It looks like I've been a slow reader this month with only one audiobook and one book read this month! In my defense, it's been a busy time, and the books are over 400 pages! Besides things may slow down even more pretty soon!!
Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape by Jenna Miscavige Hill
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I was drawn to this book from both my curiosity about Scientology and my love of memoirs. The author was born in 1984 so her experiences are recent, and she tells a simply depressing story about her isolated childhood. Her parents were officers in Scientology and they were forced to work long hours, intentionally separated from each other and their two children. The leaders of Scientology intentionally limit spousal and familial interactions so as not to distract from 'the greater good' of the movement. As a result Jenna would go weeks, and ultimately years without seeing and sometimes even speaking to her parents. The level of brainwashing is simply sickening.
Since her parents were so busy saving humanity, Jenna was raised at The Ranch, a compound for officer's children. Part of their routine included hours of manual labor a day, even at 7 years old, and "school." Their version of school entailed reading an assigned number of pages then being hooked up to a primitive lie detector test to make sure the child understood everything they were supposed to have read. As a result, none of the children enjoy learning, or even learned for that matter. As was a tenant of L. Ron Hubbard (the Founder of Scientology) if one reads past an unknown word, they are the biggest fool. Jenna was raised in dorms, wore uniforms, ate in the mess hall, was subjected to numerous hours-long interrogations, and kept from her loving family. At the same time she didn't develop a sense of despair until much later, as this was all she had ever known, and she bought into the whole 'for the greater good' thing.
The book goes on, some 400 pages. I would have liked it more if I learned more about actual Scientology and if there was a bit more about her "Harrowing Escape" as the title notes. She frequently brings up her uncle, David Miscavige, the leader of the moment, and she wonders how her experience would be different if she were not Scientology royalty, although she certainly wasn't treated as such. When I've brought up this book with friends and family, everyone wonders why celebrities cling to Scientology. I don't have any answers to that, other than that the slaves of the movement are forced to fall to the celebrities knees as an act of desperate fundraising efforts. I'm not really motivated to learn more about Scientology now but you better believe I'll bring up this book if any of my friends bring up an interest in the 'religion.'
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The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Audiobook Verion: I LOVED this book! My knowledge of the Lindbergh family was limited to; Charles was the first to fly across the Atlantic in the Spirit of St. Louis, and their baby was kidnapped and held for ransom. Since this book was often listed with The Paris Wife, a book I loved, I thought I'd give it a try, the 12+ hours flew by. Similar to the Paris Wife, the Aviator's Wife is a work of fiction based on primary sources such as newspaper articles, journals and letters. It's told in first person through the voice of Anne Murrow Lindbergh, Charles' one and only wife.
The story begins when the couple meets. Anne was a senior in College, and Charles had already made his infamous flight. In the time of the great depression, Charles was an All-American Hero, and Anne could not believe he picked her over all others to be his wife. The facade quickly faded as Anne learned Charles is not the most personable or nurturing husband. He treated Anne as his co-pilot (which she quickly became). I don't want to summarize all of the details from their life together, what's important here, is how the story of a mostly single, isolated mom of 6 endured a distant, yet controlling, famous husband. I liked how the book portrays Anne as both strong and independent yet committed to her husband through many, many hardships. In the end she has her 'Take that Charles' moments which the feminist in me really appreciates. The book wraps up upon Charles' death in 1974. I delighted in learning more about the Lindbergh's both through this book, and reading more online to fill in some gaps. I'll eagerly seek out any other books by this author and about the Lindberghs.
View all my reviews
Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape by Jenna Miscavige HillMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
I was drawn to this book from both my curiosity about Scientology and my love of memoirs. The author was born in 1984 so her experiences are recent, and she tells a simply depressing story about her isolated childhood. Her parents were officers in Scientology and they were forced to work long hours, intentionally separated from each other and their two children. The leaders of Scientology intentionally limit spousal and familial interactions so as not to distract from 'the greater good' of the movement. As a result Jenna would go weeks, and ultimately years without seeing and sometimes even speaking to her parents. The level of brainwashing is simply sickening.
Since her parents were so busy saving humanity, Jenna was raised at The Ranch, a compound for officer's children. Part of their routine included hours of manual labor a day, even at 7 years old, and "school." Their version of school entailed reading an assigned number of pages then being hooked up to a primitive lie detector test to make sure the child understood everything they were supposed to have read. As a result, none of the children enjoy learning, or even learned for that matter. As was a tenant of L. Ron Hubbard (the Founder of Scientology) if one reads past an unknown word, they are the biggest fool. Jenna was raised in dorms, wore uniforms, ate in the mess hall, was subjected to numerous hours-long interrogations, and kept from her loving family. At the same time she didn't develop a sense of despair until much later, as this was all she had ever known, and she bought into the whole 'for the greater good' thing.
The book goes on, some 400 pages. I would have liked it more if I learned more about actual Scientology and if there was a bit more about her "Harrowing Escape" as the title notes. She frequently brings up her uncle, David Miscavige, the leader of the moment, and she wonders how her experience would be different if she were not Scientology royalty, although she certainly wasn't treated as such. When I've brought up this book with friends and family, everyone wonders why celebrities cling to Scientology. I don't have any answers to that, other than that the slaves of the movement are forced to fall to the celebrities knees as an act of desperate fundraising efforts. I'm not really motivated to learn more about Scientology now but you better believe I'll bring up this book if any of my friends bring up an interest in the 'religion.'
View all my reviews
The Aviator's Wife by Melanie BenjaminMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Audiobook Verion: I LOVED this book! My knowledge of the Lindbergh family was limited to; Charles was the first to fly across the Atlantic in the Spirit of St. Louis, and their baby was kidnapped and held for ransom. Since this book was often listed with The Paris Wife, a book I loved, I thought I'd give it a try, the 12+ hours flew by. Similar to the Paris Wife, the Aviator's Wife is a work of fiction based on primary sources such as newspaper articles, journals and letters. It's told in first person through the voice of Anne Murrow Lindbergh, Charles' one and only wife.
The story begins when the couple meets. Anne was a senior in College, and Charles had already made his infamous flight. In the time of the great depression, Charles was an All-American Hero, and Anne could not believe he picked her over all others to be his wife. The facade quickly faded as Anne learned Charles is not the most personable or nurturing husband. He treated Anne as his co-pilot (which she quickly became). I don't want to summarize all of the details from their life together, what's important here, is how the story of a mostly single, isolated mom of 6 endured a distant, yet controlling, famous husband. I liked how the book portrays Anne as both strong and independent yet committed to her husband through many, many hardships. In the end she has her 'Take that Charles' moments which the feminist in me really appreciates. The book wraps up upon Charles' death in 1974. I delighted in learning more about the Lindbergh's both through this book, and reading more online to fill in some gaps. I'll eagerly seek out any other books by this author and about the Lindberghs.
View all my reviews
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