I purchased this book by accident. Dianne Lake was not the Member of the Family I was interested in researching.
After a recent Facebook post explaining how the Manson Family squatted in Beach Boy Dennis Wilson’s house for several months, (a fact I had never heard before) my curiosity got the best of me and I had to find out how this bizarre incident occurred. Of course I knew who Charles Manson was. Growing up in the sixties and seventies I had heard all about this cult and the murder of Sharon Tate. But the Beach Boy connection I was clueless about. My cluelessness was exposed for all to see when I shared the Manson/Beach Boys post on my Facebook page. Several people wrote me back questioning my whereabouts for the past forty years. One friend in particular said I simply must read Helter Skelter to understand the entire Manson family story.
After my wife presented me with a copy of Helter Skelter, I placed the book face down so as not to see the evil blood red letters of the title. I was afraid to read it, not kidding. I chose to ignore and procrastinate reading this murderous tale of American History. Perhaps even let another forty years go by. I finally picked it up and began to read Vincent Bugliosi’s true crime story of his investigation, trial and conviction of the Tate/LaBianca Murders that paralyzed the LA area and the nation in 1969. I was flabbergasted and amazed at how this “little man” could not just control people but receive their love and devotion also. Forty plus years later Bugliosi’s story pulled me along, page by page. So I read on- a page turner for sure.
After reading Helter Skelter, I needed to know more. I wanted to know why Charles “Tex” Watson could not be extradited to California and when, and if, he ever stood trial for the seven murders he had a major part in committing. And how could a star athlete from a small town in Texas get hooked up with the likes of Charles Manson? I had to know. A short Google search led me to discover that he is still incarcerated and leading a prison ministry in CA. Also learning that Susan Atkins had a ministry as well, and both she and Tex wrote books about their life inside the Family, how they got there, why they murdered because “Charlie told them to”, their conviction for the murders, subsequent imprisonment, and conversion to Jesus Christ.
I purchased and read both Charles “Tex” Watson’s book “Will You Die for Me” and Susan Atkin’s book “Child of Satan, Child of God”. (Susan Atkins passed away in 2009). Both are out of print but was able to buy them on EBay. I devoured both books, and was simply amazed at their life stories, and how they each landed inside the notorious family.
During my Manson online buying spree, I also purchased “Member of the Family” by Dianne Lake, not realizing the book was just recently published. I was not particularly curious about Dianne’s story. Wanting to take a break from all things Manson for a while, I put her book aside and ignored it. It was an impulsive purchase anyway. Picking it up one night just to read the jacket cover I discovered the book’s recent publication date and was hooked from page one.
To make a really long story short, “Member of the Family,” by Dianne Lake is the best written, most complete story of the origins and formation of the Manson Family, as well as its demise. Dianne’s story begins in a small town in Minnesota with life experiences not un-common to many small town Americans in the 50’s and 60’s. She spells out her life with her parents as they went from a modest, happy middle class life to becoming Timothy Leary devotees who eventually “drop out” of society to live in a converted bread truck, ending up at the infamous Hog Farm Commune led by Wavy Gravy of Woodstock lore and into the arms of the Manson Cult. Dianne Lake tells us how her parents introduced her to pot and LSD at the age of fourteen and exposed her to the free love, no possessions (except for drugs) lifestyle that came along with dropping out of society. The famous Beach Boy story is finally spelled out in complete detail. Dianne’s book reveals many details not told in the other Manson family books I read. Dianne is totally honest about her drug use, sex life, feelings, and relationships she encountered during her tumultuous, and at times, harrowing childhood. She describes in vivid detail the decisions, mostly made by her counter-culture parents, which led her into the family led by Charles Manson. Her dislike of Susan Atkins is evident also, in my opinion.
This book is a MUST READ for all those who want to learn about the beginning and ending of the Manson Cult, their journeys in the black bus, the houses and ranches they squatted in, and the lost souls who joined them along the way. But to her credit Dianne Lake opens the door into the minds of some of the characters that shaped the counter-culture forces which took root in 1960’s America and sheds some needed light on the era of sex, drugs, and Rock and Roll with its shallow promises and trail of broken dreams. Thankfully Dianne was a survivor of it all and has also turned her life over to Jesus Christ.
Several lines towards the end of the book sum up her thoughts nicely when she finally discovers who Charles Manson really is. “…..a scruffy little man with an enormous ego who thought the rules didn’t apply to him. He was no god, he was no son of man. He was a fake, a fraud, a pimp, and a con artist.”
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Frequently bought together
$16.99
Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14
In Stock
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Similar items that may deliver to you quickly
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Reviews with images
A Real Page Turner...Gripping...An Insider's Firsthand Account of Manson
There have been some excellent biographies written about Charles Manson, but little about his Family members. This autobiography offers a fascinating, in-depth, firsthand account of what life was like with Charles Manson and his Family. Dianne lived with irresponsible, free-spirited parents who embraced the counterculture enthusiastically and decided to "drop out" from society, uprooting Dianne from the only safe, secure environment she knew. Her parents also decided they didn't want to be parents any longer so Dianne was pretty much left to her own devices at the tender age of 14. Her family ended up living at the Hog Farm Commune, where its leaders felt Dianne was too much of a "liability" as an underaged teen. She was ordered to leave, and her parents did nothing to stop this. She briefly lived with a young couple who introduced her to Charles Manson. Manson and his girls knew all the tricks to make the vulnerable 14-year-old feel welcomed and wanted.Dianne takes the reader through those hellacious two years with Manson and his Family. Manson not only brainwashed her with a diet of LSD, group sex and endless proselytizing and rants, he beat her for not "conforming", pimped her out on occasion to his friends, and brutally raped her. She speaks of Charlie's methods to manipulate and control Family members to the point where this group of castoffs and runaways were willing to kill for him. Harrowing at times, it is amazing how Dianne was able to shake off Manson's influence, find the courage to testify against him and against other Family members involved in the senseless slaughter of innocent people. She credits her foster family and her strong Christian faith for giving her the love, stability and strength to get her life back on track. Call it the resiliency of youth, because such a horrific experience would have undone most people. Dianne was very lucky, and as she said, God was looking out for her. She was able to get married, have children and lives a full, productive life. Her Manson years were kept a secret from her children until a fateful call in 2008 forced her to re-examine this difficult period of her youth.A riveting read and very well written; it's a real pager turner that you'll find difficult to put down. The author's style is clear, easy to follow and brutally frank. Dianne never wallows in self-pity but tells her story with honesty and humility, readily admitting her mistakes but forgiving herself and others, including her own irresponsible parents. Dianne's story would make an interesting movie, since it would offer an intimate, personal view of life with Manson and the Family.
Top reviews from other countries
Laura Lou
Certainly an interesting read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 11, 2018