From Scarsdale: A Childhood

From Scarsdale is an evocative and lyrical memoir of a haunted childhood in Scarsdale, New York. The author, OBrien, grows up in a claustrophobic milieu of secrecy, lies, and mental illness, and his brother's attempted suicide is the turning point in his maturation. The memoir explores the complex histories and dynamics that lead to this trauma, as well as the psychologies of OBrien's parents, who are the survivors of painful childhoods in Scarsdale. OBrien discovers literature and the theatre as an escape, but it takes years for an actual liberation to occur. The book is a poignant example of the redemptive power of a true story.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 31 October 2023
Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press

From Scarsdale is an evocative and lyrical memoir that delves into the author's haunted childhood in Scarsdale, New York. Diagnosed with cancer in his early forties, the author is compelled to revisit and unravel the mystery of his family's profound sadness. Growing up as the fourth of six children in an Irish-American household, he navigates a claustrophobic milieu of secrecy, lies, and mental illness, feeling distinctly out-of-place in this affluent suburb of New York City. The pivotal moment in his maturation occurs when his older brother attempts suicide, an event he witnesses firsthand.

From Scarsdale meticulously traces the intricate histories and dynamics that contribute to this trauma, as the author delves into the psychologies of his parents, both survivors of painful childhoods in Scarsdale. Simultaneously disturbed and catalyzed by his brother's depression and his own developing obsessive-compulsive disorder, the adolescent author finds solace in literature and the theatre, although it takes years for true liberation to ensue. In many ways, this memoir serves as a form of liberation, as the author aims to tell "the story of who I am and where I'm from, with honesty, insight, and something like forgiveness." The book's subject, like all memoirs, encompasses the solace and complexities of memory.

With the precision and aching affection of William Maxwell's Ancestors and the impressionistic, mosaic-like structure of Michael Ondaatje's Running in the Family, From Scarsdale offers a unique perspective on the memoir genre. It is a rare book that is uniquely told, providing a poignant example of the redemptive power of a true story.

Weight: 282g
Dimension: 139 x 215 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781628975482