Stephanie Madoff Mack

From the day I heard that Stephanie had written this book, I wanted to read it. She does a great job providing a closer look at this family from her perspective. Although this is a tragic story, I found it somewhat amusing at how cavalier she was about all the vacations, homes and possessions they had. Nobody can really know why Bernie Madoff's sociopathic behavior took on the proportions it did. Delving into his roots and the foundation of his illness would be a great read. But Stephanie is a brave soul, and makes no bones about the fact that she thinks her in-laws are guilty of murder.… (meer)

I had mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it is well-written and Stephanie's determination to clear her husband's reputation shines through on every page. She is open about her anger and bitterness toward her former in-laws. Sometimes this comes across as petty; she dishes on the personal failings and flaws of the whole family.

This is all understandable, and arguably good. But Stephanie herself doesn't come across as particularly likeable. She is open about her mistakes and flaws, which helps her narrative. But she also has a level of entitlement and cluelessness that is jarring. She worked with JFK, Jr., not because she was qualified, but because he knew her step-father. She worked for a fashion designer (who is probably famous in that world) because a friend knew him. While all of this was happening, she owned three beautiful houses, vacationed in Florida and the Caribbean, and didn't have a job. She is understandably furious that Bernie Madoff cheated her family out of money and destroyed her life and her husband's reputation. The people whose lives were utterly ruined by him seem a vague abstraction.

Reading between the lines, her drive to defend Mark's memory seems to be fueled in part by guilt. It's clear that their marriage was troubled. She has full-on Obliger Rebellion; he is passive and conflict avoidant. They seem to have spent most of their six years of marriage in therapy. She rages and blows up in foolish ways. He hides his suicidal thoughts. She was at Disney World with their young daughter when Mark finally took his life, after several days of texting in which she made it clear that she was not interested in hearing about current legal problems. I read a lot of her writing as retroactrively casting her marriage as a fairy tale romance.

So, a medium book, probably better for those who already know the outlines of the story.… (meer)