Child of Satan, Child of God: Her Own Story, Susan Atkins

From the first page, I couldn’t put this book down! I believe God purposely had me read it during a snowstorm as I’d be cooped up with nothing else to do anyways. I came across it by accident, looking for something in the secular true crime genre, when this book popped up and its title intrigued me. I’ve found myself wavering between atheism and creationism for most of the past few years, and Atkins’s story has now helped catapult me into the arms of Jesus. At first, I was honestly appalled by her, yet could not deny her conversion and realization that Jesus Christ is our only hope when there isn’t any other hope. I also, despite not participating in as vicious of crimes, related to her younger desires for acceptance as I desperately sought the admiration and validation of people in ways that caused me to do some very stupid and terrible things that I too regret. She is spot on in that our one true spiritually healthy acceptance is only found in the Lord Jesus. The book also helped enlighten me to the importance of raising our children in Godly homes and making the Bible the final authority in one’s family as a defense against the wiles of the devil. Most importantly, her courageous story has shown me that everything else the world has to offer is confusion and mayhem, but the gospel brings a bullet of crystal clear truth. Last of all, not to sound weird, but I feel as if Atkins may just be communicating with me as a spiritual angel of light in that I otherwise never would have read her story unless something spiritual had prompted me to do so — It’s a very hard read sometimes, and even makes one wish it wasn’t true, but helps show just how much God’s heart aches for us and reaches for us with unfathomable love! If you don’t know Jesus as Savior, I pray that you read this book, read the Bible, and that you will find and trust Him today.

After seeing the documentary Six Degrees of Helter Skelter my interest in the Manson Family was reignited. I'd seen the original 70's doc years ago and after re-watching it I was very curious what life on Spahn Ranch was like in the beginning. The book was worth reading for those stories alone. Sadly she did have a bad childhood and she slowly paints a portrait of how Manson manipulated her and everyone else to do such horrific acts. Though she spent the rest of her life in prison, the book finishes with her conversion to Christ.

I sincerely hope Miss Atkins is the changed person she claims to be in this book, but frankly, I find it almost impossible to believe anything she says. She has told so many lies over the years about the Tate-LaBianca case, I think it's quite possible that even she doesn't know the truth anymore. Like the rest of the convicted killers involved in the Tate-LaBianca murders, she cops out by saying she had been brainwashed by Manson and had little control over her actions. I believe Manson knew who had the ability to kill and who didn't, and chose the people who went out to kill seven innocent people very carefully. Although Manson had the ability to capitalize on their weaknesses, the end result was these heartless people CHOSE to do his bidding. They could have gone back and told Charlie no one was home or simply refused his request in the first place. I simply can't conjure up any sympathy for anyone who is capable of comitting such a heartless act and the thought of someone like that being free to walk among us again is terrifying. Atkins claims she has found god and tells us he has forgiven her. I believe god can forgive anyone for anything if that person is truly remorseful for his or her sins, and if he has forgiven her, then her afterlife is assured. However, she is being held in prison because she comitted a crime against society, and society says she will rot in a jail cell for her unspeakable crimes. It's incredibly obscene for someone like Miss Atkins to place such a high value on her own life, when she had no hesitation whatsoever about taking the life of an eight and half month pregnant woman who pleaded in vain for her life and that of her unborn child. Seven innocent people are in their graves and they will never get a second chance. The killers deserve the same fate.

Several months ago I bought and read this book from Amazon, and I love this book. I was 14 in August 1969 when my mom and I were downstairs in our house watching the news when mom told me Sharon Tate was murdered and many years ago I found out Susan Atkins wrote a book called Child Of Satan, Child Of God in 1977. Fifty years later I saw on Amazon that the book is still available and I had thought it was no longer available and out of print. If you order and read this book, be sure to order updated version that has nine pages of Atkins photos that were not in original 1977 book. I love this book however it is very sad and depressing. Susan was an attractive young woman yet had a horrible upbringing with both her parents alcoholics, her mom died of cancer when she was 15 or 16, and I lost my brother Jim at age 60 in 2017 from a rare cancer. She was also sexually abused by a relative and got involved in drugs, sex, and crime as a teen and met that maniac and psychopath Charles Manson that ruined her life. If she hadn't gotten involved with Manson and his family, I don't think she would have killed anybody. The book is great and talks about most of her life until 1977 and I'm glad she found God and became a Christian and God has watched over me my whole life. Hopefully she went to heaven when she died. When I used to live in L.A. area 1987 to 2003 I saw the Tate house in 1991 before it was torn down in 1994 and also visited former Spahn Ranch location near Chatsworth, read several books and saw many movies about Manson family. Recently there is a Lifetime movie called Manson's Lost Girls that is excellent and Eden Brolin plays Susan in this movie. Sadly Susan Atkins died in prison of brain cancer in 2009 and I saw tv coverage of this. If prison officials in 1967 would have let Manson stay in prison rather than be released, Manson did not want to leave prison, none of these horrible murders would have happened and Atkins life would have been much different and she probably would not have been in prison for 40 years. This book almost made me cry. I strongly recommend it.

this is a mind boggling book...to know that people tend to only see things so darkly that they don't have the ability to actually see what they are doing to their children, loved one's and even friends; giving lasting impact onto another so much that it impacts their decisions for basically their whole lifetime. so glad she got saved; and glad God is God and not people on this earth; no matter what we fall into or deliberately do, He will still receive us when we cry out to HIM!! seems like people just don't care about anyone but themselves when full-filling their fleshly desires causing others to pay with their lives.. children don't ask to be brought into this world; they are a gift from God..they are abused, tortured, miss-used and then people sit back and say, "I wonder why they did that?" may sound bad, BUT manson said one time "I am a product of the world," and basically this is a true statement. when our children are thrown aside, not treated like they are important, nor thought given to how a child is taking something inside that happened to them, they will go some where and to anyone who will show them some kind of mental attention.. Susan's life seems to have stemmed from this kind of lack of being able to trust in those who the Lord set around her in the beginning to protect and love her..therefore throwing her into a situation of living a manson mentality. after all, manson himself only became product of what his youth living circumstances twisted him to be.

Susan is known for changing her story to portray herself in the best possible light, so you have to take this book with a grain of salt. That said, if you're interested in the members of the "Manson Family", and what their take on the whole thing was, then you'll find this book a good fit. I read this as one of many "Manson Books" for a college paper I wrote, and Susan was out of all the people involved, the one I disliked the most. She portrays herself as an unwilling victim - a hostage if you will. But she does give another aspect to the whole saga.

I gave this book a 5 star rating because of the authors raw truth. The writer does not strive to sugarcoat or make excuses for her crime. So inspiring because when faced with extreme adversity after the manson family murders and looking at the death penalty she slowly came to know God and trusted Jesus as her Savior. She made the most of her life behind bars. I wont give away the ending. I recommend this book for anyone intrested in the late sixties culture the Manson family, imprisonment, religion and spirituality. Also portrays how it's never too late to make positive changes in your life. This book should also be available in all correctional facilities.

There is so much more Susan Atkins could have told us the readers that she did not speak about. Even though she tells how she was almost constantly high on drugs, certainly she must have remembered more about the murders than she includes in the book. And that is VERY LITTLE! And is that not why people would buy her book? To read about the murders? Not to read about Jesus and how he came to visit Susan in her cell. That is hogwash and has nothing to do with what people want to know. Instead, she talks about the path she traveled to get where she was--in prison for life until she died in Sept. 2009. The book does not go that far, obviously, but stops in the late 1970's. It was some enlightening but I still consider it a disappointment and definitely not worth the over-priced value the book collectors put on it to sell on Amazon. Money wise--the book is worth about $1-$2 max. So if you are being charged more than that--skip it and save your money. MAÎTRESSE RENATA

I’m more of a fan and empathizer of Sharon Tate, though it’s always compelling to read info regarding the case. It’s still sad, mind-blowing and sometimes overwhelming that this unnecessary and crazy story happened.

in this book you'll find a quite interesting version on some facts from the very words of a infamous protagonist of a well known story that changed the hippie period into something more morbid. hopefully people are free to change their lives and do better.

Interessante Einblicke, aber wenig Reflektion bei den wahren Opfern. Manson war der große Manipulator, aber er hat nun einmal nicht alleine den Mist verzapft... Und Dauerkonsum von Drogen taten den Rest.

Enjoyed this book by the late Susan Atkins who I believe in my heart had genuinely turned away from the dark side . Glad she found peace in the end despite the immense amount of pain she was party to creating with the others against the victims . I would say it's a must read for those interested in the case

A very good book for people who want to read the story of Susan Atkins, For me it has answerd the question:"Why good girls are doing bad things". Also the procescutor, Vincent Bugliosi wrote a book about this case (named Helter Skelter). For me the book of Susan Atkins was much more interesting. She knew Charles Manson very well and I think she was (unfortunately to late!!) able to see through him. Very interesting for me was that to her opinion the murders were committed for a complete different reason than Bugliosi tells. For me the the explanation of Atkins seems more logical, Also in not so important details Atkins story is different from the one what is published before. For example; in the official files is written that Linda Kasabian drove the car the night of the killings, Atkins says Charles 'Tex' Watson did. Although this deatail is to my opinion not so important, it is interesting that Atkins has another vieuw on the case than what the files say. In the book Atkins tells also a lot about how she changed after she was arrested. To my opinion a very interesting book for people who are interested in 'Helter Skelter'.