After the heartbreaking loss of her own father, the youngest daughter, Mary, found a replacement in Reverend Jim Jones. But as a member of his Peoples Temple in California, she soon became overworked, underfed, and was beaten. Meanwhile, her family back home watched helplessly as she slowly disappeared into Jim Jones's clutches. Then, just as her parents' generation once searched for a better life in a new country, Mary moved with her young family to Guyana.
Jonestown: An American Family Tragedy tells this story. It also includes Jim Jones's personal history, his rise to enormous power, and his catastrophic downfall that left 913 people dead. Readers will learn about life inside Jonestown, its gradual decline, and the truth of November 18, 1978: it was murder, not suicide. Nevertheless, many people today remain attracted to charismatic leaders promising a better life. Yet often these same leaders can often wind up harming them instead: Jonestown still holds a lesson.