Edith Roller met Jim Jones when she was already in her 60s. Enthralled by his vision for racial equality and economic justice, she joined his movement and began keeping a detailed journal so that she could one day write a book on Jim Jones and Peoples Temple. She died on November 18, 1978 along with nearly 1000 of her fellow settlers who moved to Jonestown, Guayana in search of a better communal life.

This project transcribes and annotates her journals in order to make these important resources available to a wider audience and make them more comprehensible to readers in the 21st century.

Here you will find Edith’s journal annotated, original research on Edith’s life, and a photo gallery.