"Fondakowski perfectly captures the rapturous hope surrounding Jonestown, which makes its demise all the more heartbreaking."—Publishers Weekly
"This is a book that seeks to set the record straight about the culture and politics of Peoples Temple, and as such is a crucial addition to the Jonestown canon. For perhaps the first time, we hear the voices of the Temple instead of seeing the casualties. We get an indelible sense of the believers' youth and optimism, along with the vulnerability that drove them into the arms of the wilderness. Not all of them killed themselves willingly, but all of them gambled on Jones's promise of a better life. They gambled on a future where all they had sacrificed would mean something to the world. The tragic irony is that it did."—Bookforum
"There is an immediacy to the stories - from survivors, members' families, press, politicians, and community leaders - many of which have never been printed before. Time seems to travel backward, taking the reader along."—JMark Afghans Blog
"This book, written by Emmy-nominated writer Leigh Fondakowski, who is best known for her work on the play and HBO film The Laramie Project, is well worth taking the time to read. "—Two Weeks From Everywhere Blog
"A sweeping reminder of the promise that drew so many under Jones’ sway, and the horrors that eventually befell them. It allows the people of the Peoples Temple to speak in their own words, unframed from mass perception. "—PopMatters.com
"After nearly 35 years, it feels as if the horrible tale of the Jonestown tragedy has been told from every perspective. As new book Stories from Jonestown shows us though, there are some voices that have remained unheard through all of this time. Through a series of interviews with survivors, author Leigh Fondakowski presents a compelling account of life with Jim Jones in Guyana. Along the way, she illuminates the numerous falsehoods which have been accepted as fact over the years as well. Most of all, Stories from Jonestown presents ordinary people whose lives have been irrevocably altered by tragic events. It is a remarkable book."—BlogCritics.org
"Required reading for anybody curious about Jonestown and the ways that even the most Utopian society can turn sour and deadly."—Bibliosaurus Text Blog
"For me, this was a haunting book, but one I’m glad I read. Because the tragedy of Jonestown was real, a reminder that people’s grandest plans sometimes take very wrong turns."—Jennifer R. Hubbard
"If you’ve got a true crime lover on your gift list this year, then look for Stories from Jonestown by Leigh Fondakowski. This book delves deep into what happened 35 years ago in Guyana and why it happened, and it includes interviews with survivors. This is chilling stuff, and not for the faint of heart - which is why you must give it to your favorite true crime buff."—Sun News
"Intriguing, engaging, and very human."—American Studies
"Fondakowski has succeeded in creating an empathetic portrait of a group of people who lived through and were changed by a remarkable historical experience."—New West Indian Guide
"A testimony of Fondakowski’s own personal journey of discovery and empathy."—True Crime Factor
Fondakowski, head writer of The Laramie Project, an examination of the murder of Matthew Shepard, was invited to create a similar theatrical work by survivors of the People's Temple, engraved in our cultural memory because of the deaths of hundreds of followers in Jonestown, Guyana. This is the story of the work that went into developing the play, The People's Temple, presenting portions of interviews conducted by Fondakowski and her collaborators with surviving Temple members, family members of the dead, and others. The narrative of the interview process is combined with interview excerpts and selections from letters and memos from those who later died in Jonestown, all given context here. The movement began as a Christian church devoted to uplifting the poor and changed to a racially blind socialist experiment, then was transformed into a group whose membership and children were mostly killed. The book counters the image of suicidal cultists blindly following a bizarre leader. VERDICT This work presents a more complex picture of Jim Jones and his temple than that which currently holds sway and, as such, will be useful reading for all who are confused by the events of Jonestown.—Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Lib., Wisconsin Rapids, WI
A collection of sympathetic interviews with members of the Peoples Temple and others who were connected with the mass suicide/murders of more than 900 people at Jonestown, Guyana, in 1978. Fondakowski, who shaped some 300 hours of taped interviews into the play The People's Temple, expands the material into this full-length book. The author asked her interviewees to recollect their lives, tell her what they thought about Jim Jones, the charismatic leader of Peoples Temple, and, if they were members, how they were drawn to him, what they experienced as members of his church, and what their lives have been like in the aftermath of the tragedy. Their stories show how Jones created a mixed-race church focused at first on issues of racial equality and social justice. At some point, it became a radical cult, with Jones using harsh discipline and physical abuse to control every aspect of the members' lives. A power in the political world of 1960s San Francisco, Jones seems to have become wildly paranoid in the '70s, moving his followers out of the United States to the isolation of a South American jungle. Fondakowski also captures the words of politicians, community leaders, other journalists and investigators, but former members' recollections, which are often contradictory, constitute the bulk of the narrative. Through the probing interviews, the author makes manifest their humanity and suffering, but Jones remains a mystery. We know that his movement failed and that he ordered the deaths of hundreds, but the how and why of the man and his mission remain murky. Hours of taped and edited interviews do not add up to a satisfying book.
