Uncultured

Mestyanek Young’s piercing debut details her unique and trauma-filled life. Narrating her own story, Mestyanek Young recounts her time growing up in the Children of God cult. She is a daughter of the original “family” and is fierce and bold, but none of that protects her. While not explicitly graphic, her recollections are difficult to listen to, particularly when she discusses the sexual abuse of children. In the second half of the book, and perhaps the second chapter of her life, she writes about her experiences as a woman in the U.S. military, which was marked with disillusionment and fear. After escaping the Children of God, she became highly attuned to controlling behavior, a perspective that allowed her to draw uncomfortable parallels between the cult and the military. Nonetheless, she has an impressive military career that she is proud of, as well as important relationships that grew out of her military service.