Child X

A Memoir of Slavery, Poverty, Celebrity, and Scientology

By: Jamie Mustard

Narrated by: Jamie Mustard

“Hey, kid. Kid.” A voice in the darkness of the slum dorm. I awoke to my stale, bare mattress. It was midnight. The arm of a male nanny reached into the closet where my bed was, roughly jostling me. “You have to get up. They’re coming.”

A notorious movement cloaked in secrecy. A prosperous Black family that rose from the ashes of American slavery. A forgotten boy. And a daring escape.

Jamie Mustard was born into one of the most influential fringe movements in the 1970s: Scientology. Raised on a mythos of spaceships and made to believe that it was his life’s purpose to help save the world, he was determined to survive—not only unsurvivable neglect but also the impossible physical and psychological gauntlet of extreme poverty and illiteracy. Child X is a dark existential journey into a deepest hole of human existence and the road back.

The unbelievable story of a lost generation of children, Child X takes readers through Jamie’s childhood and adolescence in “the movement,” his daring escape, and his rise into self-possession. With wit and vulnerability, Jamie sheds light on one of the untold, but not uncommon, accounts of a powerful Black family that rose from the ashes of slavery to prominence and wealth, and how the counterculture of the 1960s and 70s caused that rise to crumble. This deeply personal true story gives a child’s-eye view of one of the most notorious American religious movements in history. Despite his family’s success, Jamie would be born a slave and then reborn an artist. Through extraordinary encounters with celebrity, icons and historical figures, it also powerfully places Black American history in the larger context of world events.

A universal story of resilience in the face of overwhelming odds, Child X celebrates yet transcends race—and is ultimately an uplifting impossible to believe story of rising out of adversity and building a life full of meaning and connection. With this book, Jamie continues working to restore his family’s legacy and provides a salient saga of the road to humanity and self-possession.

©2025 by Jamie Mustard. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“As someone who’s deeply studied psychological indoctrination, Child X is a staggering triumph over the unimaginable. A profoundly moving and important book, at once haunting and beautiful.”—Holt McCallany, lead actor, David Fincher’s Mindhunter (Netflix)

“Child X is a vivid, harrowing memoir of a childhood shadowed by hardship and illiteracy in a dark movement, ultimately of personal redemption and triumphant artistic self-expression. Its message is essential.”—Gabor Maté, MD, New York Times bestselling author of The Myth of Normal

“A moving story about overcoming the impossible.”—Hilary Bevan Jones, film and television producer and first female chairman of BAFTA

Love the book@

Jamie Mustard does a great job narrating his story. The story is inspiring and heart breaking at the same time.

Couldn't stop listening! Had me in tears!

This book details the heartbreaking firsthand account of the horrifying abuse and neglect suffered by countless children in the name of a "religion" known as Scientology at the hands of parents and staff of the organization. I was struck by the raw emotions in author, Jamie Mustard's voice as he explains not only the realities of a childhood in these conditions but also how it felt and affected his developing child mind and body. I found myself on an emotional roller-coaster as the descriptions are so relatable. The human experience connects us all to this story in one way or another. The memoir, Child X has forever touched my heart.

Gorgeous and sublime.

In Jamie's telling of his story of being raised in an abusive cult, he weaves in his family's history and world history in the most sublime way. A tale of triumph. I tried to wait for my delivery of the hardback but Jamie's storytelling is first class, I listened to the entirety in one day. I predict I will highlight, underline and bookmark my hard copy while forcing it on everyone I know.

Wow! 1000% accurate!

I can honestly say that this book is the best book written about Scientology. I know because I am one of the children that knew, and grew up side by side with Jamie.

It’s all true and the fact he wrote this book without using Scientology terminology, makes everyone understand what really happened to us and is still happening.
Bravo!
Thank you for writing the story of what happened to hundreds of us!

A story of resilience

I've been following the anti-scientology movement for a few years now, and by translating things to "standard" words/definitions, it leave an even bigger impact. It's heartbreaking and inspiring all at the same time. I'm writing this on the day it was released and have already listened to 5 hours. I know the rest will be just as impactful.

Even if you know nothing about scientology, especially if you know nothing about scientology, this is a must read- this SHOULD be read.

There needs to be more awareness about how these things are STILL happening every single day around the world...