Girls in the Cult

Girls in the Cult is a journey into understanding the Old Order Mennonite religion. The book provides answers for "free thinkers" who ask: Why would people of a religion systematically program their children to fear the outside world? Why would the people of a religion limit a child's education to eighth grade? Why would people of a religion make their members live in the past? What could prominent Dr. Erik Erikson and his "Eight Stages in Life" say about the people of my childhood religion? How does the Amish in the City television show fit into this book?

Girls in the Cult is a first-hand account of my Old Order Mennonite childhood. As a little girl, I asked my mother who I was. Her reply that we were just pilgrims passing through this world on our way to our heavenly home didn't satisfy me. Years later I searched to learn the answer, which comprises this book. My surprising self-discovery is told with clarity, honesty, and in good old-fashioned storytelling.