Surviving Centrepoint: My years in New Zealand’s most infamous cult

Holly says: In this memoir, which was originally published under a pseudonym, Rachel King tells the harrowing story of her family’s move to the Centrepoint Community north of Auckland. Originally a hippie commune built founded by ‘spiritual leader’ Bert Potter, the Community became something much darker, featuring strict hierarchies of control, sexual abuse and assault, and drug use. I appreciated King’s inclusion of not only her years of trauma within the Community, but her efforts to fight back. The book follows King’s court battle against her abusers and the ultimate action that shut down the Centerpoint Community. I saw this book on the shelf in a New Zealand bookstore and it sparked my curiosity; it’s a difficult read but gives a unique perspective about a cult many of us in North America may not have heard of. Content warnings apply.