Sectarian Song: Cult Escapist [Paperback]

Michael Klein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 6, 2009

From its shocking opening sentences, Sectarian Song provides a terrifying first-hand look at life inside a cult, in this instance the infamous Nation of Yahweh. Michael Klein (not the author’s real name) joined this offshoot of the Black Hebrew Israelites at the age of eleven, when his mother brought him and his three siblings with her into the group. For two years, until he left at the age of thirteen, Klein suffered abuse at the hands of the zealot cult members, targeted for being a child of mixed race. Even after he escaped, Klein suffered a psychological toll, bouncing between foster homes and psychiatrists, spending years of his life looking over his shoulder, haunted by fear. Despite its grim, often violent early passages, Klein’s tale becomes one of hope and faith, an uplifting lesson in the power of the human spirit.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Klein is a pseudonym. Despite the recent death of Temple of Love leader Yahweh ben Yahweh, the author’s fear of reprisals from his former captors lingers to this day. While his name may be false, his story is completely true.

Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (January 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439219192
• ISBN-13: 978-1439219195
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #915,444 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Nightmare Conquered By Courage and Love, February 27, 2009

By 

G. Reba (Panama City, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sectarian Song: Cult Escapist (Paperback)

In our world of technology and advancements, it is sometimes hard to envision mankind choosing to remain in the "dark ages". The "Sectarian Song" formally introduces the reader to those who would rather poison the minds and souls of its followers, than nurture growth or change. As a child, he along with his two brothers and one sister, we forced to join the "Nation of Yahweh" at the behest of their mother. They believed they were leaving a bad situation for a better life, only to discover that this "life" was really a well disguised hell on earth. This discovery was made almost daily by these poor children and the tyranny and battering they received was horrifying. Although author Michael Klein managed to physically escape the terror he was accosted by as a child, he is still haunted by the psychological effects today. His heroic effort to expose the many forms of abuse suffered by the members of the so called "Temple of Love" still shows the fear ingrained within his being, as he wrote this work under a pseudonym to protect himself. These many years later, with the leader "Yahweh Ben Yahweh", a self-proclaimed "messiah", dead and gone, his unfortunate legacy lives on within the survivors. Every step they make toward self-healing and acceptance, making them a step closer to sponging his stain from their souls.

For a look within the shadowed lives held by many cult victims, and the darkness that can seep from mankind's soul when led with hate instead of love, read this harrowing tale and aim to "make good" in the lives you touch.

5.0 out of 5 stars Sectarian Song: Cult Escapist, March 6, 2009

By 

Adrew Stankevich - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sectarian Song: Cult Escapist (Paperback)

Absolutely incredible. The author is not the best writer in the world, but the story is so powerful, real and personal that it easily makes up for any lack of style or grammar; the book is completely engrossing, stunning and heartbreaking.

Best wishes to the author... I hope he finds the peace he seeks.

5.0 out of 5 stars A child's Assault Against Inhumanity., March 2, 2009

By 

Rseifert - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sectarian Song: Cult Escapist (Paperback)

This story is told through the mind of a young lad named Michael. He starts the story about his life at a very young age and leads us through his years as a forced member of the Nation of Yahweh. Michael talks about the torture he, his brothers and sister experienced from the elders of the cult. We learn how the children were forced to go out and beg for money on the street, and what would happen to them if they did not bring in their allotment.

As you read this book you will experience the emotions of horror and hatred for the child abusers, to the hope of survival for the children as they find scraps of food and a possibility of escape. I hope that there will be a day when this type of story will happen only in fiction and never in reality.