Ethan

Ethan is the smooth leader of a local cult who persuades Joelle Billingsley to reject her family and former identity. Calling his followers her new family, he describes her father as a bully and orders members to bury photographs and possessions from their old lives. Ethan's control depends on isolating Joelle from grief, memory, and anyone who might challenge him. When Whit and friends bring her a rare Maori Gospel and a final note from her mother, Ethan demands the book. Joelle secretly asks that it be hidden under her pillow and eventually finds courage to leave. Charming and controlling, Ethan presents obedience to himself as freedom from pain. His influence weakens when Joelle reconnects with the love and truth he required her to erase.