Welcome to Litsy!

This book blew my mind. Dowd‘s grandfather started his own apocalyptic community years ago. He told followers he would live 500 years. Fire & brimstone/Old Testament was his personal mantra. Dowd‘s father & mother were merciless to their kids. Dowd was basically abandoned and/or punished up thru her teens. How she ended up where she is now-an accomplished writer and professor is astonishing to me. That she forgave her parents is also impressive.

I keep saying “WHAT?“ as I read this book. Dowd‘s mother is constantly reinforcing the cult‘s theory that men are omnipotent and the author‘s grandfather is the ultimate authority. Women are to be silent and subservient unless they‘re working the crowd that has come to their fundraising events. So many quotable and shocking sentences in this book.

A memoir of a daughter in a cult, how she suffers, and what she learns. This cult is what you expect from cults. I do love the info about nature and edible plants. Happy Thanksgiving 🍁🦃 Happy Thursday!

This was….fine/good-ish. I love a memoir and don‘t ever feel right judging someone‘s personal experiences, but I do feel this could have gone a bit deeper for more of an impact. Dowd recounts stories growing up in a super religious community (insular, on a mountain!), focusing heavily on her mother who was a naturalist though neglectful. Chapters begin with information on plants they foraged, which was an interesting touch.

When Michelle Dowd was 7, her family moved to a campsite of sorts in Angeles National Forest. Leased by her grandfather, who claimed to be a Christian prophet who would live to be 500 (surprise? He doesn‘t) the apocalyptic cult had patriarchal rules and a religious doomsday mentality. It‘s vaguely reminiscent of Tara Westover‘s memoir, Educated,” but it‘s rhythm and ending feel different.

I think I‘m finally ready to commit to my #CampLitsy23 nominees!

I went with 3 memoirs and 3 novels, all tagged in the comments. Some common themes seem to be: nature, religion, siblings, queer voices.