"Faruq Zaidi, a young journalist reeling from the recent death of his father, a devout Muslim, takes the opportunity to embed in a cult called The Nameless. Based in the California redwoods and shepherded by an enigmatic Vietnam War-veteran named Odo, The Nameless adhere to the 18 Utterances, including teachings such as "THERE IS NO GOD BUT THE NAMELESS," "ALL SUFFERING IS DISTORTION," and "SEE ONLY BEAUTY." Faruq, skeptical but committed to unraveling the mystery of The Nameless, extends his stay over months, as he gets deeper into the cult's inner workings, compassionate teachings, and closer to Odo. Faruq himself begins to unravel, forced to come-to-terms with the memories he has been running from while trying to resist Odo's spell. Told in three seamlessly interwoven threads between Faruq's present-day investigation, Odo's time before the formation of the movement as a Black infantryman during the Vietnam War, alongside three other Black soldiers, and a documentary script that recounts The Nameless' clash with a Texan fundamentalist church, O SINNERS! examines both longing and belonging. Ultimately the novel asks: What is it that we seek from cults and, inevitably, from each other?"--
Young journalist Faruq Zaidi, reeling from loss, investigates a cult in the California redwoods, The Nameless, led by Vietnam vet Odo, but as Faruq gets closer to Odo, he unravels and is forced to come to terms with old memories while trying to resist Odo’s spell.
A young journalist, reeling from loss, investigates a mysterious cult in the California redwoods, only to be drawn in by its charismatic leader in this addictive novel that asks why people give up control and what it takes, ultimately, to find one’s place in the world.
“O Sinners! invites us to be fully and vigorously present for the rhapsodic truths of our lives.” —Megha Majumdar, author of A Burning
Faruq Zaidi, a young journalist processing the recent death of his father, a devout Muslim, takes the opportunity to embed himself in a cult called “the nameless.” Based in the California redwoods and shepherded by an enigmatic Vietnam War veteran named Odo, the nameless adhere to the 18 Utterances, including teachings such as “all suffering is distortion” and “see only beauty.” Faruq, skeptical but committed to unraveling the mystery of the nameless, extends his stay over months, as he gets deeper into the cult’s inner workings and alluring teachings. But as he gets closer to Odo, Faruq himself begins to unravel, forced to come to terms with the memories he has been running from while trying to resist Odo’s spell.
Told in three seamlessly interwoven threads Faruq’s present-day investigation, Odo’s time as an infantryman during the Vietnam War alongside three other Black soldiers before the formation of the movement, and a documentary script that recounts the nameless’s clash with a Texas fundamentalist church?O Sinners! examines both longing and belonging. Ultimately the novel asks: What is it that we seek from the people we admire and, inevitably, from one another?
