In 1958, a former member of Alcoholics Anonymous, Charles Dederich, founded the “club of love and care,” which later became the community of Synanon and, subsequently, a cult. Not much is known about Synanon, but Selena—who entered it at the age of six—experienced all the horrors of the system firsthand. Chuck opposed the traditional family and separated children from parents and husbands from wives. He also introduced the concept of “The Game”—a gathering of participants where everyone, in a crude form, starts criticizing one another, supposedly ridding themselves of internal negativity. For many years Selena dreamed of escaping, and finally she managed…