Girl at the End of the World is the fascinating, and often
horrifying, memoir of Elizabeth Esther's life in a cult called The
Assembly. It was very interesting to read of a life so different from
my own, but was also very painful to read. Elizabeth endured daily
"spankings", that were abusive and way overboard.
The legalism the
Assembly enforced was beyond Pharisaical. Like all cults, every action
and even thought was controlled by its leaders.
Although this memoir was often heartbreaking, the author managed to
interject some humor and uplifting moments. Her own parents and
grandparents were leaders of the cult, and while misguided would be a
vast understatement, I do believe they loved her and did actually want
good for her. Elizabeth herself attempts to portray their love, while
being truthful about the life she lived.
I'm sure this story would be most insightful and hopeful to others who
were raised in a cult or some type of radically legalistic environment.
Neither of those conditions apply to my own life, so I am a bit torn
about how to review this book. Although interesting, I cannot relate to
it much, and therefore struggle somewhat with how to apply it to
myself. Certainly it is a good reminder of how much I appreciate my own
freedom in Christ and a valuable warning of the dangers of taking
Scripture out of context, twisting it for my one's own uses.
I received a copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah in return for
my honest review.
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