In the beginning, Edge writes, “I only wanted to know, love, and serve God and understand the Bible. What harm could that possibly bring?”

After a personal tragedy left her bereft, teenaged Charlene turned away from family and friends and fell into the clutches of The Way International, a small sect led by the charismatic Victor Paul Wierwille. The Way—which eventually became one of the largest cults in America—held Charlene in its grip for seventeen years before she escaped.