To support herself, she found work at a Chinese language learning podcast, hiding her real purpose from her coworkers. Immersion in a foreign language and culture-and a whole new way of thinking-turned her world upside down, and eventually led her to lose all that she had been sure was true.Īs a proselytizer in Shanghai, using fake names and secret codes to evade the authorities' notice, Scorah discreetly looked for targets in public parks and stores. Here, she had some distance from her community for the first time. She volunteered to take the message to China, where the preaching she did was illegal and could result in her expulsion or worse. Her tale, though an exploration of extremity, is highly readable and warm.'- The New York Times Book ReviewĪ riveting memoir of losing faith and finding freedom while a covert missionary in one of the world's most restrictive countries.Ī third-generation Jehovah's Witness, Amber Scorah had devoted her life to sounding God's warning of impending Armageddon.

'Scorah's book, the bravery of which cannot be overstated, is an earnest one, fueled by a plucky humor and a can-do spirit that endears. 'À la Tara Westover's Educated, Scorah's pensive, ultimately liberating memoir chronicles her formative years as a Jehovah's Witness.and captures the bewilderment of belief and the bliss of self-discovery.'- O, The Oprah Magazine, Named one of 'The Best Books by Women of Summer 2019'

Leaving the witness