Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Girl From Jonestown by Sharon Maas. Read on for more info and my review.
The woman looked at me, anguish brimming in her eyes. I picked up the note she’d left and read the scrawl: HELP!!! Then: Mom. Followed by a number.
A gripping and heartbreaking read, based on the true story of the Jonestown cult, one of the darkest chapters in American history.
When journalist Zoe Quint loses her husband and child in a tragic accident, she returns home to Guyana to heal. But when she hears cries and music floating through the trees, her curiosity compels her to learn more about the Americans who have set up camp in a run-down village nearby. Their leader, Jim Jones, dark eyed and charismatic, claims to be a peaceful man who has promised his followers paradise.
But everything changes when Zoe meets one of his followers, a young woman called Lucy, in a ramshackle grocery store. Lucy grabs Zoe’s arm, raw terror in her eyes, and passes her a note with a phone number, begging her to call her mother in America.
Zoe is determined to help Lucy, but locals warn her to stay away from the camp, and as sirens and gunshots echo through the jungle at nightfall, she knows they are right. But she can’t shake the frightened woman’s face from her mind, and when she discovers that there are young children kept in the camp, she has to act fast.
Zoe’s only route to the lost people is to get close to their leader, Jim Jones. But if she is accepted, will she be able to persuade the frightened followers to risk their lives and embark on a perilous escape under the cover of darkness? And when Jim Jones hears of her plans, could she pay the highest price of all?
A powerful and unputdownable novel inspired by the true story of Jonestown, about a woman’s brave attempt to save people who were promised paradise but found only lies. Fans of Where the Crawdads Sing, Before We Were Yours and The Girls will be captivated by The Girl from Jonestown.
Review
As soon as I read the title of this novel, I knew I needed to read this. I’m a big true crime consumer and I have read a lot about the tragedy of Jonestown. The Girl From Jonestown by Sharon Maas is based on the true events of Jonestown. Jim Jones was the leader of the cult who convinced 900+ followers to drink laced cool aid.
This is a poignant story that was difficult to put down. It is very well written and clearly researched. I love the author took the time to share this tragedy with grace and didn’t make light of it.
This is a story of courage. It had me thinking long after I’d finished reading. I enjoyed this quite a bit. The writing is captivating and Sharon Maas is a talented author. If you enjoy historical fiction this
Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for the review copy and the spot on the tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
Rating
4★
Sharon Maas was born to politically active parents in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1951. She was educated in England, Guyana, and, later, Germany. After leaving school, she worked as a reporter with the Guyana Graphic in Georgetown and later wrote feature articles for the Sunday Chronicle as a staff journalist. Sharon has always had a great sense of adventure and curiosity about the world we live in, and Guyana could not hold her for long. In 1971 she set off on a year-long backpacking trip around South America, followed by an overland trek to South India, where she spent two years in an ashram. She lived in Germany for forty-three years and now lives in Ireland. She is the author of The Violin Maker’s Daughter, The Soldier’s Girl, Her Darkest Hour and many other novels.
https://www.sharonmaas.com/
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Jessica Belmont 
Wonderful review. I really enjoy the author’s books as well. She writes such emotional stories and I love the detail she includes in her books.
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