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Jesus Land
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
The memoir the New York Times Book Review called "heart-stopping and enraging" and about which Entertainment Weekly raved "Jesus Land will break your heart and mend it again" "Sinners go to: HELL. Rightchuss go to: HEAVEN. The end is neer: REPENT. This here is: JESUS LAND." Julia Scheeres stumbles across these signs along the side of a cornfield while out biking with her adopted brother David. It's the mid-1980s, they're sixteen years old, and have just moved to rural Indiana, a landscape of cottonwood trees and trailer parks--and a racism neither of them is prepared for. While Julia is white, her close relationship with David, who's black, makes them both outcasts. At home, a distant mother--more involved with her church's missionaries than with her own children--and a violent father only compound their problems. When the day comes that high-school hormones, racist brutality, and a deep-seated restlessness prove too much to bear, their parents' solution is reform school--in the Dominican Republic. In this riveting memoir, first-time author Scheeres takes us with her from the Midwest to a place beyond imagining. Surrounded by natural beauty, the Escuela Caribe is nonetheless characterized by a disciplinary regime that demands its teens repent for their sins under boot-camp conditions. Julia and David's striving to make it through is told here with startling immediacy, extreme candor, and not an ounce of malice.
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Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
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Starting the weekend with a memoir from my TBR shelf 🤓

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Sleepswithbooks
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
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Wished it would have been better 🫤 Meh.

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Amandajoy
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
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Pickpick

My May #bookspin. Thought this was an exec Elle that memoir. I had to look up the Escuela Caribe and organization from the book, because it seemed so ludicrous. Unfortunately it was not. (It did not help soften my views for those who have extreme religious views.) I also thought it was a raw examination of “white privilege”, more so because this was written before that concept became trendy and decisive. Solid memoir with a lot to offer.

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 3y
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Amandajoy
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
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Today‘s plans. I‘m going to try to stay off my phone. I might make some tea & popcorn.

MayJasper I like the look of your stack. #bookenvy 🥺 3y
Tamra Love Jubilee - so beautiful and informative. 3y
vivastory Great stack. I think there was a recent documentary based on 3y
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Amandajoy
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
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A memoir themed #bookspin & #doublespin this month.

JenReadsAlot I have food theme! 4y
TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Love it when themes happen by magic!!! 4y
Amandajoy @JenReadsAlot a food theme sounds fantastic. 4y
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Megabooks
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
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Pickpick

Some people who claim to serve the Lord do anything but. Julia‘s parents had four biological white children and two adopted Black ones. While the white kids were grounded, the Black ones were beaten when they misbehaved. (At times to the point of bones breaking.)

When the two youngest get sent to “Christian” reform school in the Dominican Republic, things get even worse. I wish I could say this has a happy ending...😭😭

TW and comments ⬇️

Megabooks ⬆️ I use Christian in quotation marks about both the parents and the people at the reform school because, to me, true Christians are not abusive (especially to children) and racist. TW in the next comment under spoiler tag 4y
Megabooks Adult on child abuse, rape, incest, attempted gang rape, suicide attempts, graphic talk of abortion, animal abuse 4y
Deblovestoread Sounds like an incredibly tough read and one that would make me angry. 4y
See All 14 Comments
TrishB Sounds very sad 😢 4y
BarbaraBB This sounds so harsh 4y
Megabooks @Kdgordon88 @TrishB @BarbaraBB it was an incredibly sad and tough read. While I was reading it, I kept waiting for things to get better, but in the end, it left me depleted and emotionally wrung out. I‘m listening to a less emotional book about women scientists now. 👍🏻 4y
BarbaraBB Like yourself! 4y
britt_brooke Such a difficult read. 💔😔 Off topic, but have you read her book about Jonestown? It‘s worthwhile. 4y
Megabooks @britt_brooke nope, but I just read you‘re review and stacked it! 4y
Cinfhen Wow! This book sounds AWFUL!! #HardPass 😞 4y
Megabooks @Cinfhen it was a hard read, but it was amazing to see Julia‘s strength and resilience through all of her trials. She‘s one incredible woman! 4y
Cinfhen I‘m sure!! 4y
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HannaPolkadots
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
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Pickpick

I devoured this book in about one sitting yesterday. The writing was captivating, and Scheeres really brought out the voice of the teenage girl, I didn't feel like I was reading a clinical, adult version of life as it was. But I don't understand how people can defend treating people the way they did Julia and others in this book. Nor just stand by and watch. Nor justify it with the words of Jesus.

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ShannonOffDuty
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
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Pickpick

Heart wrenching and hard to read. Racism, sexism and religious abuse placed on young children. It's overwhelming but an honest and well written book.

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EliNeedsMoreShelves
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
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Day six - memoir. I found this - about a girl growing up in the heart of evangelical Christian America with her two adopted African American brothers - at the library book sale. Sounds like a great read. #readingwomenmonth #readingwomenchallenge #daysix

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BeckaroniAndCheese
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
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For this afternoon. ☝🏻

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Blaire
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
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I have not read this, but it looks intriguing, especially for a Jewish girl who has grown up in the Bible Belt after moving to the states from Canada. #startswithj #anditsaugust. Need to start reading what I already own. :)

britt_brooke It's a great read! 7y
Blaire @britt_brooke great to hear! 7y
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Ajbsimpson
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
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Pickpick

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Misanthropester
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
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I remember having this exact exchange & fury with my ultra-Christian mom as well, how I burned with shame & rage

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Misanthropester
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
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Early #blerd

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Misanthropester
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
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How do you know Indiana is a shit state? When people long for Florida

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Misanthropester
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
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Today's #bookmail is a copy I won from subscribing to Siel Ju's newsletter

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britt_brooke
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
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"Just as Jesus requires blind faith from his believers, we require blind faith from our students."

Julia's narrative flows like a well-written novel which I appreciate because it broaches some tremendously tough subjects: racism, religion, mental, physical, and sexual abuse.

The school in the DR is only part of the story. Home life was a mess. A tough read, but worth it.

#nonfictionchallenge17

Megabooks 👍🏻👍🏻 great review! 8y
britt_brooke @Ebooksandcooks Thank you! 😁 8y
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britt_brooke
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
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"You see such signs posted throughout the countryside: farmers using the extra snippet of land between their property and the road to advertise Jesus Christ."

This passage instantly reminded me of the sign on I-65 near Montgomery, AL. I'm sure some of you all know it. We used to live in southern AL and would pass it every time we travelled home to KY. It creeped me out even back then (when I still believed in God).

RiotMom Lol we have stuff like this in Virginia. It always makes me laugh. 8y
DeborahSmall Lmao!! We stayed one night in Montgomery last year on our drive from Mobile back to Atlanta. Wish I'd seen this!! 8y
LeahBergen 😂😂 (I like his curly-toed little shoes!) 8y
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Yournewfriendsams Omg 🙈 that's super creepy 8y
saresmoore Oy vey. We have anti-abortion billboards along the highways in Florida that exercise the same level of creepy shaming/judgment/fear mongering. It's weird though, because I'm pretty sure it's all the opposite of the whole Jesus message... 8y
DeeLew 😂😂 I grew up in rural Missouri and it wasn't quite that bad but pretty close. 8y
underthebelljar The most religious signs I've seen here are signs spray painted with "read your bible" and posted on trees. We did have protesters that had quite graphic abortion signs on the side of the road and at the community college for a while though... 8y
lynneamch I'll watch for it and think of you on our way back to TN in a few days. I'm sure my reaction is not the one they are hoping for. 🙄 8y
kspenmoll Very creepy. 8y
britt_brooke @lynneamch I just read an article that said a storm blew it over, but it's supposed to be back up soon. Maybe it'll be up in time for you to see it and cringe, lol! 8y
britt_brooke @LeahBergen 😂😂😂 8y
MyNamesParadise So grateful to not live in the Bible Belt! 8y
britt_brooke @RiotMom It makes me laugh, too, just because it's so ridiculous. 8y
britt_brooke @MyNamesParadise Yeah, it's definitely .... interesting. I've lived in the Bible Belt most of my life. I also spent two years living in Salt Lake City. Now, that was an experience! 8y
britt_brooke @DeborahSmall @Yournewfriendsams @DeeLew @jessreadsbooks @kspenmoll @angrylilasian I'll never understand why some super religious folks are obsessed with forcing their beliefs. I don't care what anyone believes as long as they are decent human beings, ya know? 😁 8y
vivastory I live not too far from Topeka, KS, home of Westboro Baptist Church (cult). Fred Phelps (leader of compound & cult) was so extreme that his obituary in Time magazine said "Good riddance". 8y
britt_brooke @vivastory Those Westboro folks are a special breed of ignorant. 8y
vivastory @britt_brooke If you haven't seen them, I highly recommend the documentaries "Jesus Camp" (2006) & "Hell House" (2001). Both are frightening looks at extreme evangelism. 8y
britt_brooke @vivastory I've seen Jesus Camp, but not Hell House. I'll have to check it out, thanks! 8y
britt_brooke @vivastory We used to live about 5 miles from New Life Church in Colorado Springs which is featured in part of Jesus Camp. Ted Haggard is a piece of work. 8y
vivastory @britt_brooke It's so strange that he is held up as an example of the success of conversion therapy. What a mess. 8y
LauraJ Atheists need to put up more roadside signs. 8y
britt_brooke @LauraJ Right?! 😂 And yet, can you imagine the wacko religious backlash? 8y
[DELETED] 4184155464 I live in Kansas and there are eight anti-abortion signs the three-hour drive from where I currently live to Wichita. I dream of demolishing them every time I make the trip. I believe in God, but I loathe the signs shoving other people's views down throats. 🙄😣 8y
britt_brooke @Purplerach10 Yes, I'm with you. ?? Even though we hold different beliefs, we agree that this type of "advertising" is ridiculous. 8y
MyNamesParadise @britt_brooke oh right with the Mormon population. I went to college in NC, but was on a liberal campus so it wasn't as rampant as if I'd lived in the community. 8y
114 likes28 comments
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jessicabrazeal
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
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Pickpick

Just starting!

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sierra
Jesus Land: A Memoir | Julia Scheeres
Pickpick

Having watched the documentary about the "school" Julia and her brother were sent to, I had to read this book. I wasn't disappointed. Highly recommended.