Sorcerer's Apprentice: My Life with Carlos Castaneda

The Washington Post

The book is not artful. But it is a compelling page-turner, full of secrets, betrayals and uncharacterizable wackiness. Castaneda assured Wallace that his magic sperm went straight to a woman's brain, where it effected positive change -- and could not impregnate, as his lovers were merely human. He could read newspapers through his toes. With charisma based on such incredible claims, he kept everyone around him in constant anxiety by alternately offering warm approval and assaulting their inherent worth. — David Doherty

Library Journal

In this intimate memoir, Wallace, the daughter of novelist Irving Wallace and an author/compiler of many books (e.g., The Psychic Healing Book with Bill Henkin), depicts her friendship and love affair with the enigmatic Carlos Castaneda, known for his best-selling books on the teachings of Indian mystic Don Juan. Wallace, who was not only Castaneda's lover but also a member of his cult of followers, reveals that what started out as a positive experience soon turned into a nightmare of humiliations, strange sex games, and weird theatrical rites. Having grown up in a dysfunctional family, Wallace soon became a willing victim of the blandishments of the cult and its fanatic leaders. Enlivened with vivid scenes and personalities, this book shows Wallace's evolution from na ve apprentice to disillusioned ex-member, often in harrowing detail. At the same time, however, the text is seriously hampered by its excessive length and the failure to identify who's who in Castaneda's ever-expanding inner circle. Recommended for popular collections and for those who are fascinated by perverse literary byways and movements.-Morris Hounion, New York City Coll. of Technology Lib., Brooklyn Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.