biography

I hadn’t heard about the Children of God, a radical religious cult founded in 1968. Known variously as Teens for Christ, Family of Love and more recently The Family International, Faith Jones would tell people she grew up in Macau with missionary parents. In reality it was a secretive sect which enforced communal living, unquestioning obedience and practices like ‘flirty fishing’, where women were expected to proselytise by seduction. Faith grew up with an unquenchable need to learn, pilfering books, putting herself through high school and ultimately leaving The Family to attend college. If you liked Educated by Tara Westover, you’ll appreciate Faith’s gruelling journey outwards and upwards.

William Morrow, 2021