Annie's Ghosts: A Journey Into a Family Secret

Author:   Steve Luxenberg
Publisher:   Hyperion Books
ISBN:  

9781401322472


Pages:   401
Publication Date:   01 May 2009
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
Limited stock is available. It will be ordered for you and shipped pending supplier's limited stock.

Our Price $65.97 Quantity:  
Add to Cart

Share |

Annie's Ghosts: A Journey Into a Family Secret


Add your own review!

Overview

Beth Luxenberg was an only child. Everyone knew it: Her grown children, her friends, even people she'd only just met. So when Steve Luxenberg's sister called him to ask, Did you know Mom had a sister?, he was bewildered. A sister? Luxenberg was certain that his mother was an only child, just as he knew that her name was Beth and that she had raised her children to, above all else, tell the truth. By then Beth was nearly 80 and in fragile health; while seeing a new doctor, she had mentioned a disabled sister, sent away at age two. But why? Was she retarded? Mentally ill? Was she still alive? The questions were dizzying, but the answers out of reach: Beth had said she didn't know what had happened to her sister. Beth died in 1999, her secret intact. Six months later, it surfaced once more, uninvited and unforeseen. This time, though, the secret had a name: Annie. Steve Luxenberg began to dig. And as he dug, he uncovered more and more, both puzzling and shocking: His mother's name wasn't Beth, and his aunt hadn't been sent away when she was two. Annie was hospitalized when she was 21, and her older sister, 23. The sisters had grown up together. Annie spent the rest of her life in a mental institution, while Luxenberg's mother set out to erase her sister's existence. Employing his skills as a journalist while struggling to maintain his empathy as a son, Luxenberg pieces together the story of his mother's motivations, his aunt's life, and the time in which they lived. Combining the power of reportage with the intrigue of mystery, Annie's Ghosts explores the nature of self-deception and self-preservation. The result is equal parts memoir, social history, and riveting detective story.

Full Product Details

Author:   Steve Luxenberg
Publisher:   Hyperion Books
Imprint:   Hyperion Books
Dimensions:   Width: 16.20cm , Height: 3.20cm , Length: 24.10cm
Weight:   0.680kg
ISBN:  

9781401322472


ISBN 10:   1401322476
Pages:   401
Publication Date:   01 May 2009
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Out of Stock Indefinitely
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
Limited stock is available. It will be ordered for you and shipped pending supplier's limited stock.

Table of Contents

Reviews

Annie's Ghosts is perhaps the most honest and one of the most remarkable books. It is an exploration and a relentless hunt into a family's past and how secrets have multiple layers, their keepers uncertain motives, and the son's attempt to get a full bearing on the details and meaning of what is hidden...From mental institutions to the Holocaust, mother, father, childhood, its mysteries, sadness and joy--it is one emotional ride. -- Bob Woodward


Author Information

Steve Luxenberg has been a senior editor with the Washington Post for 20 years. He lives in Baltimore, Md. This is his first book.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions
Latest Reading Guide

ls

Shopping Cart
Your cart is empty
Shopping cart
Mailing List