Talking to Strangers
A Memoir of My Escape from a Cult
by Marianne Boucher
Doubleday Canada, 2020. 176 pages.
Review written September 8, 2020, from a library book
This is a short and sweet graphic novel memoir about when the author was 18 years old and got sucked into the Moonies.
She was all about ice skating and got an audition in California for the Ice Follies. But while she was there, she met some strangers on the beach. They showered her with love and attention and talked with her about not conforming to expectations.
One thing led to another. First, she was just going to go to a weekend retreat. They added teaching and community and before long she was fully involved.
Her mother back in Canada couldn’t get the California police to intervene, since Marianne was 18 years old. So she found people who specialized in extracting people from cults. They laid plans and got help from a former cult member. Since Marianne didn’t want to leave, they had to get her away from the group in order to convince her, and none of that was easy.
The graphic novel format makes this a quick read, but it’s still a powerful story and a frightening one. At the end, the book does touch on her difficult healing process, and it provides a resource list at the back. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help thinking that there were some similarities with our current political climate. But may we all find healing with Beauty and Truth.
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