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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
Over the last decade the slogan "What Would Jesus Do?" has become a motto of many Christians. Sadly, it preceded the time period covered in Jesus Land, a harrowing memoir by Julie Scheeres. But, then again, maybe it would have made no difference.[return][return]Jesus Land is a story of racism, religion and dysfunction in a family that had all the right appearances. In fact, most people probably thought the Scheeres family was a typical "good Christian family." They attended a Calvinist church every Sunday. Dad was a surgeon. Mom was active with church and supported church missionaries. Many in the church are impressed that Mom and Dad adopted some black children into their white bread home to give them a better life.[return][return]Yet as Scheeres makes plain, the surface was merely a veneer over spiritual and emotional rot. This was, in fact, a family whose children were swallowed up by dysfunction. Granted, there was plenty of the Bible, Christian music and religion in the house. What was missing was parental love and nurturing.[return][return]Balance of review at http://prairieprogressive.com/?p=603
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape
Great book. Very difficult to read about what they went through, but well written.
This book was odd to me. Spoilers ahead. My main issue was how the author pretty much ignored the extreme racism her parents showed to David. the epilogue was extremely sad but I couldn't stop thinking about how she still had contact with her parents after everything they did, not only to her but to David.
This book was riveting and SAD. I am drawn to these kind of real-life "here's what REALLY went down" kind of books, even though they REALLY depress me. I think I live for the acknowledgements the author makes at the conclusion of the book that tell me "this was total crap, but some good came out of it."
In Julia's case, I would say the good that came out of it was her love for David, which manifested as self-sacrifice. But I don't know what David's good was.
I'm not sure I'd recommend this book, mostly because the real things that happened to Julia and David are horrifying and make me want to slap every hyper religious, judgmental, evil, abusive freak on the planet. Anyone who raises a family touting Christian morales but beats his children til their arms break is beyond my ability to love. Anyone who preaches Christ as the absolver of sin and then humiliates and emotionally abuses the teenagers in his care on a daily basis would be outside of my definition of "human".
Oddly, God IS capable of loving these twisted people he created. I wish I could be like Him.
In Julia's case, I would say the good that came out of it was her love for David, which manifested as self-sacrifice. But I don't know what David's good was.
I'm not sure I'd recommend this book, mostly because the real things that happened to Julia and David are horrifying and make me want to slap every hyper religious, judgmental, evil, abusive freak on the planet. Anyone who raises a family touting Christian morales but beats his children til their arms break is beyond my ability to love. Anyone who preaches Christ as the absolver of sin and then humiliates and emotionally abuses the teenagers in his care on a daily basis would be outside of my definition of "human".
Oddly, God IS capable of loving these twisted people he created. I wish I could be like Him.
Really enjoyed this book, despite the horrifying things that happened to these kids. I have read a number of memoirs where the story was interesting but the writing style ruined the experience. Not so in this case. The book was well written, kept me engaged, involved and turning pages. Highly recommend. If you liked The Glass Castle, you'll like this one too!
Epic read. What Julia Scheeres and her brother David went through between their home life, and then reform school in the Dominican Republic at Escuela Caribe -- gripping. I couldn't put this book down, and I felt so sorry for what they had to experience at the hands of others, even their own family.
Great, but sad memoir.
Great, but sad memoir.
I have heard people challenge this as untrue. I don't know. I just know if even part of it is true it's an amazing story of survival and love between siblings. I did enjoy the book but my heart aches for all these people.
This book stuck with me for a long time after I finished reading it. It is the type of story that makes you uncomfortable because your eyes are opened to how evil can be hidden behind the best facade; a religious "cult" allowed to treat children in horrific ways under the guise of shaping them into good Christian children.
It is also a story of love and survival.
It made me sad, and typical of memoirs about hard, harrowing lives, it made my heart hurt for humanity in general.
It is also a story of love and survival.
It made me sad, and typical of memoirs about hard, harrowing lives, it made my heart hurt for humanity in general.
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence