Veena Dinavahi tells a story that’s both harrowing and darkly funny: how struggles with depression and suicidality led her, at a vulnerable moment, into the orbit of a man who promised salvation and instead built a self-help cult around himself. The memoir doesn’t shy away from the strangeness or the pain, but it’s also carried by Dinavahi’s sharp wit and ability to name what happened without turning away.

What struck me most was how clearly she writes about loneliness and need—how the desire for relief, community, or even just a place to belong can make manipulation harder to see. She also threads in her background as the daughter of Indian immigrants, showing how cultural pressures and family expectations shaped her search for meaning. Those parts gave the book its strongest grounding.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Veena Dinavahi’s The True Happiness Company is a memoir that documents Dinavahi’s years spent in a cult and the events that led to her involvement in said cult as well as the circumstances and influences that kept her in this dire situation.

The most important question that Dinavahi answers throughout her book is how someone like her ended up in a cult. She reminds us that being vulnerable and having those vulnerabilities exploited is the basis of how a cult functions and grows. She also reminds us that the events that took place in her life can happen to anyone and that choosing to question the status quo is the path towards meaningful change.

Dinavahi’s courage in telling her story does not go unnoticed or unappreciated. This heartwrenching account details mental, emotional and sexual abuse. It also depicts how the people closest to us can hurt us the most especially when we choose to let their behaviour slide.

If you enjoyed Bethany Joy Lenz’s Dinner for Vampires, you will find The True Happiness Company equally as immersive.

Thank you Random House for providing me with an ARC of The True Happiness Company via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! This title is available now.

Such an impactful memoir! This year, I've found myself drawn to stories about cults, scammers, and this corner of true crime in general. To say that I "enjoyed" reading Veena Dinavahi's personal story of the many years she spent devoting her life to a cult and its enigmatic leader is probably not the right choice of verb. Her writing is so raw, honest, and vulnerable that at times it was difficult to read. Content warnings abound, including suicidality, gaslighting, and abuse to name a few. But she also does a truly incredible job explaining *how* she ended up there, and ultimately how she broke away. This is not a story about the cult; Dinavahi provides pseudonyms for nearly everything, including the cult and its leader, so don't go in expecting any kind of exposé. It is, however, a compelling glimpse into one woman's life while existing as part of a organization designed to manipulate and control.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for my advanced copy.

The True Happiness Company is a brave and fascinating memoir. She details the desperation, disorientation, isolation, and manipulation she experienced in the cult and how her own family and husband helped to sometimes inadvertently push her further into the cult and the control of its leader. Grateful that Veena got out and regained her voice and is now sharing her story. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this memoir.

Veena Dinavahi's story is fascinating, and I think the endnote does a great job encapsulating the subtitle of the book and clarifying how she feels she landed in this culty group. I think the fact that books about smaller, lesser known cults like this are getting published will help a lot of people who are finding experiences reflected more than the books that focus on the explosive, easily recognized cults. Dinavahi's writing style is conversational and feels like you're sitting with her as she tells her story.

I absolutely devoured this one! Such a great cult memoir to read through. Can't wait to see where this author goes next.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy*

Deeply gripping and disturbing- Watching the author’s struggle get dragged deeper and deeper into a whirlpool of harder struggles was difficult to read, but all the more powerful to witness her overcome it. The book really speaks for itself, and highly recommend if the discussions of cults and religious abuse is something you want to look into.

I always give memoirs 5 stars because I think they are brave. Thank you for sharing your story, Veena!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

I loved this book because i thought it perfectly portrayed how a "normal" person could find themselves in a cult. I feel for the author and how her and her family were looking for a solution and found this man who appeared to just be a great therapist. The manipulation and cutting off of the outside world and opinions was done subtly enough that I could understand how it could happen to anyone in a vulnerable position. I'm glad she got out

DID NOT FINISH @45%

"Everyone wants to live. Some of us just don't know how."
Veena Dinavahi

As much as I want to continue this book, I cannot [and I am deeply disappointed over that fact].

I struggle with depression myself [much like the author, I have heard "what do YOU have to be depressed about" more times than I can count], and I was about 8 years old when I first thought about unaliving myself [I didn't know the name for suicide at 8 years old, but I did know the feeling of thinking everyone would be better off if I was no longer around, something I still struggle with today], so much of the 45% of the book I listened to really resonated with me [except my parent's never really tried to help me; it was the 70's and times were so very different]. Add in that I was also in a cult with my ex, and I felt very close to this story, and herein lies the problem. I am currently really struggling in my own life [the only caregiver to my elderly, Alzheimer's-ridden mother, loneliness, etc etc], and in listening to this[important] story, I found myself in a very dark place [that will take me weeks to get out of; I can barely even write this right now, but I try and honor my obligations no matter how I feel; also, this is sometimes helpful - doing mundane things] and realized that I needed to stop listening to this book. I just cannot. It has been quite some time since I tried to end things and I don't want a book to send me back to that mindset. It was a tough decision, but my mental health is so much more important than finishing a book, even when it is a very good book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is NOT suffering from depression/suicidal thoughts; it is an excellent look at what that can be like especially within the family dynamic of overachievers, and add in the cult aspect, and you have a good story that will keep you engaged, will also enrage you, but {I can only guess at this, but it feels right], ultimately, will leave you with hope. I really wish I could have finished it.

I was invited to read/review this book by the publisher [Random House Publishing Group - Random House] and I thank them, Veena Dinavahi, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A teenager gets caught up in a cult that she is introduced to by her parents as they seek help in resolving her suicidal tendencies.
This story has a very interesting premise but the execution was quite disappointing. For starters, it feels too long and a lot of the narrative is telling a lot and not showing. Readers will keep asking themselves "why" throughout this book and even though this is a very tragic story, the writing makes it a chore to read.
I appreciate the author's resolve to tell her story but this could have been a much better book if it was ghost-written by a journalist.
Thank you to the publisher for this ARC!

The True Happiness Company was super interesting! I liked the author's recounting of her descent into a controlling man's power, thinly veiled Mormon cult. It was well written and the audio was well done

The True Happiness Project pulled me in right away with its unique premise — a personal unraveling of how someone ends up in what they later realize is a cult. I had never heard of The True Happiness Company or Bob Lyon before, so the story was both surprising and fascinating from that angle alone.

Dinavahi’s voice is compelling, and the “how did I get here?” theme is something a lot of people can relate to in smaller, less extreme ways. That universal thread makes her experience feel personal yet eye-opening.

Overall, it’s an intriguing read that offers a rare, firsthand look into the slow, subtle pull of manipulative belief systems — and the strength it takes to break away.

MWhile I don't typically assign ratings to memoirs, I found *The True Happiness Company* to be a compelling read, particularly in its reflective passages. The author's insights into her experience were most impactful in the quieter, more introspective moments, and the closing notes offered a poignant and grounded conclusion. The inclusion of humor throughout provided balance without undermining the seriousness of the subject matter.

I would recommend this book to readers interested in the psychology of cult dynamics and the long-term impacts of coercive systems. Content warnings include sexual assault and coercive control, including within intimate partner relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advance copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

Veena, the author, gives us all the details on how she found herself in a cult and, boy is it a wild ride! I honestly don't think I need to say anything more about it because I just know that if you're into reading about cults, you're going to enjoy this memoir. It's well written and full of cult-y drama.

This unexpectedly happened near me! Who knew that was Severna Parks legacy? I really felt for her parents who clearly were trying their best and didn’t know what to do. It’s unfortunate they reached out to this creepy man who stunted them all for so long.

I would have liked a little more about her husband. He was very manipulative and abusive as well but she seemed to think it was cultural. I can see that argument for her—growing up in a place where suicide and threads of it is common but in what world did he think it was okay to control his wife to that degree. The afterward where she thanks her new boyfriend for falling in love with her because of this book is a red flag too. I hope she is well.

I genuinely loved this book. The way that the author weaves their story is both entertaining and gut wrenching. It is cleverly told and explains so much, you also feel like you'd join the True Happiness Company.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC.

Veena Dinavahi did not hold back in her memoir, The True Happiness Company. I was so uncomfortable reading what she endured with Bob. What her boyfriend did, how he was involved in every single decision in her life and how she came to break away. It was a total view of her experience and I could not stop reading it.

Intriguing memoir that answers the question I often have: how does a relatively normal person end up deeply involved in a seemingly insane cult?”
It seems one answer is…gradually, during a time of personal vulnerability. Dinavahi herself is shocked she fell for the Mormon-ish cult that tore her life apart and describes the conditions that led to, and kept her following this cult leader.
Eventually, after many years, the nagging feeling that something was not right became too strong to ignore, and she was able to leave the cult and create a fulfilling and meaningful life for herself.

The True Happiness Company is a memoir detailing Veena Dinavahi’s experience in a Mormon-adjacent cult and a misdiagnosed mental health disorder, both shaping nearly a decade of her life.

Veena does an exceptional job of placing readers in the point of view of her parents-immigrants navigating the unfamiliar terrain of a teenager struggling with depression, feeling unequipped to manage it, and turning to anyone willing to help. Even when that "help" came from the deeply harmful Mr. Lyon and The True Happiness Company, their desperation is palpable and, sadly, understandable. As a reader, you can clearly see how Veena’s circumstances created the perfect storm-making her vulnerable to manipulation and coercion. I especially appreciated the present-day narrative during that time: present-day Veena, caught in the throes of confusion, panic, and the deep desire for guidance and relief. It allows the reader to feel the rawness and urgency of her experience in real time.

I also deeply value Veena’s honest account of navigating the mental health system as a woman of color. As a therapist, it is always my hope that those seeking support find care that is compassionate and competent but this memoir reminds us that access to safe and affirming care is far from guaranteed, especially at this time. I was glad to read in Veena's author note that post-True Happiness Company, therapy has become a strong part of Veena’s healing journey - highlighting the importance of good clinical support when it is accessible and culturally sensitive.

There are multiple trigger warnings in this memoir (including sexual abuse, self-harm, and suicidality), so please take care and do your own research before reading.

Thank you to Random House, Veena Dinavahi, and NetGalley for the ARC!