The Family

The Family

Paperback (24 Nov 2016)

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Publisher's Synopsis

The apocalyptic group The Family and their guru, Anne Hamilton-Byrne - one of very few female cult leaders in history - captured international headlines throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

Hamilton-Byrne, who some followers believed was Jesus Christ, was glamorous and charismatic - and, many allege, very dangerous. From her base in a quiet suburb, she recruited wealthy professionals to join her cult, including doctors, lawyers, nurses, architects, and scientists. She acquired children and raised them as her own, bleaching their hair blonde to make them look like siblings, and her group became surrounded by rumours of LSD use, child abuse, and strange spiritual rituals.

In 1987, police swooped on The Family's lakeside compound and rescued children who claimed they were part of Anne's future master race. The children recounted terrible stories of near starvation, emotional manipulation, and physical abuse. But Anne could not be found, sparking an international police hunt. Could they bring Anne to justice?

How did such a notorious group come to flourish? How did Anne maintain a hold over her followers? Drawing on revelatory new research, including police files, diary entries, and interviews with survivors, The Family tells the strange and shocking story of one of the most bizarre cults in modern history.

Book information

ISBN: 9781925228687
Publisher: Scribe Publications Pty Ltd
Imprint: Scribe UK
Pub date:
DEWEY: 305.60994
DEWEY edition: 23
Language: English
Number of pages: 274 , 8 unnumbered of plates
Weight: 414g
Height: 155mm
Width: 234mm
Spine width: 23mm