This book was heartbreaking. If you're reading it, you probably know the ending, and you may even know a plethora of details about the Jonestown massacre. Fiction, however, can bring life to facts and transform them to wrench at your heart in a way that reading numbers and dates on Wikipedia never could.

Obviously, a fictionalized account of cult activities may be triggering for some people, so proceed with caution if you think that may be the case for you. I do, however, highly recommend this book! Fiction based in historical fact is my absolute favorite genre, as it brings life to otherwise static events for me.

Thank you to Sharon Maas, Bookouture, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

"From Patsy's scripted talk and the propaganda film I knew they viewed their home as one of the twentieth century's most advanced experiments in communal living."

In the book, we meet Zoe, a travel journalist returning to her home in Guyana after three years of escaping from her own terrors. As she stays with family for a while, she becomes aware of Jonestown, and comes to see it as a final project, hoping to write an exposé, while also rescuing one of the women who cried out for help. It was in the initial chapters, told through both Zoe and Lucy's perspective, that I found myself hooked by the story and needed to know how it would end (though, as with all fictionalized historical accounts, we really already know how it ends).

I have to admit that before reading The Girl from Jonestown, I was only vaguely familiar with the story of a mass suicide occurring in Guyana, in a community called Jonestown after its main personality: Jim Jones. Nevertheless, I am always on the lookout for historical novels that will teach me about the pieces of history I am as of yet unfamiliar with. With the book being lauded for those who enjoyed Before We Were Yours and Where the Crawdads Sing (two of my recent favorite reads), I knew this one would be up my alley, and largely it was.

I loved the luscious descriptions of the Guyanese jungle, as well as the hustle and bustle of Georgetown, and the oddity that is Jonestown. I thoroughly appreciated the author making use of very real sources to showcase Jim Jones' thoughts and rhetoric. While I wasn't Zoe's biggest fan (at times finding her overzealous and disregarding her own safety to an extent I found difficult to believe), I appreciate she was necessary to tell the story. And what a story... Though not for the faint of heart, and likely with a whole slew of trigger warnings, if you enjoy historical fiction, particularly those pieces based on real events, this is a must read.

Absolutely fantastic read!

Very captivating could not put this down!

Will definitely be getting a getting copy when it’s released.

Not my usual genre, but a really great read

The Girl from Jonestown by Sharon Maas

Published: June 23, 2022
Bookouture
Pages: 416
Genre: Women’s Fiction
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Sharon Maas was born into a prominent political family in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1951. She was educated in England, Guyana, and, later, Germany. After leaving school, she worked as a trainee reporter with the Guyana Graphic in Georgetown and later wrote feature articles for the Sunday Chronicle as a staff journalist.

“My pen was the sword with which I’d conquer evil.”

Zoe has come home after traveling in an attempt to outrun her grief. And home is everything she longed for until she hears about the strange Americans who have set up a compound near her home. The recordings that play at all hours, running in time with the jaguars and mosquitos. The investigative journalist inside Zoe is interested, despite everyone telling her to stay away. That only fuels her curiosity. When Jonestown is your neighbor, how can you not want to know what’s happening?

I really enjoyed this novel. I loved the mix of historical facts with fiction, and found the story engaging and exciting.

I loved the complexity of the characters, and the emotional turmoil that surrounded the plot. I think the plot of this book was well done.

Taking a well known tragedy and making it the center of a fictional story was brilliant, and I enjoyed the story as it was unfolded.

The manic was captured beautifully, and the fear was well represented. Sharon Maas took the tragedy of Jonestown and added her own fictional spin to it, and it worked.

This was such a powerful novel, filled with fear, corruption, power, and hope. I found Maas taking facts, like Jim Jones being shot in the head, and working that into her story and giving characters that power well done.

This was a well researched, beautifully written book. The balance between fact and Fiction were choreographed and executed to well. This book mixed true crime and a dynamic plot to bring a beautifully devastating novel to life.

I picked up A Home for the Lost because the cover mentioned similarities with The Girls, and I can see why. This really put you in the middle of the Jonestown cult through the personal stories of Lucy and Zoe. A great imagining of what life was like for those involved, heart breaking and atmospheric.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy.

The sixties were a time of cultural revolution in the United States. Disaffected people fled the country and joined a cult headed by Jim Jones called Jonestown in Guyana.

Reverend Jones had taken a thousand or more men, women and children to his ‘utopian stronghold” so that they might live the good life. The problem was that he was a megalomaniac who was out of touch with reality.

Zoe is a freelance investigative reporter who wants to go and report on the enclave. Zoe is assisted by a U.S. Congressman named Ryan. The US congressman named has been hearing rumors of a very different and frightening encampment in the jungle. What they find is far from the utopia promised!

The living conditions are adequate but one of the residents begs Zoe to help her escape Jamestown. Zoe’s adventures spread a bright light on a very despotic environment. The book shows the horrendous results of a planned utopian community gone very wrong.

This is a very dark exposé of a footnote in American history in the 1960’s. Read the book and weep over the nearly 700 that drink poisoned Kool-Aid to escape this troubled world. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

This was a good book that gives a fiction take on the Jonestown massacre. I found it interesting and it kept me engaged and felt it also shows how foolish people are when they allow a charismatic religious leader to cloud common sense and good judgment.

Sharon Maas does it again. Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. Transported right into the centre of history Johnstown comes alive in all it’s terrifying reality.

The author created a great story as she blended fiction with this piece of history about The Jonestown Massacre in Guyana, a horrible event where more than 900 members of the Peoples Temple ended up dyeing in a mass-suicide under direction of Jim Jones, their leader
The main person in this story is Zoe a young Guyanese woman who after losing her husband tragically, and having traveled for three years, to get over it, has returned to Guyana to write about her adventures in different parts of the world.
She ends up going to stay with her grandparents in the Northern part of Guyana where it would be quiet for her to writing. The spot where she was staying was close to Jonestown, and at night she would hear loud speakers, gun shot and different disturbances coming from the jungle. One day when she went to the small local store, she ran into a couple of people from Jonestown, buying supplies. One girl pleaded with her to please save her, to call her mother but not to trust people either.
This sparked an interest, and Zoe became obsessed with writing an article about the community.
There are so many details and people involved that I will let you read it. The story is very well put together and a lot of it will keep you on the edge of your seat in anxiety.
I have loved all of this authors books.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book.

A Home for the Lost by Sharon Maas. Pub Date: June 23, 2022. Rating: 3 stars. Oof, this one is a tough one. Based on the Jonestown cult, this one caught my eye because I have always had a strange fascination with cults. But, I think this one needs trigger warnings for murder, massacre, pregnancy loss, mental manipulation and the list could go on from there. This book was chilling, eye-opening but tough to read. If you can stomach the horrors of this scenario in time and have a fascination with history surrounding cults, then pick this one up. This is not for the faint of heart though and was a depressing read to say the least. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley #ahomeforthelost #bookouture

Based on the horrendous Jonestown massacre, this novel is beautifully written through alternating points of view from two women, A freelance journalist Zoe (a native Guyanan who has returned from traveling the world and is still devastated by the tragic death of her husband and child) and a black American mother Lucy, a member of the Jonestown Cult who has seen the writing on the wall and is trying desperately to escape.

Zoe sees Lucy's desperation and pure fear in a brief chance meeting when she manages to slip her a note. Determined to help her, despite being repeately cautioned to stay away, she appeals for help at the American Embassy but, afraid that Congressman Ryan's promised delegation may be too late, she decides that by accessing Jonestown as a sympathetic journalist she may be able to rescue Lucy herself. A thrilling rollercoast read follows her actions to try to persuade people to leave and the terrifying escape attempt.

Be warned the author doesn't hold her punches when describing the horrors of the White Night (where the death toll exceeded 900, including some 300 children), the utter madness and self delusion of Jim Jones and the sheer thrall his followers held him in.

A powerful solid 4 star read recomended those who love books about cults, want to know more about Jonestown, or those just love Historical Fiction/Thrillers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

What an emotinal book to read this was. It portrays just how easy it is to get puilled into a way of life where your own will and thought no longer matter. It tells the story of a cult that preyed on the vulnerable and thought that they were going to live a ddream life where black peope felt welcome. This soon changed as the cult leader became unstable and a ruthless cult leader took advantage of this.

Even though it happened before I was born, I was aware of the bare facts of the Jonestown Massacre. It's one of those crimes so enormous, so dreadful and so unusual that it has entered the collective consciousness. But there was a lot I did not know about it. This novel is set immediately before and during the mass murder, using fictional characters to create a tense thriller that also sheds light on the extraordinary and terrible reality of what happened there.

Most of the characters, apart from the most famous key players, are fictional. Most of the novel is from the perspective of Zoe, a Guyanese journalist who goes to stay with her family in a very remote jungle region of the country. Zoe is still recovering from the loss of her husband and child and hopes she will find peace and calm in the rural area. But instead she discovers a strange group of Americans have settled in the jungle nearby, calling their camp 'Jonestown' after their leader. At night the jungle echoes to the paranoid loudspeaker announcements of their leader. When Zoe encounters a terrified young woman from the camp in the village shop, she can't resist the opportunity for a good story, as well feeling a strong desire to help the woman. But Zoe may have underestimated just how dangerous the situation in Jonestown is, and the deeper she becomes involved, the more at risk she is herself.

The majority of readers will know enough about the massacre - the very fact that it is called that - to know roughly how things are going to turn out. But by using an external character, and fictional ones, the reader can't know for sure what the specific outcome for these characters will be. There's also a horrible fascination with understanding just how this dreadful thing could have happened. Although the cult leaders had threatened a mass suicide previously, it had usually been seen as a hollow threat. How could a thousand people - including parents with their young children - all be persuaded to kill themselves?

'A Home for the Lost' does a pretty good job of making you understand how things might have unfolded and of describing the atmosphere in the camp, the fear and hopelessness. It's also clear that those who committed 'suicide' in reality had very little choice in the matter - armed guards were ready to shoot anyone who did not drink the poison. The fear and hopelessness of the Jonestown 'residents' (prisoners being a more accurate description) left them completely vulnerable.

The author is Guyanese, which lends the book an authenticity - even though as she says in her afterword, it was not really a 'Guyanese' crime as such. It was an American crime that just happened to take place in Guyana, and could just have easily have been in any remote rainforest location. But it gives a clear reason for the author to be writing about it, not just morbid curiosity or through seeing it as good literary material. It's also clear in the afterword that she has collaborated with families of the survivors, and the book is done in a respectful way that never shies away from the horror of what happened or sees the people who suffered there as anything other than victims. I feel that it gave me an insight into what happened and a greater sympathy for those involved - it's too easy when you know little about it to assume the dead were willing participants in their own demise.

Naturally, this is a book with some very upsetting themes including suicide, the death of children, and sexual coercion. Those who avoid these topics should steer clear. It is not gratuitous, but it is also unflinching. The story is compelling, and the writing style flows well and is very readable. I liked the characters, and Zoe makes a great central character. She manages to be tough and capable without being some sort of unrecognisable superwoman - she's very real. This is quite rare - in the desire to create 'strong female' leads, many writers go too far and write people who are not relatable. Zoe is not like that. Whilst the 'thriller' plotline featuring her is perhaps a bit far fetched and strays a bit from the facts of what happened, it does make for a good story.

If you like novels about true crimes, or psychological thrillers, this is a good choice - assuming you are all right with the 'trigger' topics above. It's also a good way to gain a greater understanding of the detail behind an event we often reference in popular culture without necessarily having the full facts.

What an incredible yet emotional book this one is! I remember hearing about the Jonestown massacre and even watching a movie about it but reading a book based on it left me absolutely breathless. I highly recommend this one to those who have been interested in what happened during this time.

A powerful novel based on real life events in Jonestown Guyana. The People's Temple run by Jim Jones a self proclaimed reverend has set up a "retreat" for Black Americans who felt victimised in 1970's America. He offered them a safe haven if they surrendered everything they had to him. Sadly they didn't realise they were being brainwashed and it was really a cult.
Zoe is a Guyanan resident who's been away working as a freelance journalist, when she meets Lucy, a Jonestown resident, who pleads for Zoe to get a message to her mum in America. Zoe takes on the story and does her best to find out what's really going on.
An engrossing tale to read, chilling in places and so sad to read how vulnerable people can so easily be taken in by strong characters. The descriptions of the rainforest and the Guyanan region were also very vivid
I received the advanced copy from Netgalley and Bookouture and am under no obligation to leave my review

Based on the true Jonestown cult and the heart breaking events that took place, this book is engrossing and dark at the same time. As with many books based on true historical events, it inspired me to go and research The Peoples Temple cult and the horrific events that occurred there. A well written interesting book.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the e- advance review copy.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

"Inspired by the true story of Jonestown, a woman’s brave attempt to save people who were promised paradise but found only lies."

An okay read, I guess. I detest when the description calls the book 'unputdownable' because it generally is the opposite and very 'putdownable'. The history of Jim Jones and his community was interesting and the reason why I wanted to read this book, but the side story of Zoe Quint was slag and dross.

2.75☆

Warning, this is a rough one. Literally all the triggers. Mass suicide, murder, plain crash, losing a spouse, losing a pregnancy, sexual harassment. The list goes on.

This one caught my eye as someone interested in true crime. I’ve watched documentaries and listened to podcast on this cult in the past. The Jonestown tragedy. The American cult “peoples temple” that moved to Guyana hoping for a better future. That dream came crashing down in November of 1978 when the white night occurred. Almost no one survived.

Most of the books content is fictional, but it’s really compelling storytelling. That a freelance journalist that managed to get into the town and tried to get people out of there. Loosely based on the writers life, she to was a journalist that traveled and grew up in Guyana. Even though Zoe’s been thru a lot she was brave, conquering her fears. I love a strong female MC.

There were a few men that came into Zoe’s life, however I liked the way that turned out. It felt real. The main complaint that I had was the ending. Just as I thought they were in the clear danger struck again. Like multiple times. It just felt a little to unrealistic.

But over all it’s a good read, if you can handle the triggering subjects.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of A Home for the Lost by Sharon Mass.

What an eye opening, truly chilling book. This tells the tale of two separate women whose paths cross in the horrific times of Jonestown. I have always been drawn to books about cults, but this one is the most terrifying one to me since it is based on the reality of the horrors of what happened at Jonestown. I simply could not put this one down. For those that are aware of how far some will go for their beliefs and the tragedy it can bring, you will love this one.

“A Home for the Lost” is a historical fiction book by Sharon Maas. This is one of the first historical fiction books I’ve read about Jonestown. About 30 years ago, I worked with a woman who, sadly, had a family member who was a member of The People’s Temple and a follower of Jim Jones. I can never forget her combination of anger and helplessness she felt toward her family member on many levels. If you wish to know more about Jonestown, I strongly recommend a site that Ms. Maas suggests visiting - Alternative Considerations of Jonestown & People’s Temple, sponsored by SDSU.

Anyway, the book … based upon what I was told 30 years ago, I was a bit leery about reading this book. I hoped that Ms. Maas treated the subject fairly but also didn’t gloss things over. She didn’t. Having two stories - a People’s Temple member and an outside journalist - I found a great way to tell this story. The reader gets their different viewpoints on what’s happening, but also a more rounded overall look at the whole situation. I did find some of one character’s backstory detracted from my enjoyment of the story (it created depth but I didn’t find it necessary). As the book moves closer to the day of the massacre, Ms. Maas uses excellent foreshadowing along with writing in a style that creates both tension and confusion in Jonestown itself. I did enjoy reading the Author’s Note where she explained how she got the idea and also the research she put into the book.