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Scarred

The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life

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Scarred

By: Sarah Edmondson, Kristine Gasbarre
Narrated by: Sarah Edmondson
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About this listen

The shocking and subversive memoir of a 12-year-NXIVM-member-turned-whistleblower, and her inspiring true story of abuse, escape, and redemption.

"Master, would you brand me? It would be an honor."

Scarred follows actress Sarah Edmondson's account of her recruitment into the NXIVM cult, founded by Keith Raniere. It narrates in detail the 12 years she spent within the organization, during which she enrolled over 2,000 members, chronicling her breaking point and her harrowing fight to get out, help others, and heal.

  • Complete with personal photographs, this tell-all follows Sarah from the moment she takes her first NXIVM seminar, to the invitation she accepts from her best friend, Lauren Salzman, into DOS - a "secret sisterhood" within the cult - to her journey toward becoming a key witness in the federal case against its founders.
  • Listeners will learn how cults like NXIVM get started, why people get involved (and stay), and the importance of whistleblowers who bring light to illegal and unethical practices.
  • Sarah Edmondson is a Canadian actress and playwright who has starred in the CBS series Salvation and more than 12 films for the Hallmark Channel and Lifetime. She is featured in the CBC podcast Uncover: Escaping NXIVM and The Vow, the upcoming HBO documentary series on NXIVM.

Scarred isn't just about NXIVM. It is also a story about abuses of power, the role female friendships play in cults, and how sometimes the search to be "better" can override everything else.

  • A thrilling listen for fans of true crime and cults, as well as listeners of podcasts like My Favorite Murder and Up and Vanished.
  • Great for fans of Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini, Escape by Carolyn Jessop, Beyond Belief by Jenna Miscavige Hill, and Bad Blood by John Carreyrou.
  • Evokes questions about friendship, ethics, good, and evil, making it a perfect selection for book clubs.

Audio edition read by the author.

©2019 Sarah Edmondson and Kristine Gasbarre (P)2019 Hachette Audio
Biographies & Memoirs Personal Success Religious Studies Spirituality Cult Celebrity
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Shocking and personal insight into NXIVM

This book was so good! I've watched all the documentaries about NXIVM but this book gives much more insight and details of how life was in it, how people could get pulled in and how the brainwashing worked. I'm so impressed by the writer for not only sharing all these personal experiences but also reading them out - that must have been so hard but hopefully also therapeutic. Thanks to Sarah and the others that left, the leader is now in jail for 120 years and the others are also serving time. Knowing this outcome beforehand made it extra good to listen to this book (a 'happy ending'). Highly recommend!

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A look inside NXIVM

Fantastic story of how someone first got into NXIVM, climbed the ranks, and finally got out (scathed but unbroken).

Peppered with NXIVM theory and explaining their practices — which are a mix of Landmark, Ayn Rand and Scientology. (Having intimate knowledge of the first two, I find it eerie how easy it could be to fall into a cult like this. It’s surreal to hear Landmark and Objectivist jargon casually used in an ‘uncanny valley’ kind of way.)

The author’s acting skills make the narration engaging and enjoyable to listen to.

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Fantastic read and beautifully read

Well done Sarah, really inspiring read (listen) good luck to you and your loved ones.

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inspirational strength from Sarah

So brave of Sarah to share this story. A lesson for us all here.

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Great book

Great book, watch and listen to Sarah Edmondson a few times. loved it even more as it is narrated by Sarah herself.

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Great book.. wonderful narration, great companion to the vow

The authors courage on her journey and willingness to share it for others makes her a hero to me and a beautiful soul. She’s also a great writer and narrator..
if you want to learn about NXvim of cults get this book

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proud of Sarah

well written and read love the fact she read it herself. it's a scary thing that this was real, glad he got 120 years inside, hope he is someone's slave inside. Hope the others can get de programmed and live an average life.

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Very involving

Very involving, exactly what I wanted. xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx

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Good. Not brilliant considering the scale.

The book was good. There's very little given to explain the indoctrination thought process as any other individual would have walked away 12 days in not 12 years in but that's a lot of time and people are vulnerable in different ways. The story is not as gripping simply due the magnitude of the case and the sheer volume of crimes committed. The author kept exclusive to her story and in one sense, good for her not to have experienced those horrors. She's a brave woman. I'm sure there would be plastic surgeons who will gladly remove the brand of its possible one day if she so chooses. Wishing her all the best and her family. She's got an amazing husband.

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Fantastic

Thank you so much Sarah for sharing your interesting and harrowing true story, Your words will no doubt help free and heal so many who are stuck/have been stuck in a cult ❤️

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