“Ingenious…a lurid inversion of the American Dream...it...makes a larger point about the self protective mechanisms of American democracy.” — Wall Street Journal

“Articulate, insightful…and substantial…Mr. Sedgwick provides a clear, incisive view of a complicated family.” — Janet Maslin, New York Times

“Gorgeous...fascinating...it’s John Sedgwick’s struggles with his own health and identity that give this book its literary power.” — USA Today

“Compelling family biography…These people are...like characters in a very good novel...[Sedgwick] writes with great confidence.” — Linda Wertheimer, NPR's Weekend Edition

“Engrossing, affecting, and enlightening...A grand, candid, and sensitive family memoir...unique in its perspective on American history.” — Donna Seaman, Chicago Tribune

“A gift...The Sedgwick story engages us with the powers and insights of a great novel.” — Boston Globe

“The combination of privilege and affliction is seductive.” — Daily News

“This reading promises to be an excellent portrait, not just of madness, but of one of the major American families.” — Bostonist

“Sedgwick has a keen eye for detail...The finely honed prose glides along effortlessly.” — Publishers Weekly

“The individual stories are fascinating…With a writer’s eye for detail, Sedgwick provides an unflinchingly honest chronicle of a...familial odyssey.” — Booklist

“[Sedgwick] offers up a very personal look at his family history.” — Pages

“Astute.” — New York Times