Beyond Belief by Jenna Miscavige Hill - Book Review

Book: Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape

Author: Jenna Miscavige Hill, with Lisa Pulitzer

Genre: Non-Fiction / Memoir 

Publisher/Publish Date: William Morrow / January, 2013

Source: Public Library

Pages: 416

Rating: 3.5/5

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Raised as a Scientologist, and the niece of the church's leader David Miscavige, Jenna Miscavige Hill decided to leave at the age of 21, breaking free of all she had ever known. Hill provides a unique, insider look at the secretive church. Her childhood was spent separated from her parents, days filled with labor and discipline, and forced to grow up at an early age.

It's shocking to hear what her parents allow to happen to her, and how different her childhood is from the average American. Her isolation from the rest of the world keeps her from knowing what is "normal" and keeps the rest of us from knowing the pain that these children are going through.

This book is a good companion to Going Clear, since this is a look at Scientology from the inside. A look at what the rules of the religion really look like when played out upon a family and the secrets and lies that the church is rooted in. The book is mostly about Hill's personal experiences, but give you a broad idea of the culture and inner workings of the church.