The Sister Society

A haunting blend of hidden history, cult intrigue, and female resilience, The Sister Society uncovers the shocking origins of the Oneida silverware empire through a covert sisterhood of women bound by forbidden books, dangerous devotion, and the fight to reclaim their voices.

New York, 1945: As one of Manhattan’s first female advertising executives, Ellie Ledoux understands that the right words, delivered with conviction, can sell almost anything—no matter the truth behind them. But as Ellie prepares to say goodbye to her ailing grandmother, Danika, she begins to uncover the shocking truth behind her own story.

Danika has been alluding to a past Ellie knows nothing about—one connected to Ellie’s latest client, the Oneida silverware company, which grew out of a religious commune founded near Oneida, New York. Under the control of its charismatic founder, John Humphrey Noyes, members aimed to create heaven on earth. As children raised in the Oneida Community, Danika and her friends formed a secret club to understand the outside world through forbidden novels like Little Women and Jane Eyre. But they couldn’t tell anyone what was happening inside the Community Mansion.

At Oneida, conventional marriage was forbidden, and exclusive or “sticky” love for a parent, child, or partner was considered sinful. Instead, members were expected to engage in free love and communal marriage. To Danika and her friends, Noyes was not merely a leader—he was their god, father, and first husband. Danika’s journal tells of coercion disguised as piety, heartbreaking sacrifice, and a desperation to belong. When the truth threatens to unravel Ellie’s future, she discovers a legacy of enduring sisterhood—and the power of story to set her free.