Asylum, A Memoir of Family Secrets

Asylum: A Memoir of Family Secrets by Judy Bolton-Fasmans explores the search for answers to the mysteries embedded in her Cuban-born mother's and her elusive, Yale-educated father's lives. Judy receives a letter from her father instructing her to burn it, destroying the answers to long-held questions about her parents' improbable marriage and secretive lives. She embarks on a life-long exploration of her bifurcated ancestry, inherited a Sephardic, Spanish/Ladino-speaking culture from her mother and an Ashkenazi, English-only, old-fashioned American patriotism from her father.

\n Format: Electronic book text
\n Length: 248 pages
\n Publication date: 10 October 2021
\n Publisher: Mandel Vilar Press
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Judy Bolton-Fasmans captivating memoir, Asylum: A Memoir of Family Secrets, delves into the quest to uncover the enigmatic mysteries concealed within the lives of her Cuban-born mother, Matilde Alboukrek Bolton, and her enigmatic, Yale-educated father, K. Harold Bolton. In the prefatory chapter titled "Burn This," Judy receives a substantial letter from her father, which she believes holds the key to unraveling the long-buried explanations, confessions, and secrets that will shed light on her father's enigmatic past. Just as Judy is about to delve into the depths of her father's "transtiendas," his dark hidden secrets come to light, as Harold Bolton calls her and orders her to burn the still unopened letter. With a mere flick of a match, Judy sets fire to her father's unread documents, effectively destroying the answers to the enduring questions surrounding her parents' unlikely marriage and their even more secretive lives.

Judy Bolton, a determined girl detective, embarks on a lifelong journey to explore her diverse ancestry. On her mother's side, she inherits a Sephardic, Spanish/Ladino-speaking culture, while on her father's side, she possesses an Ashkenazi, English-only, old-fashioned American patriotism. Amid the cultural, political, and psychological turmoil within the Bolton household, Judy is perplexed by her father's impenetrable silence, and similarly bewildered by her mother's fabrications, which include rumors of a dowry pay-off and multiple wedding ceremonies for the oddly mismatched 40-year-old groom and the 24-year-old bride. To unravel the mysteries, Judy engages in a series of actions. She contacts former associates, relatives, and friends, utilizes records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, travels to Cuba in search of clues, and even recites the Mourners Kaddish for an entire year to seek spiritual insight into her father.

Through her relentless pursuit, Judy gradually pieces together the fragments of her family's history, revealing the complex web of secrets and lies that have shaped their lives. The memoir sheds light on the struggles and sacrifices her parents endured to create a better future for their children, as well as the sacrifices they made to maintain their respective identities and uphold their cultural traditions. Asylum: A Memoir of Family Secrets is a poignant and introspective exploration of the human condition, offering a glimpse into the lives of two individuals who have lived their lives in the shadows, yet have managed to leave a lasting impact on their loved ones.

\n Weight: 394g\n
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 22 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781942134770\n \n