THE IMPOSTOR'S DAUGHTER

Author: Laurie Sandell

Genre: Graphic Memoir, Standalone

Published: 2009

Personal Rating: 3.5/5 (good)

Yearly Count: 62

From the back cover:

Laurie Sandell grew up in awe - and sometimes in terror - of her larger-than-life father. He was a former Green Beret with a law degree, a PhD, and fluency in several languages, who told dazzling tales of his far-reaching past and the legendary people he knew. Seduced and repelled by outrageous behavior, Laurie grew into a young woman just as restless, roaming the globe and trying on her own outsized personalities. Later, after lucking into the perfect job as a celebrity interviewer (growing up with her extraordinary dad gave her a knack for relating to the stars), Laurie made a shocking discovery: her father wasn't the man he had always claimed to be, not even close. Which naturally made her wonder: If the man whose identiy is the basis of my own is a fraud, then who am I?

I've come to really enjoy graphic novels/memoirs - even when they are not spectacular. One reason is that they are fast reads. The stories sweep me away and the pages almost turn themselves. Laurie's story was no different, but in the long run many questions were not answered, so there wasn't a feeling of closure. And, I'm not so sure I fully understand the purpose of exposing a family member in this fashion. I do understand that life is not all neat and tidy, but as a reader I didn't expect to finish the memoir feeling a bit empty. Maybe that's the point; I don't know. Also, there were some areas that I wanted to know more about and others that gave too much information (btw - there is n*dity). However, it's her memoir, and she can tell it like she wants. Interesting life, interesting format - good read.

My thanks go to Anna from Hachette Book Group for sending me this paperback book.