Member of the Family

This book is equal parts of jaw-dropping and heartbreaking.

I was born in the late 70s, was a child of the 80s, and a teen of the 90s. I read “Helter Skelter,” “In Cold Blood,” and “Stranger Beside Me” in high school. My childhood and teen years were marked by true crime books, Waco, OJ, Murrah building bombing, Andrew Cunanan, and numerous child abductions and abuse. In many ways, I was aware of the dark side of humanity by the time I became an adult and as a woman, I've learned how to keep myself as safe as possible.

So this book really nailed home that idea of how innocent and naive were people in the 60s. How drop-ins, mass concerts, and communes weren't bad things full of potential predators but rather a way of rejecting the establishment.

So many times in reading this I wanted to yell at her parents. I wanted to demand why they didn't protect their daughter, why they didn't see the potential darkness in their irresponsibility. But that's looking at historical events with current eyes. They didn't see anything wrong because they were not as aware of the evil lurking in the shadows as we are today.

The recollection of Dianne and her time in the sixties-in communes and with Charlie Manson was equal parts triggering, painful, and hurtful. This book really nailed down for me what happens when naivete and evil intersect.

If you've read “Helter Skelter,” if you're interested in cults or the 60's this is a must-read book.