Seductive Poison: A Jonestown Survivor's Story of Life and Death in the People's Temple
by Deborah Layton

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Book Reviews of Seductive Poison: A Jonestown Survivor's Story of Life and Death in the People's Temple

Book Review: Superb account of group psychology
Summary: 5 Stars

Summary of Seductive Poison: A Jonestown Survivor's Story of Life and Death in the People's Temple

There is a simple naivet? at the root of Seductive Poison. Layton's own youthful innocence, foremost, but also the desire to trust another person, the need for belonging and meaning, which led so many perfectly normal Americans to place their faith in a suicidal madman. Far from confirming the simplistically monstrous Jones of the public imagination, Layton paints the man as a dark, twisted shaman, by turns soothing, then suddenly malevolent and petty, with a hugely sadistic streak that belied his perfectly coifed hair, expensive suits, and impressive political connections. The scenes in which she describes her escape and flight to safety are wrenching, her last-minute conversation with Jones and his seductive appeal for her to return home to Jonestown are chilling, and her fear and indecision are still palpable on the printed page. For Layton to recount tales this personal and horrifying must have been tremendously difficult. For her to lift those recollections above the bargain-basement freak-show reputation the People's Temple has achieved in the popular imagination and depict them with the power of great tragedy is nothing but extraordinary. --Tjames Madison

Religious Books

• Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People
• Memoirs
• Specific Groups > General
• General
• Health, Mind & Body > Death & Grief > Suicide
• Religion & Spirituality > Occult > Cults & Demonism