A Very Simple Secret

Book excerpt: Judi’s parents were on a mission to remake the world. These were the Cold War years of the 1950s and ‘60s, following a catastrophic world war and the breaking up of colonial empires. The couple had joined many others in giving up conventional careers and family life to work for Moral Re-Armament (MRA), an extensive global movement in its hey-day. Their life goal was to build a ‘hate-free, fear-free, greed-free world’. Between the ages of four and twelve Judi stayed in a series of shared homes and boarding schools while her parents travelled. Uncertain where she belonged, she dreaded being asked what her father did or where she lived, becoming anxious and guarded, almost to breaking point. The author interweaves her unusual childhood memoir with her parents’ parallel story, pieced together from contemporary archives and accounts. She offers a unique insight into the work of the controversial MRA movement, encouraging readers to draw their own conclusions. Judi Conner’s book propels readers back to the mid-20th century era when a war of ideas raged, a new world order was being fought over and high ideals came at a price.