Out of Deception: True Story of an Amish Youth Entangled in the Web of a Cult

by Nathan Miller

The unbelievable but true story of how Wil Hochstetler, a young, innocent Amish teen and his family, were unwittingly lured into the clutches of a smooth-talking cult leader. Wil's family was searching for something deeper, and what seemed at first like fresh water for a thirsty heart soon turned bitter and poisonous. By the grace of God, Wil's devotion to his leader slowly turned to doubt. Finally, sick and tired of being manipulated, controlled, abused, molested, and deceived, Wil made his break and escaped his leader's grasp-or so he thought. This is a disturbing story of Satan's gross deceptions and a beautiful story of the power of God's grace and deliverance.

Genres: Memoir

215 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Nathan Miller received his bachelor's and master's degrees in history from the University of Maryland before becoming a reporter for the Baltimore Sun. He spent more than 15 years as a journalist, including a three-year tour as the paper's chief Latin American correspondent, based in Rio de Janeiro, before becoming an investigator and speechwriter for Sen. John L. McClellan on the permanent subcommittee on investigations and later the Senate Appropriations Committee. Miller left the congressional staff in 1977 to be a full-time freelance writer.

Reviews

[Keri]

Very poorly written but an interesting story

[Bridget Holbert]

Good

Good true story of an Amish family that comes under the influence of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Simply written and easy to understand.

[Phillip Mast]

The writing style isn't great and it's a little overbearing at times but it's a captivating story nonetheless.

[Esther]

Too much time in the book is spent on the deception as compared to how the main character is convinced of God’s truth.

[Justin Hochstetler]

What really happens when people become part of a cult? How do normal, reasoning humans fall for something so false? And last of all, how do people break free from this brainwashed state and come to the reality of the abuse they've been subjected to?

The book offers captivating insights to how the cycle of deception works and how one young man came "Out of Deception" and lives in freedom now.

Note: This book holds extra interest for me as the son of the main character. He has told me on several occasions "People think that the things written in Out of Deception are wild, unbelievable, out of this world, but the worst was not written."

[Kathy Davis]

Out of Deception is an amazing book about an even more amazing true story of a young boy who gets caught up in a cult. They story is so well written that you can easily understand exactly why good people fell into a cult. And even more wonderful is the road to redemption away from the cult. This book will make you think about your faith and your loyalty to God. You do not need to be Amish for this book to lead toward a better path and the Bible.
It truly is an unbelievably true story that's scary, horrific, and uplifting all at the same time.

[Lola]

This is really a fascinating story. It seems hard to believe, but it is a true story of how cult leaders draw people in. In this story it is an Amish family who ends up following a very deceptive, manipulative "leader". The best news is that eventually the young man, Wil, walks away from that life.

[jessica]

[free nook book]

[Laura Dye]

A compelling, easy read. Written in the first person, it's not fantastically well-written, but the subject matter is so interesting that it doesn't matter.

[Carolyn Injoy]

Leapt from subject to subject without continuity.