Captive

A Mother's Crusade to Save Her Daughter from a Terrifying Cult

By: Catherine Oxenberg, Natasha Stoynoff

Narrated by: Catherine Oxenberg

Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

In this heartbreaking and shocking exposé, one of Dynasty’s biggest stars lays bare a secretive organization that is holding her daughter hostage and details her mission to save her in this powerful depiction of a mother’s love and determination.

I am a mother whose child is being abused and exploited. And I am not alone.

In 2011, Catherine joined her daughter, India, at a leadership seminar for a new organization called NXIVM. Her 20-year-old daughter was on the threshold of building a new company, and they both thought this program might help her achieve her dream. But quickly, Catherine saw a sinister side to what appeared to be a self-help organization designed to help its clients become the best versions of themselves.

Catherine watched in horror as her daughter fell further and further down the rabbit hole, becoming brainwashed by the organization’s charismatic leader. Despite Catherine’s best efforts, India was drawn deeper into the cult, eventually joining a secret, elite “sorority” of women members who are ordered to maintain a restricted diet and recruit other women as “slaves” and are branded with their leader’s initials.

In Captive, Catherine shares every parent’s worst nightmare and the lengths that a mother will go to in order to save her child. Featuring interviews with past members of NXIVM and experts in the field of cults, Oxenberg attempts to draw back the curtain on how these groups continue to lure in members. She relates her continuing journey to try to reach her daughter, to save her from what she believes is a dangerous, mind-controlling cult.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2018 Catherine Oxenberg (P)2018 Simon & Schuster Audio

Higher level analysis is needed before critiquing.

When I looked at picking this book up, I noted a lot of reviews complain about the author (and narrator - she is one in the same). She engages in a tremendous amount of name dropping, but I think it is important to remember that NXVIUM preyed specifically on this caste of people, and preyed on them specifically because of their character foibles. The author often times demonstrates shockingly poor psychological insight. But this is a part of the story - and I think there is tremendous value in this not being censored. I also don't want to be that girl who screams from the couch to the character in the horror movie not to open the door. I'm not saying any of this because I think I'm better. To be honest, I understand the allure of NXVIUM much more intuitively than I think she does. I think at many points in my life, probably were it not for the large checks they demanded (my mother's financial sense imparted on me would have prevented me from writing them in spite of being able to afford them and would certainly never have let me run up credit card balances) I see myself as someone who would easily have been susceptible to a cult like this. So I think this is basically an unvarnished tale. The author's flaws are directly related to how she and her daughter ended up in this mess, but in the sense of how slick this cult was a marketing operation that spearphished people like her. We should think about how any of us could equally be suckered in with the right pitch. Any of us.

Fantastic Read!

This book was so in depth on so many fronts. From the initial foray into Nxivm to the trial and after

Beautiful story of a mothers love

Honest, real, and raw. It was interesting to hear a NXIVM story from a family members perspective. Catherine Oxenburg’s voice, both physically and metaphorically, was strong and captivating making this a binge worthy listen!

What a story!

I hate to write that I loved it, given what people have been thru for this book to come to light. As a former CBI employee, while I we thought something was odd, never to the extent described in this book. I was the travel and conference planner for the organization that Keith founded in the early 90's, then to company folded, I did side work out of Toni's home. I stayed in Toni's home to care for her son while she had traveled. I just floored by the description of the behind the scenes activities. The book gave a lot of insight to things that were going on. I hope the Oxenbeg family as well as the Natalie family find peace.

Captive is captivating!

Loved it! I could not stop listening to it. I feel like Catherine Oxenburg should do more audible narrations...she was amazing!

Great Story

Intense story .
narrator was lovely to listen to.
would recommend to anyone.
loved it.

Exceptional

This was written and read well by a mom that shared her journey to help save her daughter she felt was emotionally slipping away. It is an encouragement for those other moms and families that have experienced something similar, life changing.

Compelling

The life this woman lives is enviable but nothing is enviable bout what she went through. What a brave living beautiful soul

A rare glimpse into a world of calculated horrors

Beautifully written and read. Thank you for sharing your story with us and for helping us understand how a skilled narcissist can fool people with big hearts and good intentions.

A heroic story about mothers and daughters

I watched the hbo special and this filled in some blanks. Such a great story!!!