This was an interesting read. It is the story of the authors life from past troubles, with eating disorders, abuse and issues of abandonment. She was a Stanford graduate and about to get he PhD in psychology, and from a well to do Jewish family.
This memoir starts with her, reluctantly following her husband to India. Once there finds herself so drawn to the river Ganga where she felt a strong healing, and she finally felt like she was safe and at home.
She and her husband had different needs and they parted, but Sadhvi stayed on in Rishikesh, India at the Parmarth Niketan Ashram being taught by her guru HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji for the last 25 years.
The book not only shows you what it takes to be so dedicated to a group and cause, but it also shows us the struggles it presented her as well.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Mandala Publishing for a copy of this book.

Amazing memoir with lots of spiritual lessons. For me, this was a "sliding door" experience. I'm almost the same age as Sadhvi, and am also on a spiritual journey. Originally from Norther Europe, I left everything behind in 1997 (one year after Sadhvi), but instead of traveling to India, I went to Africa, and eventually ended up in New York City. I could easily have ended up in India, where I traveled a few years years later, but I didn't. My spiritual teachers were Americans, and I had a career in advertising. What I loved about this book is that it's quite humble, for the most part, and it wasn't until I read the other reviews that I realized Sadhvi is a quite famous spiritual teacher. There were parts of this book that slowed it down, especially somewhere in the middle, where she preaches rather than tells a story. But then the pace picks up again and all in all is a worthwhile read, especially if you're interested in Hinduism.

Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati shares her remarkable journey with honesty and an open heart. As her story unfolds I became aware that her journey would in many ways become my own.
In her younger days she struggled through an eating disorder and childhood trauma. Now with her decision to travel to India to satisfy her then partner,, she will learn much more than she ever thought possible. Not seeking a spiritual leader, she connects with a guru and she is transformed. Her path is a discovery; of self, of truth and of the acceptance of who and what she is. There are glorious moments and soul stirring experiences that Sadhvi’s shares with the reader that in themselves are life’s lessons. Her beautiful prose transported me to Rishikesh and I was drawn to find my path, my purpose and to search for my own enlightenment through total acceptance.
My thanks to NetGalley, Mandala Publishing and the author for the gift of an ARC in exchange for a honest book review.
Highly recommended.

The title is a misnomer; there is nothing regarding Hollywood or the entertainment industry in this book. The author's story is a California woman (ostensibly having been raised in Southern California yet having spent much of her school years at Stanford and the Palo Alto area) , her travels and eventual relocation to India with her beloved guru.

We never learn Saraswati's birth name or much about her childhood, save for the fact that her birth father was abusive and abandoned her, she loved her stepfather, and had a decades-long struggle with bulimia. These facts appear often in the book, but most of the story is her meeting and eventual integration into the inner circle of the guru she meets during her first week on a vacation with her husband in India.

It is curious that she is vague about her past yet is quite specific about certain dreams and conversations. It is very interesting reading her transformation from adoring devotee to secretary and confidante of her guru.

Her passion for the Ganga River, the country and the ashram are palpable. She vividly describes her meditation experiences and her spiritual awakening. Saraswati's devotion to her guru and satsang is complete. The writing is engrossing and it is surely a great read for those interested in life as an assistant to a guru in an Indian ashram.