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The Oracle's Daughter: The Rise and Fall of an American Cult
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Expected 7 Apr 26The shocking true story of the rise and fall of a woman-led cult—a debut work of narrative nonfiction about extremism, the search for belonging, and America’s turbulent religious history.
On a cool fall night in 1999, twenty-six-year-old Sarah Green crept out of her house, retrieved a backpack from its hiding place, and ran for her life. She was escaping not just the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps, a paramilitary religious cult operating out of the New Mexico desert, but also the punishments and cruelty of the cult’s leader—her mother, Deborah.
In The Oracle’s Daughter, Harrison Hill traces the fascinating beginnings and violent end of ACMTC, from its early days as an outgrowth of the hippie movement, through the conspiracy-theorist 1990s and into the present day. This is the story of three women—Deborah, the group’s founder and self-proclaimed oracle; Maura, one of its first members; and Sarah, Deborah’s daughter—bound together by a punitive, baroque set of radical beliefs and practices, including exorcism, kidnapping, prohibitions against the “abominations” of popular music and psychoanalysis, and the horrific mistreatment of those who fell out of the leaders’ favor.
Though ACMTC was radical in its beliefs, deprivations, and abuses, its history is a window into the particular character of American fanaticism, and an examination of the porous boundary between the fringe and the mainstream. With a propulsive, deeply researched narrative, The Oracle’s Daughter illuminates the strange twists and turns of the country’s religious development—and how much more vulnerable we are to extremism than we might like to think.
On a cool fall night in 1999, twenty-six-year-old Sarah Green crept out of her house, retrieved a backpack from its hiding place, and ran for her life. She was escaping not just the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps, a paramilitary religious cult operating out of the New Mexico desert, but also the punishments and cruelty of the cult’s leader—her mother, Deborah.
In The Oracle’s Daughter, Harrison Hill traces the fascinating beginnings and violent end of ACMTC, from its early days as an outgrowth of the hippie movement, through the conspiracy-theorist 1990s and into the present day. This is the story of three women—Deborah, the group’s founder and self-proclaimed oracle; Maura, one of its first members; and Sarah, Deborah’s daughter—bound together by a punitive, baroque set of radical beliefs and practices, including exorcism, kidnapping, prohibitions against the “abominations” of popular music and psychoanalysis, and the horrific mistreatment of those who fell out of the leaders’ favor.
Though ACMTC was radical in its beliefs, deprivations, and abuses, its history is a window into the particular character of American fanaticism, and an examination of the porous boundary between the fringe and the mainstream. With a propulsive, deeply researched narrative, The Oracle’s Daughter illuminates the strange twists and turns of the country’s religious development—and how much more vulnerable we are to extremism than we might like to think.
352 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 7, 2026
4239 people want to read
About the author
Harrison Hill
2 books40 followersHarrison Hill grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia and lives in Brooklyn, New York. He received his MFA in nonfiction from Columbia University, where he also taught undergraduate writing. His journalism and essays have appeared in The Cut, GQ, Vogue, Travel + Leisure, AFAR, The Guardian, and The Threepenny Review. The Oracle’s Daughter is his first book.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 25, 2025
ARC for review. To be published April 7, 2026.
4 stars
Oh, yes, y’all! It’s another cult book for me! October is my birthday month so I guess the fates decided to gift me with a little something! How kind!
So, this is about the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps who first operated out of Sacramento before they moved to New Mexico. It’s also about three women: Lila/Deborah, the cult leader and the mother of Sarah, Maura, one of Lila’s only friends and a cult member, and Sarah, Lila’s daughter who eventually left the cult. Oh, and this is non-fiction. I had never heard of these people or this group before.
As usual it’s a fascinating and sad look at a charismatic leader and a group of people entirely too willing to be lead. There is also information about other famous cults and the role of the evangelical church in modern society. I enjoyed reading about the relationships between the primary characters. Recommended if you are interested in cults.
4 stars
Oh, yes, y’all! It’s another cult book for me! October is my birthday month so I guess the fates decided to gift me with a little something! How kind!
So, this is about the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps who first operated out of Sacramento before they moved to New Mexico. It’s also about three women: Lila/Deborah, the cult leader and the mother of Sarah, Maura, one of Lila’s only friends and a cult member, and Sarah, Lila’s daughter who eventually left the cult. Oh, and this is non-fiction. I had never heard of these people or this group before.
As usual it’s a fascinating and sad look at a charismatic leader and a group of people entirely too willing to be lead. There is also information about other famous cults and the role of the evangelical church in modern society. I enjoyed reading about the relationships between the primary characters. Recommended if you are interested in cults.
March 20, 2026
The Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps was founded in California in 1981, initially operating out of a set of neighboring houses. Its leader is Deborah Green, who believes she is an oracle and wants to bring her version of paramilitary religion to the world. After some legal trouble, the cult’s headquarters moved to rural New Mexico. In 1999, Sarah Green (Deborah’s daughter) escaped in the middle of the night, leaving her children behind. Sarah is key to this story, having grown up in the cult but eventually wanting more, including an education.
Reading about a cult is intriguing, baffling, and disturbing. So much control, isolation, and abuse are involved. Is the cult leader a con person or a true believer? How are certain activities justified, even child trafficking? Why is it so difficult to prosecute crimes committed by the cult leaders or even to enforce monetary penalties decided on by the courts? What does growing up in a cult do to a person, and how does that person leave and rebuild? This was a fascinating read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for allowing me to read an ARC of this title.
Reading about a cult is intriguing, baffling, and disturbing. So much control, isolation, and abuse are involved. Is the cult leader a con person or a true believer? How are certain activities justified, even child trafficking? Why is it so difficult to prosecute crimes committed by the cult leaders or even to enforce monetary penalties decided on by the courts? What does growing up in a cult do to a person, and how does that person leave and rebuild? This was a fascinating read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for allowing me to read an ARC of this title.
February 18, 2026
A masterpiece!! I could not put this extraordinary book down. The writing is propulsive. The story is heartbreaking. The reporting is thorough and expansive. I can’t stop thinking about the real lives on these pages. Hill handles the story and humanity of it all with such care and beauty.
October 23, 2025
I’ve been fascinated by cults since I was young, which isn’t that surprising since I grew up in 1980’s America, where “satanic panic” gripped the nation and Jonestown became a major news story. Then we moved into the 90’s with the Branch Davidians, Heaven’s Gate, Scientology and others coming into the public eye. It’s always been interesting to me how people become involved with cult movements and since I don’t want to actually join a cult, reading is a great way to learn. I’ve read books on all of the aforementioned cults as well as others, but I didn’t recall having ever heard of the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps (ACMTC) so I was excited to run across The Oracle’s Daughter.
ACMTC was the life’s work of Deborah Green, a former hippie who decided that she was a prophet and could talk to God, which is pretty much how all these cults start. She abused children and adults for decades before finally being imprisoned, though at the time of this writing it appears that she and her husband Jim are inexplicably free. The Oracle’s Daughter explains in detail how the cult formed, kidnapped children, physically and mentally abused adults and children and even killed children by denying medical care and nutrition. It’s amazing how these groups come to be and even more amazing that they manage to recruit and maintain members. Still, it happens and continues to happen even here in 2025: Scientology is a huge cult, Children of God (now called The Family International) are still active and MAGA has somehow taken hold of a significant portion of Americans. Clearly people are searching for something out of life and cults seem to offer it to them despite the negative actions of the leaders and members. So, how do people become involved in these cults and why do they stay even with the abuse and violence? The answer isn’t always clear, but we can start to gain some understanding through books like The Oracle’s Daughter. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’m not going to go into detail on just what happened with ACMTC and let you discover that for yourself.
Author Harrison Hill has written an awesome book that, quite honestly, reads like fiction. When I first started reading The Oracle’s Daughter, I had to stop reading and go do some Google research to make sure that this was nonfiction. It’s not on the same level as some other stories as there are no mass suicides and no shootouts with the government, but there is plenty of insanity in these pages. From what I can gather, Hill began his journey by writing an article for The Cut about Sarah Green, the daughter of cult leader Deborah Green, and Sarah’s escape. Hill then decided to expand the article into a book, which turned out to be a fantastic idea. Hill is a great writer and, as I mentioned, this reads like fiction and is often hard to put down. I’ve even found myself checking news articles for updates on the story as the legal battles are still ongoing in the case. If you’re interested in cults and religious extremism, you will not be disappointed by The Oracle’s Daughter: The Rise and Fall of an American Cult.
At it’s core, The Oracle’s Daughter is a story about redemption, courage and survival because it is, after all, about those who escaped. But it’s also a book about the dark underbelly of Christianity and religion in general as well as the evil that humans will perpetrate in the name of God. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone because, ultimately, it is about being human and the failures and triumphs that go along with it. I would like to thank Harrison Hill, Netgalley and Scribner for allowing me to read an advance copy of the book. I enjoyed it very much.
ACMTC was the life’s work of Deborah Green, a former hippie who decided that she was a prophet and could talk to God, which is pretty much how all these cults start. She abused children and adults for decades before finally being imprisoned, though at the time of this writing it appears that she and her husband Jim are inexplicably free. The Oracle’s Daughter explains in detail how the cult formed, kidnapped children, physically and mentally abused adults and children and even killed children by denying medical care and nutrition. It’s amazing how these groups come to be and even more amazing that they manage to recruit and maintain members. Still, it happens and continues to happen even here in 2025: Scientology is a huge cult, Children of God (now called The Family International) are still active and MAGA has somehow taken hold of a significant portion of Americans. Clearly people are searching for something out of life and cults seem to offer it to them despite the negative actions of the leaders and members. So, how do people become involved in these cults and why do they stay even with the abuse and violence? The answer isn’t always clear, but we can start to gain some understanding through books like The Oracle’s Daughter. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’m not going to go into detail on just what happened with ACMTC and let you discover that for yourself.
Author Harrison Hill has written an awesome book that, quite honestly, reads like fiction. When I first started reading The Oracle’s Daughter, I had to stop reading and go do some Google research to make sure that this was nonfiction. It’s not on the same level as some other stories as there are no mass suicides and no shootouts with the government, but there is plenty of insanity in these pages. From what I can gather, Hill began his journey by writing an article for The Cut about Sarah Green, the daughter of cult leader Deborah Green, and Sarah’s escape. Hill then decided to expand the article into a book, which turned out to be a fantastic idea. Hill is a great writer and, as I mentioned, this reads like fiction and is often hard to put down. I’ve even found myself checking news articles for updates on the story as the legal battles are still ongoing in the case. If you’re interested in cults and religious extremism, you will not be disappointed by The Oracle’s Daughter: The Rise and Fall of an American Cult.
At it’s core, The Oracle’s Daughter is a story about redemption, courage and survival because it is, after all, about those who escaped. But it’s also a book about the dark underbelly of Christianity and religion in general as well as the evil that humans will perpetrate in the name of God. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone because, ultimately, it is about being human and the failures and triumphs that go along with it. I would like to thank Harrison Hill, Netgalley and Scribner for allowing me to read an advance copy of the book. I enjoyed it very much.
October 16, 2025
This is a book that is extremely relevant today. In our times of white nationalist Evangelical Christianity, it is important to understand its roots and its dangers. The book provides an historical context for the evangelical roots in America. I found this helpful, interesting and historically accurate. However, the book focuses on the extremism Evangelical Christianity can take when people seek answers strictly from God. The history and definition of cults in this book was also very helpful, interesting and accurate (having read Cultish, this book added to previous information I knew of). Sarah Green’s story is heartbreaking; the vileness of her mother’s cult and how they treated its members was awful. That behavior wrung from one woman’s perverted belief she knows better, she knows what everyone needed begs the question we ask today: Who made these people God? I couldn’t put this book down. Highly recommend. I thank NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Listen, I love a good cult book. Chances are, if the author does their job even slightly well, I am going to have a good time. That said, Harrison Hill's The Oracle's Daughter is going to go down as one of my favorites. What sets it apart is going to sound like I am damning it with faint praise, but the best part is the simplicity. Hill just tells the dang story. Simple but effective.
Hill chronicles the story of the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps (ACMTC) which might be the worst cult name of all time. For the sake of clarity, I am going to refer to people in the book by the name that is used for them most often in the book. Yes, this is one of those cults where they keep renaming people. I wish that was the worst thing they did, but it is still annoying all the same. Anywho, the main characters are Deborah, the head cult leader, her daughter Sarah (the titular Oracle's Daughter), and Maura, one of the original believers who started the downfall.
Hill just sticks to the story of these three. There are a few short chapters in between the action where he adds some more sociological understanding around American cults, but they serve as additional information rather than a thread. (Bonus point: Hill has the best definition of a cult I have seen.) Otherwise, it's Deborah and Maura and then the narrative moves over to Sarah. Crucially, Hill does not make excuses for his characters even when they are clearly the heroes of the story. Sarah, specifically, makes some choices that I know I personally was enraged by. Hill doesn't shy away from these issues and makes it clear he is seeing them right along with the reader.
Readers should be aware that there is material in here which you should expect from any out-of-control cult (e.g. sexual assault, child abuse, etc.). Hill is never gratuitous with the events, but they are central to the story and thus need to be told. Like everything else, Hill gives you precisely what you need to understand this story. It's a must-read.
(This book was provided as a review copy by NetGalley and Scribner Books.)
Hill chronicles the story of the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps (ACMTC) which might be the worst cult name of all time. For the sake of clarity, I am going to refer to people in the book by the name that is used for them most often in the book. Yes, this is one of those cults where they keep renaming people. I wish that was the worst thing they did, but it is still annoying all the same. Anywho, the main characters are Deborah, the head cult leader, her daughter Sarah (the titular Oracle's Daughter), and Maura, one of the original believers who started the downfall.
Hill just sticks to the story of these three. There are a few short chapters in between the action where he adds some more sociological understanding around American cults, but they serve as additional information rather than a thread. (Bonus point: Hill has the best definition of a cult I have seen.) Otherwise, it's Deborah and Maura and then the narrative moves over to Sarah. Crucially, Hill does not make excuses for his characters even when they are clearly the heroes of the story. Sarah, specifically, makes some choices that I know I personally was enraged by. Hill doesn't shy away from these issues and makes it clear he is seeing them right along with the reader.
Readers should be aware that there is material in here which you should expect from any out-of-control cult (e.g. sexual assault, child abuse, etc.). Hill is never gratuitous with the events, but they are central to the story and thus need to be told. Like everything else, Hill gives you precisely what you need to understand this story. It's a must-read.
(This book was provided as a review copy by NetGalley and Scribner Books.)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
I loved this book. Immensely. While reading it, there were a couple of moments when I debated about not finishing it, but please know that was only related to the content (not the writing, not the author, etc.). There is mention of extreme abuse, of almost every kind you can think of: physical, mental, emotional, verbal, spiritual, and even a bit of sexual. None is told in graphic or gratuitous detail, but it's still hard to read at times. HOWEVER, it's so worth it because the book is gorgeously written, the story is radically compelling, the cruelty is almost unimaginable, the hope/sheer human will to keep going is inspiring.
Having left a cult (much less intense than this one) myself, I related a lot to the people who left. Leaving is hard, no matter what - the cult has become everything you know. Leaving feels like failure. The thing that hurts you is the thing that nurtured you (possibly even saved you) at one point. I loved the way Hill discussed the survivors and their feelings.
I loved the way Hill wove in the history of cults to the history of this specific cult and histories of these specific people.
If you have any interest in cults, true crime, complicated/complex stories, messy humanity and/or just great writing, PLEASE give this book a try!!
I loved this book. Immensely. While reading it, there were a couple of moments when I debated about not finishing it, but please know that was only related to the content (not the writing, not the author, etc.). There is mention of extreme abuse, of almost every kind you can think of: physical, mental, emotional, verbal, spiritual, and even a bit of sexual. None is told in graphic or gratuitous detail, but it's still hard to read at times. HOWEVER, it's so worth it because the book is gorgeously written, the story is radically compelling, the cruelty is almost unimaginable, the hope/sheer human will to keep going is inspiring.
Having left a cult (much less intense than this one) myself, I related a lot to the people who left. Leaving is hard, no matter what - the cult has become everything you know. Leaving feels like failure. The thing that hurts you is the thing that nurtured you (possibly even saved you) at one point. I loved the way Hill discussed the survivors and their feelings.
I loved the way Hill wove in the history of cults to the history of this specific cult and histories of these specific people.
If you have any interest in cults, true crime, complicated/complex stories, messy humanity and/or just great writing, PLEASE give this book a try!!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
While diving into other cults for comparison, this book does focus on one cult and the girl that escaped. The cult, Aggressive Christianity Training Corps, is one I was not familiar with. It has its roots in the 70s and 80s when the leader, a woman who became the Oracle, founded it. It was a religious cult, but of course with its own rules and take on religion. The girl that got away, was the daughter of the founder.
The book starts with how the cult became what it is, how it affected its members, and then highlights the start of its downfall. The cults timeline does heavily correspond with many others, which was along with Waco and other news making cults. There is a whole lot of facts given, used for comparison.
I was expecting more of the daughter’s story, but I did appreciate the research done and facts given about cults in general.
The book starts with how the cult became what it is, how it affected its members, and then highlights the start of its downfall. The cults timeline does heavily correspond with many others, which was along with Waco and other news making cults. There is a whole lot of facts given, used for comparison.
I was expecting more of the daughter’s story, but I did appreciate the research done and facts given about cults in general.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of "The Oracle's Daughter."
One of my favorite interests is trying to figure out how cults form, and how they fall apart. How can people fall for these issues over and over again?
The Oracle's Daughter left me highlighting certain tidbits and facts that made me fascinated, and I couldn't help but rethink what I would do in these situations. It also was a fun read for me, as I worked at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill-- so reading this history of the shakers was fun.
Overall, a great read. A little slower at times, but a good read.
One of my favorite interests is trying to figure out how cults form, and how they fall apart. How can people fall for these issues over and over again?
The Oracle's Daughter left me highlighting certain tidbits and facts that made me fascinated, and I couldn't help but rethink what I would do in these situations. It also was a fun read for me, as I worked at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill-- so reading this history of the shakers was fun.
Overall, a great read. A little slower at times, but a good read.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Completely riveting!! I love this book — it tells an extraordinary story of people pushed to their furthest extremes, alongside a nuanced exploration of extremism in our society more broadly. I got attached to several of the characters through their many ups and downs. I’ll remember them and the broader reflections on fanaticism, belonging, and survival for a long time to come. It’s a beautifully told & deeply compelling story.
March 28, 2026
This story was about the rise and fall of the cult ACMTC. It was told in third person so definitely different than other non fiction books I have read. But the way it was told and the uniqueness of it was great. You can tell the author took their time getting to know the survivors of this religion/cult and hearing their story. I recommend if you want to learn more about this religion and what came about it and how it was developed. Thank you netgalley and scribner for the e arc!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I had not heard of this cult before. I found this book fascinating. The history of the cult and then hearing about one person's escape. I couldn't wrap my head around that her mother was the leader and all the things she went through. All the research that went into writing this book.
If you ever wanted to know what went on behind the scenes in a cult then this is the book for you.
Thank you Scribner books.
If you ever wanted to know what went on behind the scenes in a cult then this is the book for you.
Thank you Scribner books.
November 11, 2025
ARC review—3.5 rounded up
Interesting story, and the telling has a noticeable mfa-ness to it which was originally distracting, but mellows as the book goes on. That last chapter, and specifically the last page, fell so flat. Instead of achieving the nuance I think Hill was hoping for, it reads like a shrug
Interesting story, and the telling has a noticeable mfa-ness to it which was originally distracting, but mellows as the book goes on. That last chapter, and specifically the last page, fell so flat. Instead of achieving the nuance I think Hill was hoping for, it reads like a shrug
December 15, 2025
ARC read. This is a fascinating story of a charismatic cult leader and a group of people who are looking for something different and new and are ready to be led into the next era.
It’s a non-fiction, but reads like fiction.
The book touches on different cults throughout history and even touches on evangelical religions. Great read for those interested in cults!
It’s a non-fiction, but reads like fiction.
The book touches on different cults throughout history and even touches on evangelical religions. Great read for those interested in cults!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was the best nonfiction book I've read in a while!! The writing remained interesting, never descending into textbook-style dense writing. The story was so interesting, and ultimately a book I would recommend to anyone interested in cults, the 1970s, or thinking critically about religion in the US.
Thank you so so much to netgalley and the author/publisher for the ARC!!
Thank you so so much to netgalley and the author/publisher for the ARC!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!
Upon further research, this book seems to be a little darker than I anticipated. I am fascinated by cults, but I also don't want to have nightmares, so I think I'll wait to read this one until I'm a little older.
Upon further research, this book seems to be a little darker than I anticipated. I am fascinated by cults, but I also don't want to have nightmares, so I think I'll wait to read this one until I'm a little older.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I will give just about any cult book a shot, most disappoint and I DNF, this one did not. I like how Hill framed this group in the context of cults more broadly and the national attitudes toward them over the course of the group. It dragged a bit in the middle but overall this was a good one.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Fantastic, unique nonfiction about a more obscure american cult, the Aggressive Christianity Missionary Training Corps, which leaned hard on the military aspect and cut out grace. 5 stars. thanks for the memoir.
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