Review by nic_75 -- The Cult Next Door

[nic_75]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Cult Next Door" by Elizabeth R. Burchard, Judith L. Carlone.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Cult Next Door: A Manhattan Memoir, is the heartbreaking and riveting story of one woman’s descent into a nightmarish cult, the harrowing decades she spent in the grasp of a madman, and her eventual awakening to reality. Elizabeth Burchard tells readers this true account of what she experienced in the two decades between 1977 and 1997, beginning with a traumatic childhood spent with her widowed mother who was quickly losing touch with reality, and ending with an attempt to escape years of being sexually, psychologically, and financially abused at the hands of a sociopathic cult leader.

This intriguing story gives readers a first-hand look at the devious and twisted nature of an individual who took advantage of the innocent and preyed mostly upon women in youthful or vulnerable moments. Burchard does a remarkable job of portraying her inner pain and turmoil while refusing to strip the humanity from her fellow cult victims, even those who oftentimes acted as her torturers and were called upon or volunteered to “punish” her through intensified psychological abuse. Burchard also holds herself accountable for the many times she caused pain or watched silently as pain was inflicted upon others. Though she recognizes that she was a victim of mind control and abuse, she never allows herself a “free pass” in this introspective and emotionally raw memoir.

Considering the psychological, sexual, and social content, this book is intended for mature readers. Though the author is very careful in how she words her explanations regarding behaviors and events, there are several references to sexual abuse and animal abuse that may be disturbing to some readers. Please be aware that, while the images presented are not overly graphic, they are intense and their impact may linger in the mind.

The co-author, Judith Carlone, is not introduced until almost halfway through the book, in alignment with when she came into the first author’s life as a friend outside of the cult. After Carlone’s introduction to the storyline, the book begins switching between her voice as an observer and Burchard’s first-hand voice. At first, I didn’t like the introduction of changing narrators after so much of the story had already been told as Burchard’s first-person account. The switch seemed almost gimmicky and made me feel like I was reading a fiction story. However, by the end of the book, not only I had grown used to the changing perspectives, I looked forward to reading what each woman had to say about the people and events in Burchard’s life. Although I question the *way* the second author was suddenly introduced, I think the overall result of having a second voice was beneficial to the story.

The only thing I found disappointing is that none of the people or the events can be researched despite several seemingly public identities and circumstances such as radio and television interviews with the cult leader, involvement in political campaigns, and various book publications and promotions. I’m sure this is because the author changed the names of other members to protect privacy, and possibly to avoid retribution. However, that is something that should have been mentioned upfront in a non-fiction account.

Burchard’s writing was smooth, captivating, well-paced, and free of any glaring grammatical errors. The story she told was heart-wrenching, frustrating, and sometimes brutal but, through over 300 pages of it unfolding to its empowering conclusion, I was riveted and engaged, rooting for Burchard the entire way! I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.

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The Cult Next Door
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