Not Without My Sister: The True Story of Three Girls Violated and Betrayed by Those They Trusted - Softcover

Jones, Kristina; Jones, Celeste; Buhring, Juliana

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0007248075 ISBN 13: 9780007248070

Publisher: HarperElement, 2008

Synopsis

The bestselling, devastating account of three sisters torn apart, abused and exploited at the hands of a community that robbed them of their childhood. It reveals three lives, separate but entwined, that have experienced unspeakable horror, unrelenting loyalty and unforgettable courage.

From as early as three years old, Juliana, Celeste and Kristina were treated as sexual beings by their 'guardians' in the infamous religious cult known as the Children of God. They were made to watch and mimic orgies, received love letters and sexual advances from men old enough to be their grandfather, and were forced into abusive relationships. They were denied access to formal schooling, had to wander the streets begging for money, and were mercilessly beaten for 'crimes' as unpredictable as reading an encyclopaedia.

Finally, unable to live with the guilt of what had happened to her children, their mother escaped with Kristina, cutting herself off from her remaining children in a bid to save at least one child. Desperate to save her sisters, Kristina eventually returned to the place of her torture to free Celeste. Years later, Juliana found the courage to escape, knowing that the child she was carrying would be subjected to the same fate if she did not.

Now the three sisters have finally come together to reveal in full and horrific detail their existence within the Children of God cult. Their stories reveal a community spread throughout the world and its legacy of anorexia, depression, drug abuse, suicide and even murder. Lives are ripped apart and painstakingly mended with a shared strength that finally enabled the sisters to free themselves from the shadows of their past.

About this title

About the Author:

Kristina, Celeste and Julianna were all born into the cult The Children of God to the same father, David Jones, who remains a member of the organisation. Kristina and Celeste share the same mother. The three girls were separated from each other and their mothers at an early age and lived in various missions throughout the world under the ‘care’ of various foster parents.

Both Kristina and Celeste were eventually able to escape the cult and study psychology at university. Julianna remained in the cult until well into her twenties, when falling pregnant provided the catalyst to make her escape. Julianna now works in Uganda, where she remains in contact with her remaining siblings in the cult.

Review:

‘A chilling account of life in the grip of a sinister madness' Daily Mail

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperElement
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0007248075
• ISBN 13: 9780007248070
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432