Unfollow

A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church

De: Megan Phelps-Roper

Narrado por: Megan Phelps-Roper

The activist and TED speaker Megan Phelps-Roper reveals her life growing up in the most hated family in America

At the age of five, Megan Phelps-Roper began protesting homosexuality and other alleged vices alongside fellow members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. Founded by her grandfather and consisting almost entirely of her extended family, the tiny group would gain worldwide notoriety for its pickets at military funerals and celebrations of death and tragedy. As Phelps-Roper grew up, she saw that church members were close companions and accomplished debaters, applying the logic of predestination and the language of the King James Bible to everyday life with aplomb - which, as the church’s Twitter spokeswoman, she learned to do with great skill. Soon, however, dialogue on Twitter caused her to begin doubting the church’s leaders and message: If humans were sinful and fallible, how could the church itself be so confident about its beliefs? As she digitally jousted with critics, she started to wonder if sometimes they had a point - and then she began exchanging messages with a man who would help change her life.

A gripping memoir of escaping extremism and falling in love, Unfollow relates Phelps-Roper’s moral awakening, her departure from the church, and how she exchanged the absolutes she grew up with for new forms of warmth and community. Rich with suspense and thoughtful reflection, Phelps-Roper’s life story exposes the dangers of black-and-white thinking and the need for true humility in a time of angry polarization.

©2019 Megan Phelps-Roper (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

Fascinating story

This was the audio version of a page turner. Megan has a beautiful narrating voice that helps set the tone of the book and guides us through her journey. Fascinating story.

The best autobiography I’ve ever read

She’s a profound writer, and amazing storyteller. The depictions of her journey in life, struggles of faith, conflicts of mind, and courage in the face of fear is both inspiring and captivating. Highly worth the read.

Excellent

Insightful, introspective, and honest. Thank you so much for sharing your story. Keep doing good in the world.

The Light of Privilege

The hero/victim/villain exists in all of us. This book is written by someone skirting all of these. It seems like it was a necessary book for the writer to write because learning and love helped for her Megan Phelps-Roper. It just seems odd that she did not find questions about fear, resilience, and divinity as interesting as all of that early torturous fundamentalism. Somehow, I wanted more heart.

The path out of the church is different than the walk in freedom. Again, this might have provided more insight. Maybe in the next book?

Great story about ones walk with hate

I like Megan Phelps-Roper, he story of he life in WBC is the exposure that journalists wish they could have. It recounts her life in and shortly after she left the church.
My biggest complaint is her narration, it’s oddly paced.
I would have like to see an I update on how she currently is and what her core belief system is now once she’s had time to sort through what she learned at the church, but to do that, I can find her Lectures elsewhere.
It’s a good read/listen.