4 out of 4 stars
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' The cult next door ' by Elizabeth R. Buchard , Judith Carlone.
Book cover 4 out 4 stars.
This book is a non fiction. But as I kept reading , it was the most hardest think to believe it is so. As all the memoirs doesn't have happy ever stories and endings. I had to be convinced in her evasion. I awe at the author for her courage to reveal the truth of her life in an cult's group.
The book made me thoroughly sad and partly happy at the ending. Sad for spending nearly 20 years of precious young adulthood in insanity. Happy for realizing and exiting from the wrong path. Which is a very rare thing , as these cults always tries their best to keep on bound by their false promises. Keeping them under their control, like under a spell. As well as they restrict their outer world connections. So they will never learn the truth , so they remain exploited and to have faith on him. As they have limited connections with the society and with the ones' who really care. So the exploiter can have their controlling grip , by being their only supremo.
Liz (Elizabeth) starts her first meeting with George Sharkman in the age of 18 , via her mother's recommendation. Along with a reasonable crowd was absorbed for the group. Where they have been robbed, abused both sexually and emotionally. Throughout the years, till his death in 2006. As this manipulator getting all the benefits and manipulating the members as worst as he could. Worshipping a dog and false promises of eternity. Liz barely escapes after 20years of wasting and exploited. This book keeps saying how the so called cults get involved in business.
I was stuck in the book for awhile. It was so heartbreaking that people get involved in such groups wasting not only their money , also their life's precious time. To a man who is greedy for being a controller (exploitor it is) and for money.
Liz was smarter enough to evade. But even after she had realized , she was stucked for more years. I wonder why? What made her to stay? After all she knows about the false promises and other ridiculous things. It would be more appreciable , if she would have described the exact reasons , why she was stucked? After realizing. Describe how anxious she was , that made her to stay.
After the evasion no matter how hard she tries to convince the others how he manipulates and being used. As they always denied her , keeping their trust in Sharkman. This shows how these cults kind of hypnotize the members , to have a control on them. Because even her mother and her besties denied to believe her. I realized no matter how educated you are or how your social connections are. Once you choose a wrong path like such , you would drawn off the right path far far away. The contents of the book explained enough to help many , who would have been stucked in same situations. This book would be very helpful to realize the sufferings of people and to help , who have been abused and seeking recovery.
This book has a solid beginning, middle part and ending. This is a well edited book and have a steady writing and an easy to read book.
I give the book 4 out of 4 stars. Since the book reveal the unknown world of cults. This book would provide you a new point of view about the world, that we were never aware of. I recommend this book to everyone who are older enough to understand the concepts.
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The Cult Next Door
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