There are a lot of circumstances leading people to embrace cults and their leaders. Lack of intelligence is definitely not the real reason individuals are getting so wronged that they are keen to give up money, independence and even their body for the promise of a mental and spiritual healing.
After several failed suicide attempts as a teenager, Veena Dinavahi was brought by her highly professional Indian parents to a failed eye surgeon that for a bit less than a decade will guide and direct her life. As in a staged apparition, the guy, belonging to the Mormon church, will help her to find The True Happiness, intrusively controlling her personal decisions - among others, encouraging her to abandon school, get married and turn into a tradwife. Her disillusionment with the movement took a dramatic turn after being sexually molested by the same cult leader.
Her memoir includes notes from her diary and dedicates a considerable amout of space to the personal interactions between her and the ´leader´ who requested to be called ´Daddy´, fully displaying his art of manipulation and extent of his fraud. Her husband is his biggest fan and blindly follows his orders - also addressing him as ´Daddy´.
There is nothing to be ashamed of when being the victim of a cult. Similarly with scams, we are faced with sophisticated methods designed to raise any suspicions while taking advantage of vulnerable individuals. Her book, as many other testimonies by people who left cults, do help to recognize the fraud and get the right support and understanding elsewhere.
From the point of view of the style, I´ve found some parts of the book a bit too detailed, but it has to do with my love for concision. On the other hand, someone looking for a bigger picture, may find those information vital for the overall understanding of the case.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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