Blue Smoke & Mirrors, a novel by Arnold M. Ludwig that tells a story of Jonestown through the eyes of a fictitious survivor, was published in December 2017. Dr. Ludwig wrote several articles for the jonestown report about the creative process before the book’s completion, including his 2016 article, An Exploration of a Novelist’s Mind, and adds his reflections upon the completed work here.
Several reviews appear in this edition of the jonestown report, including:
- Bearing Witness to Tragedy, by Matthew Fulmer
- Manipulation, Mirrors and Mind Control, by Robert Westlake
- When “Because” Is Enough, by Bulent Atalay
In addition, Elliot Krieger wrote a short review on his blog Elliot’s Readings on May 11, 2018.
I’ve been reading a new novel by friend Arnold M. Ludwig – Blue Smoke & Mirrors. Not sure why Dr. Ludwig – a well-known professor of psychiatry and medicine – was unable to (or chose not to) find a major publisher, as this novel is a potential commercial success I would think: A thriller based on extensive research Ludwig has done on the Jonestown massacre. Ludwig has some intriguing and surprising theories about the events that led up to this debacle, and he tells the story through the eyes of a participant and unlikely survivor. For those interested in more information on religious cults and the mesmerizing powers of a cult leader – particularly those who’ve watched the recent Netflix documentary series Wild Wild Country– this book is worth a good look.