In Maria’s Keepers, Sam Human tells the powerful and deeply personal story of Maria, a young woman raised as a Jehovah’s Witness in South Africa. Through Maria’s eyes, readers witness her experiences of gender victimisation, sexual abuse, and the subsequent cover-ups within the church. The narrative follows her courageous journey of breaking free from the oppressive doctrines and control that shaped her upbringing.
However, Maria’s freedom came at a price – she could never see her mother and sister again.
A worldwide, Christian-based religious group that professes an unparalleled dedication to Jehovah (God), the Jehovah’s Witnesses have a strong sense of community and appear to embrace a disciplined yet loving way of life with the promise of eternal salvation for those who follow the way of Jehovah. It is a seemingly benign religious movement, claiming to be politically neutral, racially and ethnically transcendent, with a membership of eight million people worldwide.
Yet, at its core, many former Witnesses claim that it is a fear-based doomsday cult that considers itself above all other belief systems. Allegations of homophobia, money laundering, brainwashing and accusations of sexual abuse abound. It seems that membership is managed and retained mostly by way of information control and manipulation, extending to the shunning of higher education and preaching their own version of the Bible.
Entering the church is easy, but leaving it can be a matter of life or death, as Maria and other former Witnesses discovered …
