O Sinners!

A Novel

By: Nicole Cuffy

Narrated by: JD Jackson, SEVAN

In this “engrossing” (Los Angeles Times) novel that sweeps from present-day California to the Vietnam War and back, a grieving young man is drawn into the orbit of a charismatic cult leader who forces him to reconsider why people give up control—and what it takes, ultimately, to find one’s place in the world.

ONE OF THE SEASON’S MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS: Time, Rolling Stone, Vulture, Men’s Health, WNYC, Electric Lit, Feminist Book Club, Lit Hub

“A gorgeously written literary excavation of belonging and belief.”—Emma Donoghue, The Boston Globe

Faruq Zaidi, a young journalist processing the recent death of his father, a devout Muslim, takes the opportunity to embed himself in a cult known only as “the nameless,” because its members refused to label themselves. 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 clash between “the nameless” and 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?

©2025 Nicole Cuffy (P)2025 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“When Faruq Zaidi, a grieving Muslim journalist, seizes the chance to embed himself in a California cult, his determination to get a story pushes him into the world of its mystical leader. But by trying to escape from his bad memories, Faruq’s story brings him closer to potential ruin.”—Rolling Stone

“In Nicole Cuffy’s new novel, journalist Faruq Zaidi embeds himself inside a California cult following the death of his devout Muslim father. Faruq has every intention of exposing the mysterious collective, but upon his arrival he strikes up a friendship with the group’s charismatic leader, a Vietnam War veteran named Odo. As their bond deepens, Faruq begins to wonder whether Odo’s unorthodox, but alluring teachings could be the cure-all to his grief.”—TIME, "The 25 Best and Most Anticipated Horror Books of 2025"

“A young journalist sets out to embed himself a cult called ‘the nameless’ for a story. But as he delves deeper into its teachings, he realizes he must confront the memories of loss he has been running from.”—EBONY