Wednesday, August 26, 2009

The Well-Read Commuter Reviews: The Imposters Daughter

The Imposters Daughter
Laurie Sandell


Laurie Sandell is searching for the truth about who her father is. He didn’t leave when she was a toddler. In fact, she grew up in awe of her larger-than-life father, who told jaw-dropping tales of a privileged childhood in Buenos Aires, academic triumphs, heroism during Vietnam, friendships with Kissinger and the Pope. As a young woman, Laurie unconsciously mirrors her dad, trying on several outsized personalities. Later, she lucks into the perfect job--interviewing celebrities for a top women's magazine. Growing up with her extraordinary father has given Laurie a knack for relating to the stars. While researching an article on her dad's life, she makes an astonishing discovery: he's not the man he says he is--not even close. Now, Laurie begins to puzzle together three decades of lies and the splintered person that resulted from them--herself.

This book is presented in a type of comic book format with illustrations to go along with the text. While some might find it obnoxious at first (I did), but the end of the book you will wish you had thought of it. This book manages to be both deep and laugh out loud funny. Sandell is not just outing her father as she fact-checks his three decades of stories, she is on a sincere journey to find her own inner truth. What else can you say about a globe trotting femme who conquers all while stripping in Tokyo, having a lesbian fling in Israel and maintaining a long distance relationship with the help of an Ambien addiction. You will find yourself both feeling sorry for Sandell and wanting to be her best friend because she is so cool. I read this book in about 2 hours. It was really good.

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