Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Oracle’s Daughter:
The name kinda gives it away.
Quick synopsis:
The story of the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps. Yes, that’s actually the name.
Fact for Non-History People:
There are estimated to be about 10,000 cults in the U.S.
Fact for History Nerds:
California has the highest concentration of cults which checks out.
My Take on The Oracle’s Daughter:
Listen, I love a good cult book. Chances are, if the author does their job even slightly well, I am going to have a good time. That said, Harrison Hill’s The Oracle’s Daughter is going to go down as one of my favorites. What sets it apart is going to sound like I am damning it with faint praise, but the best part is the simplicity. Hill just tells the dang story. Simple but effective.
Hill chronicles the story of the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps (ACMTC) which might be the worst cult name of all time. For the sake of clarity, I am going to refer to people in the book by the name that is used for them most often in the book. Yes, this is one of those cults where they keep renaming people. I wish that was the worst thing they did, but it is still annoying all the same. Anywho, the main characters are Deborah, the head cult leader, her daughter Sarah (the titular Oracle’s Daughter), and Maura, one of the original believers who started the downfall.
Hill just sticks to the story of these three. There are a few short chapters in between the action where he adds some more sociological understanding around American cults, but they serve as additional information rather than a thread. (Bonus point: Hill has the best definition of a cult I have seen.) Otherwise, it’s Deborah and Maura and then the narrative moves over to Sarah. Crucially, Hill does not make excuses for his characters even when they are clearly the heroes of the story. Sarah, specifically, makes some choices that I know I personally was enraged by. Hill doesn’t shy away from these issues and makes it clear he is seeing them right along with the reader.
Readers should be aware that there is material in here which you should expect from any out-of-control cult (e.g. sexual assault, child abuse, etc.). Hill is never gratuitous with the events, but they are central to the story and thus need to be told. Like everything else, Hill gives you precisely what you need to understand this story. It’s a must-read.
(This book was provided as a review copy by NetGalley and Scribner Books.)
Verdict:
It’s a cult book. Of course you should read it. Buy it here!
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