This book in one word: heartbreaking. That being said, I
really liked this book. In The End of Normal: A Wife's Anguish, A Widow's New Life, Stephanie Madoff Mack pulls no punches when telling her
family’s story. Her father-in-law was Bernie Madoff, the man who cheated
billions of dollars out of people in the biggest Ponzi scheme in history.
Stephanie was married to Bernie’s son, Mark, who turned him in. In spite of
this, Mark and Stephanie’s family was not exempt from the hatred and accusation
of everyone around them. Many people believed that just because Mark was
Bernie’s son, he was somehow involved in the scandal.
Hearing Stephanie’s side of the story was fascinating. She
talks about how she and Mark tried to move past the tragedy and the steps they
were taking to do so. They had discussed changing their last name to distance
themselves from the Madoff name. (Stephanie did this and Mark planned to before
he died.) Sadly, the scandal was all-consuming, and Mark couldn’t see a way
out.
I listened to the audio version of this book, which is read
by Stephanie Madoff Mack. She was a good reader, and it really helped bring the
story to life. I’d highly recommend this book if you like to hear an insider’s
story of how people can transform their lives after a tragedy.
For another point of view into the Madoff scandal, try Truth and Consquences: Life Inside the Madoff Family by Laurie Sandell.
Carrie
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