This book gives interesting insights into the relation guru / devotee. It is easy to see how this can quickly turn bad for those less discerning than Irina Tweedie.

While she always interpret the frequent abuse she got from her guru in a positive way, she also understood how this could be seen from the outside. This makes it all the more courageous for her to write this book, knowing how likely it was to be misinterpreted from her point of view.

I did not feel bad for her, because as an intelligent and educated woman, she knew well what she was going into when starting her training, and accepted it as part of her path. She apparently got what she wanted from her teacher, but this is certainly not a path for the meek :)