The Lafferty Girl: Surviving Trauma, Abuse, and My Father’s Crimes

The messianic beliefs of radical LDS fundamentalists Dan Lafferty and his brother Ron drove them to commit an unspeakable crime.This is a riveting, raw, and unfiltered look at the Lafferty family saga from a daughter who lived it, and of her journey to self-love and forgiveness.

Rebecca Lafferty grew up with a volatile, erratic, and ultimately notorious father, Dan Lafferty. She carried the scars of her traumatic upbringing through childhood and into adulthood. But most of all, Rebecca carried the horror of learning about the cold-blooded murder of her aunt and infant cousin in 1984, perpetrated by Dan and Ron according to a revelation Ron had received--as profiled in the Jon Krakauer book and FX/Hulu series Under the Banner of Heaven.

Now, in this riveting memoir, Rebecca tells her own story of survival and healing. Her correspondence with Dan--serving life in prison--insights from relatives, and most importantly, her own lived experience, give her an astoundingly deep point of view on the lead-up to the tragedy and its aftermath.

In this book, Rebecca hopes to encourage other survivors of abuse and trauma to chart their own path to healing and peace.

Rebecca Lafferty is the oldest child of Dan Lafferty and the mother of three children. She is a certified hypnotherapist (CHt) and is passionate about helping others heal from childhood trauma. She lives in Salt Lake City with her partner and son.

Katie McNey earned an Honors BA in English and French from Brigham Young University in 2009 and a PhD in English from the University of Minnesota in 2016. She was a faculty member at the University of Southern California until 2021 and has earned multiple awards for her writing and scholarship. She lives in Los Angeles with her daughter.