10/04/2025
Proper Book Review
Raw, Honest, and Impossible to Forget
This memoir is a slow, steady, and painful account of Sarma Melngailis’s experience with manipulation and betrayal that nearly destroyed both her personally and professionally.
Sarma’s bravery in writing this book cannot be overstated. To expose herself with such honesty, to open old wounds and let the world see the truth behind the headlines, is an act of incredible courage.
Her voice is steady and unflinching, and you feel her trying to make sense of something senseless — one page at a time.
From the first page, I couldn’t put it down. Even at nearly 650 pages (condensed from an original 1,200-page manuscript), it’s a page-turner — beautifully written, vulnerable to the point of discomfort, and impossible to walk away from unchanged. When you close the book, it lingers — in the realization of how manipulation and trauma can touch even the most intelligent, accomplished people.
This book should be required reading for every young woman in her twenties — a guide on recognizing red flags and protecting your sense of self. Sarma’s story is both a warning and a testament to resilience.
I first learned of her through the Netflix documentary Bad Vegan, but this memoir tells the fuller, more human story. It’s not just about what happened — it’s about how someone finds the strength to rebuild after losing everything.
Her story is not only about loss — it’s about survival, truth, and reclaiming one’s power.
