Review of The Cult Next Door

[Emily Meadows]

[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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I just finished reading The Cult Next Door: A Manhattan Memoir by Elizabeth R. Burchard and Judith L. Carlone. What a fascinating memoir! It gripped me from the first chapter, and by the end, I could not put the book down.

The Cult Next Door: A Manhattan Memoir is a true story about one of the authors, Elizabeth R. Burchard, who unknowingly joined a cult when she was 17 years old. Elizabeth met the guru through her mother, who found him after trying many others on her path toward self-improvement. The “cutting-edge” treatment he provided was biofeedback therapy, which was explained as a stress-reduction therapy.

Elizabeth’s mother insisted she meet the cult leader for biofeedback treatment. He was a master manipulator who convinced the naïve 17-year-old to see him regularly. Their therapy sessions became sexual, which the cult leader encouraged Elizabeth to keep secret from her mother. This memoir documents the decades she spent under his control and the sexual, emotional, and financial abuse she experienced.

There is a quote from early in the book that I thought captured how the guru persuaded his followers to join the cult. In the book, on page 86, he says, "It’s only a matter of time until the earth says, ‘next species,’ and wipes us out, just like the dinosaurs. I have discovered a unique Energy that can change everything." The guru believed Armageddon was imminent and brainwashed his followers to believe the same.

The author was fortunate to meet her co-author, Judith L. Carlone, at an opportune time in her life. She was beginning to find fault with the cult leader, faults that were confirmed by Judith. Over many years, Judith encouraged Elizabeth to see that she was being manipulated, and helped her to rebuild her life independent of the cult leader and his followers. I won’t spoil the plot by telling you if Judith succeeded in helping Elizabeth escape from the cult. You’ll have to read the book.

I enjoyed this book and would rate it 4 out of 4 stars. The story was engrossing and quick to read. It explained cultism in a way that was relatable and easy to understand. It also documented a path to recovery from years of abuse, applicable beyond the cult scenario. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about cults and the cultism mindset. There was vague but disturbing sexual content.

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The Cult Next Door
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[Emily Meadows]

PEOPLE - read this one!