Beyond Belief - My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape by Jenna Miscavige Hill

From the outside Scientology is one of those weird things that you wonder what it is really all about.  It is very secretive and the concepts that have leaked out just seem so bizarre that I wonder how exactly do people buy into this?

Scientology has been very good at PR and marketing.  It has the celebrity thing going for it, or, at least it did.  John Travolta is still a good frontman, but the bizarre behavior of Tom Cruise hasn't helped their cause recently.  You also have some well known scientologists leaving, most recently actress Leah Remini has made a public exit.  

I was very interested in reading this book.  In fact I was surprised to see it to publicly visible, knowing how much the people on the inside try to hide and downplay what happens on the inside of their world.

Jenna Hill is a survivor of the worst of Scientology.  She was brought up in it.  Most of her family have been Scientolgists at some point in their lives.  Her parents both held high ranking positions and her uncle is David Miscavidge, the current leader of it all.  This is Jenna Hill's personal accounting of her life. She was raised by the so-called church, living at the Ranch for most of her childhood, apart from her parents.  The story she has to tell is worth reading.  It is in many ways very sad.  Hers has been a life of controlled by others and full of brainwashing.  It amazes me that this organization continues to run with charity status attached considering all the atrocities it has inflicted on people.  I am glad that this young woman survived and found her way out.  She now helps run the website http://exscientologykids.com/ .  I highly recommend this book.  It is a fascinating look into one of he most talked about cults of our time.