Lisa M. reviewed on 1/2/2011 + 4 more book reviews

Every family has its secrets. But keeping a whole person a secret cannot possibly be an easy task, can it? This is one of the answers Steve Luxenberg - journalist, genealogist, historian and detective - seeks, as he searches for the aunt his mother never discussed.

After his mother's death in 1999 at the age of 82, he learns that she had a sister two years younger, who lived into her early 50's. And his mother had always emphatically claimed to be an only child.

This book deals with so many different subjects, from how American society, from the 1920's to the 1970's, dealt with the mentally ill and physically disabled, to the nature of the Holocaust in the Soviet Union. It deals with the ambiguity and elusiveness of memories, and with tackling a bureaucracy bent on keeping the privacy of the dead intact.

I loved traveling on this journey with Mr. Luxenberg, and it was very satisfying to watch him seek out and find many of the answers he was looking for, even though the answer to why his mother perpetuated the secret of Annie can only be an educated guess.

On a personal note, I'm the family genealogist, I'm a social worker by training, and I love history. As a result, this book was right up my alley.

Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details