Moonchild (My Life as a Cult Princess: A Memoir of the “Moonies”)

Educated meets Crying in H Mart in this extraordinary memoir by the daughter of cult leader Reverend Sun Myung Moon, who broke free from the Unification Church

When Kat Moon was born, her father, the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, led the largest cult in America. His Unification Church was worth billions. Its followers, dubbed “Moonies” by the press, built a global empire that included The New Yorker Hotel, The Washington Times, United Press International, and True World Foods, which supplies most of America’s sushi from dock to plate. Moon believed he was the Second Coming of Christ, sent to complete the work of Jesus. At the heart of his mission was the creation of a perfect family, free of Original Sin. Moon and his wife became True Parents, and their offspring True Children. Kat was the twelfth True Child. Moonchild is her story 

Kat grew up on an opulent estate in the Hudson Valley and was never alone, always surrounded by personal nannies, siblings, church elders, and a constant security detail. The children were often just props, dolled up and trotted out at events all over the world, forced to perform like a cult version of the von Trapps. Every aspect of their lives was governed by the church. Dating was forbidden. Purity was absolute. At eighteen, Moon chose their spouses. 

But then two events changed everything: a betrayal and a devastating loss. A crack in her faith became a chasm. Life in the outside world meant leaving behind her family, her community, and the certainty of a life already mapped out for her. Moonchild is a mesmerizing memoir of faith, family, abuse, grief, and the search for identity.