Description

Similar to Educated and The Glass Castle, Uncultured is more than just a memoir of an unusual childhood—it is the story of a woman determined to rise above her circumstances, no matter how few resources she was given.

Behind the imposing gates of a secluded commune in Brazil, Daniella Mestyanek Young grew up as part of the religious cult known as the Children of God, or The Family. As the daughter of high-ranking members, she was bound by the group’s strict rules and endured physical, emotional, and sexual abuse—disguised as divine love and discipline. A traditional education was strictly forbidden.

At fifteen, Daniella made the bold decision to escape, fleeing to Texas to create a new, freer life. She enrolled herself in high school and thrived academically. Later, seeking structure and belonging, she joined the military. But she quickly realized that the environment she had entered—surrounded by men on the battlefields of Afghanistan—echoed the oppressive world she had fought so hard to leave behind.

Told with unflinching honesty and a gripping narrative voice, Uncultured exposes the dangers of unchecked groupthink and sheds light on the many ways women must adapt in order to survive.