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Beautiful Revolutionary
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Check link for latest rating. ( 814 ratings, 126 reviews)
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Beautiful Revolutionary
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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?
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.
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
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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