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Beautiful Revolutionary

By Laura Elizabeth Woollett
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Check link for latest rating. ( 814 ratings, 126 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Beautiful Revolutionary by Laura Elizabeth Woollett delves into the turbulent world of American cult dynamics during the 1960s and 1970s. It follows characters eager for enlightenment and change as they become entangled with a charismatic leader. The narrative explores themes of belief, control, and the human desire for a sense of belonging, painting a vivid picture of a community caught in the thrall of ideals and manipulation.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are intrigued by stories that delve into the complexities of utopian ideals and the darker sides of human nature. Set against the backdrop of the 1960s revolutionary movements, it explores the allure and consequences of charismatic leadership and the quest for belonging. Perfect for readers who appreciate atmospheric and thought-provoking historical fiction with a psychological edge.

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The thrilling new novel, inspired by Jim Jones's Peoples Temple, from the author of The Love of a Bad Man.

The thrilling new novel, inspired by Jim Jones's Peoples Temple, from the author of The Love of a Bad Man.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The thrilling new novel, inspired by Jim Jones's Peoples Temple, from the author of The Love of a Bad Man.

It's the summer of 1968, and Evelyn Lynden is a woman at war with herself. Minister's daughter. Atheist. Independent woman. Frustrated wife. Bitch with a bleeding heart.

Following her conscientious-objector husband Lenny to the rural Eden of Evergreen Valley, California, Evelyn wants to be happy with their new life. Yet as the world is rocked by warfare and political assassinations, by racial discrimination and social upheaval, she finds herself disillusioned with Lenny's passive ways - and anxious for a saviour.

Enter the Reverend Jim Jones, the dynamic leader of a revolutionary church called Peoples Temple. As Evelyn grows closer to Jones, her marriage is just the first casualty of his rise to power.

Meticulously researched, elegantly written, and utterly engrossing, Beautiful Revolutionary explores the allure of the real-life charismatic leader who would destroy so many. In masterful prose, Woollett painstakingly examines what happens when Evelyn is pulled into Jones's orbit - an orbit it would prove impossible for her to leave.

'Woollett reclaims victims' narratives from sensationalist headlines and re-educates her readers through sharp, expertly crafted fiction.'
-Anne Joyce, Irish Times

'It's a novel that benefits from deep research worn lightly, and from Laura Elizabeth Woollett's sensitivity to the perversity of human character and behaviour.'
-The Saturday Age

'Laura Elizabeth Woollett's Beautiful Revolutionary grabs attention from the beginning, not with narrative hooks but with the sheer penetration of its prose. Woollett's debut novel is an imaginative refiguring of the Jonestown massacre story ... A truly exciting writer.'
-Ed Wright, Weekend Australian

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Beautiful Revolutionary by Laura Elizabeth Woollett has been praised for its rich depiction of the Jonestown tragedy, with reviewers highlighting Woollett's ability to humanise Jim Jones and his followers. The novel evokes the powerful emotions and ideals that drew individuals to the Peoples Temple, exploring themes of faith, manipulation, and the desire for belonging. Woollett's skillful prose, suspenseful storytelling, and deep historical research have earned it acclaim as a compelling and thought-provoking read.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781925713039

Publisher: Scribe Publications

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 30 July 2018

Country: Australia

Imprint: Scribe Publications

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 416

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Laura Elizabeth Woollett Literary Fiction Penguin Books Religion & Spirituality

About the Author

Laura Elizabeth Woollett is the author of a short story collection, The Love of a Bad Man (Scribe, 2016), and two novels, Beautiful Revolutionary (Scribe, 2018) and The Newcomer (Scribe, 2021). The Love of a Bad Man was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Fiction and the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction. Beautiful Revolutionary was shortlisted for the 2019 Prime Minister's Literary Award for Fiction, the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal, and the Kathleen Mitchell Award. Laura was the City of Melbourne's 2020 Boyd Garret writer-in-residence and a 2020-22 Marten Bequest scholar for prose.

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