Rating: 
Summary: Just One of Many Stories from the Now Naked Messiah
Review: Having encountered the Moon cult 35 years ago when Lt. Col. Bo Hi Pak first arrived in the Nation's Capital, Nansook's account of her observations come as no surprise. My own marriage of 25 years was destroyed by their incessant lies and deceptions. While Moon will certainly never replace Jesus Christ, he has stolen from Satan the title, "Father of All Lies." And as psychologist Margaret Sanger observed nearly three decades ago, "those who join themselves to such a man do so because they see their own lives as spoiled and wasted." Like myself, Nansook was given custody of her children, and that's the only good news that ever comes out of this lying cult.
Rating: 
Summary: Faith and Reality in perspective
Review: I have to congratulate Ms Hong on her ability to encapsulate her personal experiences in an account of life with the Moon family. The subject matter is broad and Ms Hong is able to narrow it down to her own experiences in the Unification Church, which allows the reader a unique perspective of a unrevealed lifestyle by the Moon family. She chronicals her journey from teen to adulthood within the context of the UC, giving one a glimpse into the relationship between having ideals of faith and on the contrary, the reality of her actual experiences. It is obvious at the end of the book that there exists a huge contradiction between what Moon preaches and what he practices, especially in the contradiction evident between the lifestyles of the Moon family and the UC members. Moon preaches sacrifice, but practices a different standard. In any religious context the struggle between faith and reality forces each individual believer to forge their own unique relationship with God. Ms Hong indicates that in every situation there comes a time when you have to draw a line when the gap between reality and faith become to great. Thank you for your honesty
Rating:
Summary: A fascinating account of life inside a religious cult.
Review: I just bought "In the Shadow of the Moons". I just finished it too. I couldn't put it down. As a student of the sociology of religion I found it a must read. Ms. Hong presents a credible inside account of how difficult it is to see the truth while "inside". She must be a remarkable woman to have been able to make the break. I wish her all the luck in the world with her new life and thank her for sharing the truth with the world, it must have been very scary. Her courage is commendable.
Rating:
Summary: A fascinating and valuable insider's look at Moon's cult
Review: I never joined, but I was in the Unification Church for 5 months in 1979. I met many fine, intelligent and idealistic people. The theology was fascinating and seemed "modern" to me -- at first. As Nansook Hong writes, Mr. Moon and his minions took full advantage of the idealism and youthful energy of the young people they targeted for their movement -- who were fundraising fodder for a fake Messiah.Hong's book is an excellent expose of this deeply flawed cult and its leaders. I read most of it in one day, it was so engrossing. The chronicle of her spiritual and marital struggle very aptly illustrates the adage, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." The book gives many personal examples of how women are denigrated in this church. I heard Reverend Park, in Berkeley, California, address a small group. He laughed derisively at one young man and said he was "like a woman". That angered me -- one incident that led me to leave the cult. Thank you, Nansook, for the book. I'm certain your story will inspire many in their quest for spiritual freedom and personal integrity.
Rating:
Summary: A compelling, if incomplete, revelation
Review: I'd been a member of the Unification Church for 25 years before deciding that I appreciated its theology but could no longer belong to its institution. Nansook Hong's well-written and compelling revelation of the awful dysfunction within a powerful family helps one understand the insidious psychic scars that can be inflicted in an institution so at odds with its own theology. There is profoud truth in her terrifying account of her life with the monster that Hyo Jin Moon became, and in the church that was consuming itself with hypocrisy and self-contradiction. I can only assume that Nansook will be some time sorting out for herself the deeper issues of religious significance behind her troubling experience. It is clear that at the moment she is understandably in the grip only of revulsion and pain. It would be all too easy for a reader to arrive at that same place, which, as does this book, would give one a very incomplete awareness of the totality of this story.
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Summary: Moon's empire of lies and ... finally confirmed
Review: I've been a victum of Moon's organization for approximately 15 years. Through out my years in his church I was repeatedly abused, reprimanded, punished and coerced to live the way they wanted. I have been a member here in New York City since the beginning, and have witnessed it all. I've worked with and around the so called sinless "true family". I know first hand how the church spin doctors go around covering up all the sins of the true family. I still have not been able to leave the church officially due to the prospect of losing my family. After years of soul seaching I came to the realization that I had to do something so I started my own web site at ... I am now an undercover spy working to expose the Moon empire for what it really is. Of all the research that I have been conducting, Nan Sooks book touched my heart the deepest. I personally vouch and testify that all of the issues covered in this book are 100% true. Thank you Nan Sook for having the courage to do what you had to do.
Rating: 
Summary: Ghost-written, Dramatized Fodder for Religious Bigots
Review: If you are a religious bigot who loves to hate other religions and use words like "Cult" and "Heresy," then this book is for you. The book is well suited for the psycho babble crowd as well. There is plenty to read for those who find refuge from their own problems by reading about the real or imagined problems of other so-called "dysfunctional" families. The book provides no insight into the character of Reverend Moon or the theology of the Unification Church. The author fails to mention the many beneficial projects of the church or the substantial spiritual benefits that kept her and millions of members in the church. After the book, Reverend Moon remains an enigma. If he is as bad as the book portrays, then why does he still have an ever increasing following throughout the world? How can he hold conferences attended by religious leaders of all denominations and be the founder of one of the most influential newspapers in America? It is not uncommon for a preacher's son to fail in living up to the standard of his father. Hyo Jin's shortcomings are no reflection on the valuable work that Rev. Moon has accomplished. While the book attempts to link the two even in its title, it fails miserably. What about all of the other children of Rev. Moon who are still in the church? Among them is a Harvard graduate. All of them are individuals with outstanding abilities. Rev. Moon has explained on many occasions how the demands of the development of his world-wide church organization prevented him from spending as much time as he would like with his children. In many ways, he sacrificed his own personal family time so that he could help thousands of families around the world with their lives. The book is completely one-sided.
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Summary: Where's the rest of it?
Review: In The Shadow of the Moons is not evidence for or against Reverend Moon's legitimateness as a religious leader. It does not, as the author claims, negate the Unification Church's claim to the "True Parents" or Messianic status of its founders. It is, instead, the testimony of an abusive husband with a drug problem and sexual obsessions and his long-suffering wife who chose to escape the relationship. It also describes from the daughter-in-law perspective a difficult Mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship. It is the sad story of a failed marriage. I expected more from the author in terms of revealing the "inside story" of Reverend Moon and his family. Instead, in the story she describes the Moons very narrowly and reveals more about her pain and anger than their characters. It would be interesting to hear from the other members of this large family. Most of the other sons and daughters are of adult age and have remained in the family. All of them seem to be strong willed and intelligent. Why have they stayed "faithful"? What about the ones who attended prestigious universities and manage successful businesses? Where's the rest of the story?
Rating: 
Summary: A mile wide but an inch deep
Review: My first impression after I finished this book was one of real sadness. The suffering inflicted upon this woman by her husband is horrific and will be almost incomprehensible for most readers. However it is clear to me that the author, in lifting at least 50% of this book from potted anti-Moon biographies and diatribes, has not really come to terms with the figure of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon. What I want to know is why so many others, far wiser than the author and much more knowledgeable than her in philosophical and religiouus matters, are duped so easily by this man. And what is his motivation to keep the Washington Times afloat at such a great cost? It is puerile to simply suggest that he is a con artist or a charlatan. This is a story of one woman's tragedy and one man's terrible part in it. That man is Hyo Jin Moon. Sun Myung Moon is still an enigma.
Rating:
Summary: The objective truth brilliantly portrayed.
Review: Nansook Hong has painted a clear honest portrait of what life was like inside the "True Family". Our suspicians are confirmed that there is nothing remotely ressembling Truth or Love or matters that are oriented toward living a spiritual life centered on God. Not in that family. Outwardly they pretend to be holy,yet there appears to be nothing holy about the life they live. Nansook ought to be viewed as a heroine for the courage she displayed exposing the Moon's for the fraud that they are. It ought to be pointed out that 95% of the individuals who joined the Unification Church in America over the last 30 years are no longer affiliated. Most members leave and persue other avenues in life. No one is joining today and the Curch is an empty shell in comparison to days past. The book ought to be read carefully with an objective attitude by those who remain affiliated. If read carefully a mass exodus ought to occur. Nansook deserves praise and thanks for the brilliant expose of a dying pseudo spiritual movement.
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