18
Book Review
Born and Raised in a
[SECT]: You Are Not Alone
By Lois Kendall
2016. ISBN-10: 0995556202 ISBN-13: 978-0995556201
(paperback). $17.99 (Amazon.com). 472 pages.
Review by Ashley Allen
I was first introduced to the work of Lois Kendall in the
midst of coordinating the annual clinical lecture series for
Monmouth University, which focused on children raised
in cults. A mentor of mine showed me Dr. Kendall’s poem
“Those Who Didn’t Make It.” This poem resonated deeply
with me, both as someone who had spent 7 years in a cult
as a child and as a social worker engaged in education,
clinical intervention, and advocacy for this population. I
have read the poem every so often over the years when I
have felt weary with this difficult work and all the obstacles
we encounter. The poem reminds me why this work is so
important.
Because of the poem’s impact, I was excited to read Dr.
Kendall’s book Born and Raised in a [SECT]: You Are Not
Alone. This book is a large and comprehensive look at the
experience, both in the sect and after leaving, of people born
and/or raised in sects. Although the book is not set up with a
Part 1 and a Part 2, the flow is such that it could be, with Part
1 focused on in-sect involvement and Part 2 on postsect and
recovery topics.
Dr. Kendall explains in the Introduction that the basis of this
book came from her PhD thesis, which included qualitative
research on two sects. Her most important goal was to write a
book that explores the experience of this population in a way
that is relevant and helpful to them. More specifically, Kendall
works to merge the objective and sometimes distanced
research with the humanness of lived experience. She states
in the first paragraph of her Introduction, “Real people are
behind the research findings reported in this book, and the
voice of real people is quoted in the form of both interview
and autobiographical quotes” (Kendall, 2016, p. xxxiii).
Second, she seeks to utilize the voices of this group to talk
about their experiences rather than the voices of outside
academics or first-generation former members. Finally, she
writes this book for a wide audience, including people born
or raised in sects and helping professionals. She meets these
goals and also contributes some fascinating new areas for
research and clinical intervention. In addition, the book
offers this population the opportunity to understand their
experiences, and avenues through which they can begin to
process those experiences.
The first two goals of her book, to merge the distanced
research style with the personal narratives, and telling the
story in the voice of those born or raised in sects, are closely
related and addressed with many of the same techniques.
Dr. Kendall brings together an incredible amount of research
in this area, including not only published research studies
but also unpublished thesis reports. She then uses personal
vignettes from her study participants and other personal
accounts to augment her research findings. This approach
connects the research findings to real people and the pain
they have experienced. Her most effective strategy is the
use of her own poetry throughout the book. As she tells
the reader in the Preface, Dr. Kendall herself spent the first
17 years of her life in a sect. Therefore, two layers overlap
throughout this book: There are the personal vignettes from
the research reports of this population and the poetry Kendall
has written based on the experiences of others among this
group then there is the added layer of the author being born
and raised in a sect and using her own experiences through
her poetry to tell this story.
Dr. Kendall’s final goal, to contribute a work for both this
population and helping professionals, is met in varying
degrees. Parts of the book are more heavily focused on
research and definitional issues, and these parts may be
difficult for people less interested or experienced in research
to get through. For example, Chapter 2 focuses heavily on
several research studies conducted to determine how/why
people join sects. The findings of each study are reported,
and although this information is immensely valuable to
academics, it may be of less interest to other audiences
in this expanded form. At the same time, others may feel
validated in seeing that quality research exists to support
their experience. These contrasts reflect the challenge of
writing for a wide audience. The research-focused sections
are certainly invaluable to researchers, educators, and helping
professionals and former members without a particular
academic interest may find these sections to be valuable, as
well. This book also is a must-read for any graduate student
or other researcher looking to undertake a study of this
population.
I found three sections in the book of particular interest: the
application of Bandura’s social learning theory (in Chapter
This book is a large and
comprehensive look at the
experience, both in the sect
and after leaving, of people
born and/or raised in sects…
ICSA TODAY
Book Review
Born and Raised in a
[SECT]: You Are Not Alone
By Lois Kendall
2016. ISBN-10: 0995556202 ISBN-13: 978-0995556201
(paperback). $17.99 (Amazon.com). 472 pages.
Review by Ashley Allen
I was first introduced to the work of Lois Kendall in the
midst of coordinating the annual clinical lecture series for
Monmouth University, which focused on children raised
in cults. A mentor of mine showed me Dr. Kendall’s poem
“Those Who Didn’t Make It.” This poem resonated deeply
with me, both as someone who had spent 7 years in a cult
as a child and as a social worker engaged in education,
clinical intervention, and advocacy for this population. I
have read the poem every so often over the years when I
have felt weary with this difficult work and all the obstacles
we encounter. The poem reminds me why this work is so
important.
Because of the poem’s impact, I was excited to read Dr.
Kendall’s book Born and Raised in a [SECT]: You Are Not
Alone. This book is a large and comprehensive look at the
experience, both in the sect and after leaving, of people born
and/or raised in sects. Although the book is not set up with a
Part 1 and a Part 2, the flow is such that it could be, with Part
1 focused on in-sect involvement and Part 2 on postsect and
recovery topics.
Dr. Kendall explains in the Introduction that the basis of this
book came from her PhD thesis, which included qualitative
research on two sects. Her most important goal was to write a
book that explores the experience of this population in a way
that is relevant and helpful to them. More specifically, Kendall
works to merge the objective and sometimes distanced
research with the humanness of lived experience. She states
in the first paragraph of her Introduction, “Real people are
behind the research findings reported in this book, and the
voice of real people is quoted in the form of both interview
and autobiographical quotes” (Kendall, 2016, p. xxxiii).
Second, she seeks to utilize the voices of this group to talk
about their experiences rather than the voices of outside
academics or first-generation former members. Finally, she
writes this book for a wide audience, including people born
or raised in sects and helping professionals. She meets these
goals and also contributes some fascinating new areas for
research and clinical intervention. In addition, the book
offers this population the opportunity to understand their
experiences, and avenues through which they can begin to
process those experiences.
The first two goals of her book, to merge the distanced
research style with the personal narratives, and telling the
story in the voice of those born or raised in sects, are closely
related and addressed with many of the same techniques.
Dr. Kendall brings together an incredible amount of research
in this area, including not only published research studies
but also unpublished thesis reports. She then uses personal
vignettes from her study participants and other personal
accounts to augment her research findings. This approach
connects the research findings to real people and the pain
they have experienced. Her most effective strategy is the
use of her own poetry throughout the book. As she tells
the reader in the Preface, Dr. Kendall herself spent the first
17 years of her life in a sect. Therefore, two layers overlap
throughout this book: There are the personal vignettes from
the research reports of this population and the poetry Kendall
has written based on the experiences of others among this
group then there is the added layer of the author being born
and raised in a sect and using her own experiences through
her poetry to tell this story.
Dr. Kendall’s final goal, to contribute a work for both this
population and helping professionals, is met in varying
degrees. Parts of the book are more heavily focused on
research and definitional issues, and these parts may be
difficult for people less interested or experienced in research
to get through. For example, Chapter 2 focuses heavily on
several research studies conducted to determine how/why
people join sects. The findings of each study are reported,
and although this information is immensely valuable to
academics, it may be of less interest to other audiences
in this expanded form. At the same time, others may feel
validated in seeing that quality research exists to support
their experience. These contrasts reflect the challenge of
writing for a wide audience. The research-focused sections
are certainly invaluable to researchers, educators, and helping
professionals and former members without a particular
academic interest may find these sections to be valuable, as
well. This book also is a must-read for any graduate student
or other researcher looking to undertake a study of this
population.
I found three sections in the book of particular interest: the
application of Bandura’s social learning theory (in Chapter
This book is a large and
comprehensive look at the
experience, both in the sect
and after leaving, of people
born and/or raised in sects…
ICSA TODAY
