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Cult Insanity:

A Memoir of Polygamy, Prophets, and Blood Atonement
Front Cover
30 Reviews
Center Street, Aug 12, 2009 - Biography & Autobiography - 300 pages
Life for Irene Spencer was a series of devastating disappointments and hardships. Irene's first book, Shattered Dreams, is the staggering chronicle of her struggle to provide for her children in abject poverty and feelings of abandonment each time her husband left to be with one of his other wives. Irene was raised to believe polygamy was the way of life necessary for her ticket to heaven.

The hard knocks of her environment were just the beginning of Irene's shocking tale. Insanity ran rampant in her husband's family and was the source of inconceivable events that unfolded throughout Irene's adult life. CULT INSANITY takes readers deeper into her story to uncover the outrageous behavior of her brother-in-law Ervil -- a self-proclaimed prophet who determined he was called to set the house of God in order -- and how he terrorized their colony. Claiming to be God's avenger and to have a license to kill in the name of God, Ervil ordered the murders of friends and family members, eliminating all those who challenged his authority.

For those who were gripped by Shattered Dreams, the rest of the story will blow them away. CULT INSANITY is a riveting, terrifying memoir of polygamist life under the tyranny of a madman.

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Review: Cult Insanity: A Memoir of Polygamy, Prophets, and Blood Atonement

User Review  - Marian - Goodreads

This is a truly fascinating account of what it is like to be in a cult. If you are interested in cults but have difficulty with the more academic works then this is an excellent alternative. While it ... Read full review

Review: Cult Insanity: A Memoir of Polygamy, Prophets, and Blood Atonement

User Review  - Amy - Goodreads

Wow...this book took me a long time to wade through. It doesn't have the same zing as other cult books I've read, but the story is every bit as penetrating. The thing that strikes me most about this ... Read full review

All 29 reviews »

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About the author (2009)

Irene Spencer currently lives in AnchorageAlaska, with her husband of 17 years, Hector Spencer. During the 28 years of her first marriage to a polygamous husband, Irene gave birth to 13 children (all single births). She also adopted a newborn daughter, who became her ninth child. Irene has 114 grandchildren. She has 17 great-grandchildren, (four more on the way). Among her many talents, she is an accomplished seamstress who sews for family and friends, she's a great cook and bakes pastries and homemade bread, she speaks Spanish and English fluently and has traveled to 23 foreign countries and 23 states.

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