I absolutely love this book. I am incredibly interested in religious cults, and especially the leaders of them, and this book offered an unparalleled glimpse into the inner world of the Peoples Temple. Considering that only 5 people who were at Jonestown the day of the tragedy escaped with their lives, Deborah Layton's story is one that 908 other people never got the chance to tell (though she wasn't actually there that day). Layton was a core member of the Peoples Temple and got a very unique peek into the inner workings of the notorious Jim Jones. The experiences that she describes are hard to believe, yet they have parallels into so many other religious cult movements of today. Her escape from the dark world of Jim Jones seems more akin to an espionage movie than real life, yet these events are accounted for in an autobiographical book, not a James Bond film. There is never a dull moment in this book. It's such an easy read because the book is so intense, the pages just flow by.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in reading an insider's view of life in the Peoples Temple. However, this book is not for the weak of heart, and for even the strong hearted, it will probably make you cry. Nevertheless, it is well worth it.
I would also highly recommend the documentary "Life and Death of the Peoples Temple." I found it on Google video, but I'm sure it's elsewhere online. The film interviews two of the people who escaped that tragic day in the jungle, November 18, 1978.
