Born and Razed: Surviving the Cult Was Only Half the Battle

by Beth Granger

What happens when religion and power collide in the wrong hands? At Grenville Christian College, once one of Canada’s most prestigious private religious schools, the result was thousands of broken lives.

Born and Razed recounts the author's gripping and deeply personal journey. Beth's life began at Grenville, where her parents were teachers. The picturesque campus on the banks of the St. Lawrence River masked a dark behind its idyllic facade lay a world of strict control, religious zealotry, and emotional abuse.

Beth was the first baby born at Grenville, but her childhood was far from blessed. When the Mothers, founders of the Benedictine-inspired Community of Jesus in Cape Cod, brought their rigid and punitive vision to the school, life took a devastating turn. For Beth, “repentance” came with public humiliation, relentless criticism, and separation from her family. By age five, she was living apart from her parents, accused of gluttony, and placed on restrictive diets—laying the foundation for a lifelong battle with eating disorders, low self-esteem, and mental health struggles.

Throughout her adolescence, Beth endured emotional torment under the guise of religious instruction. Attempts to seek help were met with harsh judgment, not compassion. Like her family, she was tightly bound by cult-like indoctrination, isolated, and forced to endure the unendurable.

Yet, even in the face of such profound trauma, Beth found the strength to fight back. Her path to freedom began with an act of quiet rebellion—admitting the truth about the institution she had been conditioned to revere. That truth set her on a journey of healing, activism, and justice.

338 pages, Paperback

Published February 11, 2025

Reviews

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Born and Razed is a very important book about Grenville Christian College, a private school that was located just outside of Brockville, Ontario. Our sons went to this school for three years and over time I became suspicious of what was going on at the school which was why we pulled them from the school. As an active volunteer I witnessed and learned a bit about what was going on behind the scenes. Unfortunately that was only the tip of the iceberg. Beth Granger has written an excellent book exposing the truth of what went on, psychological abuse, physical abuse,the cult they were associated with that is located in Orleans, Cape Cod called the Community of Jesus, Light Sessions in the middle of the night and so much more. Beth was the first child born at the school and is definitely qualified to write about what went on. She was also instrumental in the class action lawsuit that took 16 long years which the students won. This book exposes the control the headmaster and certain staff had unbeknownst to parents and many leaders of the community. Board members included an Anglican bishop, three Lieutenant Governors of Ontario and many business leaders all of whom were led to believe Grenville Christian College was an upstanding school and a safe haven for students.
Beth not only survived living at Grenville but she was involved with the lawsuit and then spent the next four years writing this book. Born and Razed is a definite must read, we all need to be very aware of what goes on behind closed doors.

[Christina Lochrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wake up call for anyone who is involved in an authoritative relationship with religion. Beth has done an amazing job at writing about her experiences and abuse at this Canadian boarding school that was taken over by a cult in the early 70s from the United States. Well written, it takes the reader on a journey with the writer as she navigates her hopes and dreams being crushed in the face of abuse and what she has done to heal from this traumatic experience. A must read!!!

[Debbie Washburn Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sad what these people went thru. the verbal and physical abuse. I hope Beth contains to heal and know that her book and the help she provided was very appreciated by many I am sure .

[Keri Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely devastating. I wish nothing but the best for Beth.