Details
Synopsis
Ron Larrinaga, a deranged sadist who called himself the "chosen servant of Jesus Christ", held two dozen people (half were his wife and 11 children, eight were the author and her family) in his California compound, where he beat, molested, starved, and tortured them in the name of God.
| Size | | Length: | 258 pages | | Height: | 9.5 in | | Width: | 6.5 in | | Thickness: | 1.0 in | | Weight: | 17.6 oz |
Industry Reviews
Desperate for spiritual affirmation, Rich voluntarily endured years of increasingly vicious and degrading treatment at the hands of cult leader Ron Larrinaga. She was not alone. A Florida court eventually convicted Larrinaga on 42 counts of child abuse and sexual molestation, imprisoning him for 50 years. In this work, Rich and Jose (Sign of the Golden Grasshopper, LJ 4/15/95) vividly re-create not only the grotesque torments they suffered, but also the myopic, heedless trust that tolerates such abuse. An effectively rendered, emotionally gripping account, this work will surely become powerful ammunition for anticult partisans. It is, however, an admittedly unilateral account based on one person's memories: no corroboration or documentation is offered, and even years of occurrence are never specified. Libraries seeking a reliable, balanced investigation of cults and their problems should consider Madeline Tobias's Captive Hearts, Captive Minds (LJ 7/94) and, for reference, J. Gordon Melton's definitive Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America (Garland, 1992. 2d rev. ed.). Possibly for church libraries and, where there is strong interest, in public collections. Bill Piekarski, Southwestern Coll. Lib., Chula Vista, Cal.
Breitman
Rich was obsessed with the subject of religion since childhood. She became a born-again Christian and married a man who shared most of her views but lacked her fervor. Together, they fell under the influence of self-appointed prophet Ron Larrinaga. They and their children joined his ``family,'' and eventually Mary and the children began to be beaten, starved and sexually abused, as were Larrinaga's own children. The core group, with other hangers-on, traveled around the U.S., trying to evade the law, primarily because the children were not sent to school. This life on the lam shut them off from contact with the outside world. Law enforcement officers had trouble closing in on Larrinaga, who claimed he was being persecuted for his religion. After he abandoned Rich, she came to her senses and filed criminal charges against him. Larrinaga, tried and convicted, was sentenced to 180 years. Assisted by Jose (coauthor of Guerrilla in Striped Pants), Rich tells a horror story of life in a cult. Yet while making it clear that the leader was a sadistic sociopath, Rich shows herself to be gullible, to say the least. Photos not seen by PW. 20,000 first printing; author tour. (Jan.)
Bernstein
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