The Girl with the Duck Tattoo: A Memoir

by Sarma Melngailis

Sarma had a thriving restaurant, a beloved brand, and a to change the way people eat.

From the outside, her life appeared charmed—celebrity patrons, glowing press, and a business on the brink of expansion—until she met the man who would dismantle it all and ultimately land her in jail.

The enigmatic “Mr. Fox” barreled into her life with promises of unlimited funding, boundless empowerment, even immortality. What he delivered instead was fear, coercive control, and catastrophic financial ruin.

The Girl with the Duck Tattoo is a raw, unflinching memoir of how one smart, driven woman went from building a dream to being ensnared in a cult of one. It’s a wild ride through delusion and deceit, a cautionary tale of idealism weaponized, and a tribute to the dog who helped bring her back to herself.

730 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 8, 2025

About the author

Sarma Melngailis is the owner and co-founder of Pure Food and Wine raw food Raw foodism restaurant in New York City and the founder and CEO of One Lucky Duck.

Reviews

[Michelle Kimber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a powerful memoir highlighting the trauma but resilience of the author. She experienced something truly devastating and chronicles it with well written raw emotion.

[Alan Umbria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first heard of Sarma’s story like everyone else from the Netflix documentary “Bad Vegan” For those who think that is the story you do not even know the half of it. I have followed this story for a while and have always been interested in cults and their effects on those caught in its web. What makes this story unique is that she was in a cult of one.

I first heard of Sarma’s story like everyone else from the Netflix documentary “Bad Vegan” For those who think that is the story you do not even know the half of it. I have followed this story for a while and have always been interested in cults and their effects on those caught in its web. What makes this story unique is that she was in a cult of one.

Her story is harrowing, it is not gentle and at times hard to read because of the psychological and physical abuse she endured, but this is more a story of a woman reclaiming her narrative and her life. I found myself caught in the web of her story as it spiraled out of control. The story will bring up every possible emotion. You will be angry (to the point of rage), you will shed tears (to point that you want hug and console and try to offer any act of kindness you can), and unbelievably she will make you laugh. Believe me amidst the horrors that she was going through there were more lol moments I’ve had reading a book in a very long time.

I cannot recommend this book more. It is important. Rarely do you feel an authors heart and soul in the words written on the page. This book will stay with me for a very long time!

Read it!! It is impossible to put down!!

[Arlene Thayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poorly edited.

[Crystal Imery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!! Lots of suspense! Hard to imagine going thru this. Her love for Leon was my favorite part to read.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Girl with the Duck Tattoo blew me away on so many levels. A cautionary tale that’s also a page-turner. Sarma’s infectious warmth and commitment to relentless self-reflection put this beautifully written memoir in a league of its own. You’ll close this book rooting for her. Sarma is Batman rising from rock bottom.

[Wildchild · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope a second book comes...; I am very interested to learn how she dealt with trauma bond issues afterwards.