The Girl From Jonestown

I enjoy books that are inspired by real life/true events. The Girl from Jonestown is inspired by the true events which occurred in Jonestown. Jonestown aka The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project in Guyana was a cult run by Jim Jones. It is where the followers drank the laced Kool aid and over 900 people died.

In this book, Zoe has returned to Guyana after losing her husband and child. She can’t help but hear the sounds in the night. She is used to the sounds on the jungle, but not of hearing music and cries in the night. She is told about Jim Jones and the Americans living in the Jungle. After a chance encounter with one of his followers, Lucy who asks for help, Zoe does everything she can to help Lucy even when her family and the locals warn her not to.

I found this gripping book to be hard to put down. Most of us have heard about Jonestown and the tragedy that occurred there. The author does not make light of the atrocities that occurred at Jonestown; she shows them with care and with grace. Her research was remarkable, and her writing was suburb. Maas highlights the courage of one woman asking for help and of another who does everything she can to do just that – to help. Zoe is a great character and at times I rooted for her and at times I wanted to urge her to listen to the warnings. She is a smart, brave, and savvy character.

This was a captivating and thought provoking book as well. It had me pondering many things while reading it. Courage and what it means. How people turn blind eyes while others don’t have it in them to ignore what they know to be wrong.

Fans of history fiction, history or books with cults will not be disappointed.

Gripping, powerful, hard to put down and captivating!

#AHomefortheLost #NetGalley

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.