Anne Hamilton was born in Northern Ireland in 1968, the fourth generation of her family to be born into a small but worldwide fundamentalist Christian cult, currently known as the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (formerly the Exclusive Brethren). The Brethren live separately from the outside world which they regard as evil and ruled by Satan. Anne, like all women inside the Brethren, married young and was expected to bear large numbers of children and to obey her husband in all things, without question. In 2013, after 25 years of mental and physical abuse, Anne realised that she must escape the cult if she was to survive. But the decision was a brutal one because she knew that leaving the cult would mean losing everyone she had ever known: family, friends and all of her five children.
Anne's memoir Torn tells the story of her harrowing experiences within the cult and how she has adapted to life on the outside. Anne hopes that Torn will inspire others trapped in coercive relationships or in controlling groups to find the courage to escape.
In 2018 Anne travelled to New Zealand to meet with fellow escapees of the PBCC and while travelling she met her partner Dan who is from Cheshire in the UK. Upon moving to Cheshire, Anne worked as a nanny to busy families as this helped her to cope with the loss of her own children and grandchildren. In January 2023 Anne started a property investment company with Dan.