Born and Razed: Surviving the Cult was Only Half the Battle

Thousands have read the headlines. Few know the inside story. What happens when religion and power collide in the wrong hands?

At Grenville Christian College, once one of Canada’s most prestigious private religious schools, the result was thousands of broken lives. Born and Razed recounts the author's gripping and deeply personal journey. Beth's life began at Grenville, where her parents were teachers.

The picturesque campus on the banks of the St. Lawrence River masked a dark reality: behind its idyllic facade lay a world of strict control, religious zealotry, and emotional abuse. Beth was the first baby born at Grenville, but her childhood was far from blessed.

When the Mothers, founders of the Benedictine-inspired Community of Jesus in Cape Cod, brought their rigid and punitive vision to the school, life took a devastating turn. For Beth, “repentance” came with public humiliation, relentless criticism, and separation from her family. By age five, she was living apart from her parents, accused of gluttony, and placed on restrictive diets—laying the foundation for a lifelong battle with eating disorders, low self-esteem, and mental health struggles.

Throughout her adolescence, Beth endured emotional torment under the guise of religious instruction. Attempts to seek help were met with harsh judgment, not compassion. Like her family, she was tightly bound by cult-like indoctrination, isolated, and forced to endure the unendurable.

Yet, even in the face of such profound trauma, Beth found the strength to fight back. Her path to freedom began with an act of quiet rebellion—admitting the truth about the institution she had been conditioned to revere. That truth set her on a journey of healing, activism, and justice.

As Beth uncovered the stories of others who suffered at Grenville, her voice became a rallying cry. She played a key role in one of the largest class-action lawsuits in Canadian history, proving that collective resilience can triumph over systemic abuse. Born and Razed is a powerful memoir of survival, courage, and the long road to recovery.

It’s a testament to the human spirit’s ability to overcome unimaginable challenges and rebuild a life from the ashes of the past. For anyone who has ever struggled under impossible expectations or been silenced by authority, Beth’s story offers both a cautionary tale and a beacon of hope. With unflinching honesty and poignant detail, Born and Razed will leave you moved, inspired, and reminded that healing—even after the deepest scars—is possible.