Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape by Jenna Miscavige Hill, Lisa Pulitzer

Jenna Miscavige Hill, niece of David Miscavige, the leader of the Church of Scientology was born and raised in the Scientology cult. She and her family were members of the Sea Org - the inner operating group within Scientology - those who run the group after having signed a million year contract pledging to serve the group in this life and the next ones. Jenna signed her million year contract when she was seven years old. She tells how the church split up her family leaving her and her brother to live at "The Ranch" doing manual labor with many other children while her mother lived in the lap of luxury for several years as a top church leader in Florida and her father worked elsewhere. She explains the physical, mental, and emotional abuse that goes on in the Church of Scientology and how she eventually was able to escape from their grip. The story is well told and easy to read and I could not put it down.
It makes me sad and angry that such abuse is allowed to happen in the USA hiding behind the guise of freedom of religion. I think that freedom of religion should end where the law begins. If something is illegal, it should be illegal no matter what your religion. It always seems that the children suffer the most within religious cults followed by the women. Freedom of religion should NOT mean freedom to abuse people and break the law. I hope that this book helps to bring more recognition to the abuses that go on in the Church of Scientology and other cults and that something can be done to stop this kind of abuse.