Book - Grace Of A Different God

Grace Of A Different God
Judith & Brent Nelson
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Product description
What would you do if you were forced to run away from home at the tender age of sixteen? What if you had been hidden away all of your life in a reclusive cult, and knew little to nothing about the outside world? Would you know how to live on your own? Where to go? Whom you could trust?

Inspired by author Judith Nelson's own experiences, this is the story of Grace McGonnell. Raised within an isolated cult of religious fundamentalists, Grace is told by her controlling mother that she must marry a fellow cult member over twice her age. When her protests fall on deaf ears, she and her new friend Lydia decide to run away to Los Angeles, where they are kidnapped and forced into a horrifying world of drugs and sex.

Years later, Grace, now a successful attorney in Atlanta, is shocked to learn that her sixteen year old niece, still trapped within the cult, similarly is being forced to marry an older man – and that Grace's mother, once again, is involved. Grace is determined to save her niece at all costs. Even if it means confronting a past that she would do anything to forget. Even if it means revealing, for the first time, the pain of that hidden past to her husband and children.

The result is a stunning story of survival and triumph. A story of learning how we each should live and choose to treat others. And ultimately, a story of the power of love to conquer pain, isolation and fear.

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This book was amazing.

I got this book while it was free on Amazon - Amazon periodically has some free books on offer and I picked up this book. I am very glad I did so.

I'm always curious about cults and religion - I have my own reasons to doubt a few things that have been ingrained into me, and while I stand firm in my faith, I like to read about other religions, be that fiction or not.

The story was easy to read. The chapters alternates between the Grace then, and the Grace now. The same person, but in completely different state of mind. The younger Grace from the closed knit fundamentalist cult, and the Grace that is free from the organization and having her own successful life. History is about to repeat itself, and so Grace decides to intervene, despite all that putting her successful life in jeopardy.

I got a little bored and annoyed with her husband's wussiness and general lack of a spine, but it would seem everything worked out well. The Epilogue seemed a bit surreal and I think the book would have been better without it.

Very happy to have read this book and now I have a lot of food for thought.