Review by cxsimpson -- The Cult Next Door
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cxsimpson
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Review by cxsimpson -- The Cult Next Door
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Cult Next Door" by Elizabeth R. Burchard, Judith L. Carlone.]
Elizabeth Burchard’s childhood was full of her mother’s failing attempts to understand the world. Desperate for approval and attention, both Elizabeth and her mother falls prey to the charismatic George Sharkman. Along with over a dozen other men and women, she spends almost two decades and all her money on him and his cult. They compete for the leader’s praise. It is not until she meets and befriends an outsider that she can finally begin to see clearly. This story follows Elizabeth’s life story, from her childhood to her escape and recovery.
Elizabeth was raised by intelligent people and was very smart herself. She graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and worked as a teacher. This story clearly shows how easily cult leaders are able to persuade people to join them. The author was not targeted through her intelligence, she was targeted through her desire for connection. She offers valuable insight into the trauma the followers endure because they cannot fathom leaving. I finished the story with more admiration and less judgment for the people involved in cults.
The book itself is broken into ten parts. It starts with Elizabeth’s childhood and ends with her finding closure. Within each section, each part is labeled with a date, so it is easy for the reader to follow the timeline. The dates span from 1971 to 2008. It is primarily told from Elizabeth’s point of view, but there are several parts narrated by Judith, Elizabeth’s friend who helped her escape.
I rate The Cult Next Door by Elizabeth R. Burchard and Judith L. Carlone 4 out of 4 stars . I really enjoyed reading it and learning from Elizabeth’s experience. The book is well-written. It spans several decades, but is not too rushed. The author knew where to spend her time in her story and what needed less explanation. The page numbers were confusing as there did not seem to be any reasoning behind why they were spaced the way they were. For example, the table of contents is five pages long and goes from page 68 to 126. However, this did not affect the reading at all, so I think it is still worth 4 stars.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed reading Educated by Tara Westover. The two stories are quite similar. They are both about escaping a situation that was not designed to be left; the cult for Elizabeth and her own family for Tara. I also think anyone who enjoys learning about cults would enjoy this book. Overall, this book was very informative and I highly recommend it.
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The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Elizabeth Burchard’s childhood was full of her mother’s failing attempts to understand the world. Desperate for approval and attention, both Elizabeth and her mother falls prey to the charismatic George Sharkman. Along with over a dozen other men and women, she spends almost two decades and all her money on him and his cult. They compete for the leader’s praise. It is not until she meets and befriends an outsider that she can finally begin to see clearly. This story follows Elizabeth’s life story, from her childhood to her escape and recovery.
Elizabeth was raised by intelligent people and was very smart herself. She graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and worked as a teacher. This story clearly shows how easily cult leaders are able to persuade people to join them. The author was not targeted through her intelligence, she was targeted through her desire for connection. She offers valuable insight into the trauma the followers endure because they cannot fathom leaving. I finished the story with more admiration and less judgment for the people involved in cults.
The book itself is broken into ten parts. It starts with Elizabeth’s childhood and ends with her finding closure. Within each section, each part is labeled with a date, so it is easy for the reader to follow the timeline. The dates span from 1971 to 2008. It is primarily told from Elizabeth’s point of view, but there are several parts narrated by Judith, Elizabeth’s friend who helped her escape.
I rate The Cult Next Door by Elizabeth R. Burchard and Judith L. Carlone 4 out of 4 stars . I really enjoyed reading it and learning from Elizabeth’s experience. The book is well-written. It spans several decades, but is not too rushed. The author knew where to spend her time in her story and what needed less explanation. The page numbers were confusing as there did not seem to be any reasoning behind why they were spaced the way they were. For example, the table of contents is five pages long and goes from page 68 to 126. However, this did not affect the reading at all, so I think it is still worth 4 stars.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed reading Educated by Tara Westover. The two stories are quite similar. They are both about escaping a situation that was not designed to be left; the cult for Elizabeth and her own family for Tara. I also think anyone who enjoys learning about cults would enjoy this book. Overall, this book was very informative and I highly recommend it.
******
The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: How to Generate and Earn Royalty Income by Marina Peters
