You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
946 reviews for:
Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church
Megan Phelps-Roper
4.15 AVERAGE
946 reviews for:
Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church
Megan Phelps-Roper
4.15 AVERAGE
DNF After about 20%
I want to learn about people who hate me and those I love to try to understand why. But not these people. Not right now.
I want to learn about people who hate me and those I love to try to understand why. But not these people. Not right now.
There are numerous memoirs by former members of the Westboro Baptist Church* (I've read three of them in the last 3 weeks, I'm addicted), but this is by far the best. While similar memoirs--such as that of Lauren Drain and Megan's cousin Libby Phelps--read as somewhat superficial chronologies of their time in the WBC, _Unfollow_ truly takes up the task of a memoir, which is to make sense of or come to terms with a past experience. In doing so, Phelps-Roper accomplishes the extraordinary: she manages to humanize members of this horrendously misguided community of believers, especially her grandfather Fred (founder of the WBC) and her mother Shirley (erstwhile fiery spokeswoman of the church). I firmly agree with statements she has made in interviews that the only way members of this church will come to see the pain they have caused others is through love rather than demonization (the latter of which will only feed into their persecution complex).
This really is a memoir of loving and leaving the WBC. Anyone who has grown up in traumatic or abusive environments will relate to the tension here. Phelps-Roper no longer believes in God (who could blame her after the kind of spiritual abuse practiced in the WBC?), and yet I found a kind of "godliness" in her humble attempts to atone for the pain she has caused others in her life, to continue loving her family despite their ostracization of her, to wrestle with the meaning and purpose of her life when much of it was spent judging others, and to help others see the capacity for us-vs.-them fundamentalism in any human institution, religion, or group identity. The self-righteous hatred the WBC subsists off of is not unique or extraordinary, but ultimately a very real human tendency we must always be vigilant of.
Grateful for this book, for the bravery of its author, and for the ways it taught and challenged me.
* (the Topeka, KS church famous for picketing soldiers' funerals with God Hates Fags signs)
This really is a memoir of loving and leaving the WBC. Anyone who has grown up in traumatic or abusive environments will relate to the tension here. Phelps-Roper no longer believes in God (who could blame her after the kind of spiritual abuse practiced in the WBC?), and yet I found a kind of "godliness" in her humble attempts to atone for the pain she has caused others in her life, to continue loving her family despite their ostracization of her, to wrestle with the meaning and purpose of her life when much of it was spent judging others, and to help others see the capacity for us-vs.-them fundamentalism in any human institution, religion, or group identity. The self-righteous hatred the WBC subsists off of is not unique or extraordinary, but ultimately a very real human tendency we must always be vigilant of.
Grateful for this book, for the bravery of its author, and for the ways it taught and challenged me.
* (the Topeka, KS church famous for picketing soldiers' funerals with God Hates Fags signs)
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Loved this. A great and well written memoir of surviving and moving on from a very high demand religion. Good book.
Honestly, I’m not sure if this story is five stars or not.
But on account of personal reasons that probably don’t matter to Goodreads audiences, I found Megan’s story hit a little too close to home at times for me to give it any less than five stars.
But on account of personal reasons that probably don’t matter to Goodreads audiences, I found Megan’s story hit a little too close to home at times for me to give it any less than five stars.
A good little read here that captures the author's journey from a world driven by bigotry and intolerance to a more positive life. What is truly startling here is the general mundane nature of life in the notorious Phelps family, and the 'normality' of their extreme behaviours. Phelps-Roper does a fantastic job 'owning' the choices of her past, and makes no excuses for her or her family's attitude. I also found some solace in the fact that she credits Twitter with being a critical factor in helping her understand the harm that she was doing to others, and opening her mind up to the value of the diversity of modern life.
Reading this book was definitely a challenge. I found it very hard to empathize with the author and the language felt very stilted at times. Still, it was interesting to follow her journey and it does make me hopeful that others may see the light. It also frightened me that there are people out there who refuse to change their principles even when they’re so clearly wrong (and illogical).
This was an interesting memoir by a former member of the Westboro Baptist Church (maybe not a formal cult but definitely cult-ish). I wasn’t sure what I’d think of this one, especially with the amount of harm caused historically by the author. But, I think she did a good job describing her upbringing vs finally learning that things were different than what her family believed and working to make amends for the harm caused to others.
Very good, took me a long time to read. I’m going to hear her speak in November, so I really wanted to pay attention. Very sad and hopeful. She beautifully and respectfully explained how her family believed these horrible things they preached. The need to belong leads to an “astonishing level of motivation to cohere and conform, no matter the cost”. And this happens in all religions, just not Westboro. I’m so glad she was able to critically think for herself, but sad some of her family are unable to and thus will not speak to her.