Cuffy, Nicole
9780593597460, 059359746X
Trade Paperback
 
In this “engrossing” (Los Angeles Times) novel that sweeps from present-day California to the Vietnam War and back, a grieving young man is drawn into the orbit of a charismatic cult leader who forces him to reconsider why people give up control—and what it takes, ultimately, to find one’s place in the world.

ONE OF THE SEASON’S MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS: Time, Rolling Stone, Vulture, Men’s Health, WNYC, Electric Lit, Feminist Book Club, Lit Hub

“A gorgeously written literary excavation of belonging and belief.”—Emma Donoghue, The Boston Globe

After the death of his father, Faruq Zaidi, a young journalist, takes the opportunity to embed himself in a mysterious cult known as “the nameless” based in the California redwoods with strikingly beautiful members who adhere to the 18 Utterances, including teachings such as “all suffering is distortion” and “see only beauty.”  “The nameless” is shepherded by Odo, an enigmatic Vietnam War veteran who received “the sight”—the movement's foundational principles—during his time as an infantryman. In flashbacks to Odo’s time in Vietnam that recount the cult’s origins, we see four soldiers contend with the war and their responsibilities to each other, and by the end of the novel we learn which one becomes our cult leader.

Faruq, skeptical but committed to unraveling the mystery of both “the nameless” and Odo, extends his stay over months and as he gets deeper into the cult’s inner workings and alluring teachings, he begins to loss a grip on reality. Faruq is forced to come to terms with the memories he has been running from while trying to resist Odo’s spell. Ultimately this immersive and unsettling novel asks: What does it take to find one's place in the world and what exactly do we seek from one another?