Belletrist NYC Book Club

Join Belletrist, the book club founded by best friends Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss, for an elevated evening of community and conversation inspired by its October selection, Harrison Hill's The Oracle's Daughter: The Rise and Fall of an American Cult. The evening will be co-moderated by featured author, Harrison Hill, and Karah Preiss. What happens when escaping a cult means escaping your own mother? Harrison Hill tells the gripping true story of three women bound together by a religious cult in the New Mexico desert. He will join us to discuss this gripping true story of faith, family, and the line between belonging and control. Content warning: The Oracle’s Daughter addresses physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, including abuse of children. Please keep these subjects in mind when deciding to read this book and participate in our book club discussion. Over cocktails and light bites at Moss New York, NYC’s premier space for intelligent leisure, we’ll explore the novel’s themes, characters, craft, and most compelling questions. Come with favorite passages, unfinished thoughts, strong opinions, and a desire to connect meaningfully with fellow readers. We recommend reading the book beforehand to get the most from the discussion, but don’t let an unfinished copy keep you away. Everyone is welcome to listen, reflect, and participate. Ready to start reading? Order your copy of The Oracles Daughter here. What to expect An evening of literary luxury in The Moss’s drawing room Curated small-group conversations Thoughtfully guided discussion Facilitated mingling with fellow readers An open bar and light bites A welcoming space for longtime Belletrist community members and newcomers alike 🎟️ Standard Ticket Register before October 8th for early savings on admission. Your ticket includes an open bar, light bites, and guided book club programming from Belletrist. Refunds and Exchanges All registrations are final and cannot be refunded or exchanged. Thank you for your generous support of the Belletrist community. It is what makes gatherings like this possible. Photo Policy We love capturing the magic of Belletrist gatherings. By attending, you consent to being photographed or filmed for use across Belletrist’s platforms. If you would prefer not to be included, please let us know when you arrive. ​​About the Book On a cool fall night in 1999, twenty-six-year-old Sarah Green crept out of her house, retrieved a backpack from its hiding place, and ran for her life. She was escaping not just the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps, a paramilitary religious cult based in the New Mexico desert, but also the cruelty of the cult’s leader—her mother, Deborah.In this “incredible new book” (CrimeReads), Harrison Hill traces the “extraordinary” twists and turns (NPR) of the group’s development, from its early days as an outgrowth of the 1960s counterculture, through its descent into conspiracy-fueled abuse, to the explosive trial that would lead to its downfall. The Oracle’s Daughter is the story of three women—Deborah, the group’s founder and self-proclaimed oracle; Maura, one of its first members; and Sarah, Deborah’s daughter—bound together by a punitive, baroque set of radical beliefs and practices, including exorcism, kidnapping, and the horrific mistreatment of those who fell out of the leaders’ favor.Though ACMTC was radical in its beliefs and deprivations, its history provides a window into the broader sweep of American faith. The Oracle’s Daughter also explores the fascinating world of cults—and gives “a bracing sense of how mainstream the fringe can get” (Oprah Daily). ​​About Belletrist Belletrist was founded in 2017 by best friends Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss, inspired by a question that appeared again and again in their thousands of texts and phone calls: What are you reading? Since then, Belletrist has selected more than 75 books for its book club and featured dozens more across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and its newsletter, The Belletrist Brief. Through its thoughtfully curated selections and conversations, Belletrist has built a vibrant community around books, culture, and the joy of reading together. In 2019, Emma and Karah expanded Belletrist into Belletrist Productions. To date, the company has produced two popular television series, First Kill for Netflix and Tell Me Lies for Hulu. Belletrist Productions has a first-look deal with Max, with additional film and television projects in development.