Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church

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Synopsis
At the age of five, Megan Phelps-Roper carried signs protesting homosexuality and other alleged vices alongside fellow members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. As she grew, she watched the church--an enterprise consisting almost entirely of her immediate relatives--expand its activities. It became notorious for picketing soldiers' funerals and celebrating death and tragedy, causing the BBC to label the Phelpses "the most hated family in America." For Megan, however, Westboro was a source of comfort and inspiration. She admired the congregation's familial warmth and religious zeal. And as the church's Twitter spokesperson, she mastered its messaging--skillfully expounding upon pop culture, current events, and all the reasons "God Hates Your Feelings." Her grandfather, the church's founding minister, regarded her as a "jewel." But Megan's Twitter evangelizing triggered a remarkable transformation. As she jousted with online critics, observed church members mistreating one another, and tried to make sense of her own evolving beliefs and desires, she started to question her mission. Soon, she was exchanging messages with a man who would help change her life. A gripping memoir of escaping extremism and falling in love, Unfollow relates Megan's painful departure from Westboro and how she replaced the dogmas she had absorbed with a new community. The tale of her moral awakening is rich with suspense and thoughtful reflection, exposing the dangers of black-and-white thinking--and illuminating a possible way out of our age of angry polarization.
Copyright:
2019

Book Details

Book Quality:
Excellent
Book Size:
291 Pages
ISBN-13:
9780374275839
Publisher:
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Megan Phelps-Roper
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Nonfiction, Religion and Spirituality, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender, Social Studies
Submitted By:
Terry Gorman
Proofread By:
Terry Gorman
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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