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Road to Jonestown

Quite a story. Jones begins in Indianapolis.  Mother strong-willed, but not loving, person. Father ill and weak. Jones odd as a child, but charismatic. Preaching in the woods; organizing baseball league. Hints of cruelty.  Luring a puppy to death.  Good:  orderly, concern for poor, integrationist. Evil: sense of personal importance. Builds a church. Learns from Jealous Divine, a Philadelphia preacher with strong following. Brings about change in Indianapolis racial politics through charm and the help of his canny (politically) wife.  Fear of nuclear war sends him to Brazil looking for a new place for his church. While he's gone, church weakens.  Returns . . . nuclear war fears take him to Ukiah in California.  Harder to fit in. Redneck country . . . but he tries.  Church isn't growing . . . no population to exploit.  Where to next?  He looks at Vancouver and Guadalajara. MLK and RFK killed in rapid succession.  Visits San Francisco.

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