Member of the Family

I put Dianne Lake's book, "Member of the Family", on hold as soon as we ordered it, and I got it right when Manson finally died. Good riddance. Fifty years too late, in my opinion. Why the state of California kept that piece of human garbage alive and fed is beyond me. At any rate, ever since I read "Helter Skelter" at the age of 13, I've been fascinated by the Manson family and read everything I could about them. Dianne Lake was just fourteen when she joined his killer cult, a lost, rebellious teen whose own parents were no fit guardians. They were happy to let Dianne go off with a group of complete strangers, since she had been causing problems in the communes they flitted to and from. Charles made Dianne feel loved and secure and safe, and she spent two years with the family, until they were all arrested at Barker Ranch and Susan Atkins spilled the beans and the cops realized they had more than just drug taking, dune buggy stealing hippies behind bars. Dianne spent some time in a mental hospital, regaining her sanity (she was psychotic, mostly from all the LSD she'd ingested over the years) and when she got out she was fostered by a kind cop and his wife. She had to testify at Manson's trial, since she witnessed Leslie Van Houten burning items belonging to Rosemary LaBianca (she didn't participate, or even know about the killings until after they happened). It was a powerful and moving story, and she didn't flinch from telling the uncomfortable details. I'm glad she's had a good, healthy life since then, and I'm even more glad Charles Manson is dead.