking, and hard to get through. However, the ending brings triumph and positivity into sharp focus. I have always been curious about how people get coersed into such a different lifestyle. How do they lose the ability to have independent thoughts and control over their Own Lives? The book conclusion is amazing and positive. Worth reading for knowledge, strength, and triumph over a tragic childhood.
cynthia savageAvi
Hard to imagine growing up this way, but she is a great storyteller and it’s very inspiring how much she has turned it all around to work in her favor. Thank you for your honesty and transparency in revealing something that is so important for the world to understand.
cindycynthia sava
It was interesting, but the story could have been told in half the amount of pages. It got a little old. I did not know this cult was so bizarre.
Alecia Eggebrecht
I think the book was well written and I would recommend it to anyone that is interested in what it's like growing up in a cult.
