Overview

Full Product Details

9780646890050

Table of Contents

Reviews

'Mary Garden roars against injustice to give voice to silent sufferers of sibling abuse. While tugging at the threads of her family in an effort to understand her fraught relationship with her sister, she spares no one, least of all herself. It is a raw and unguarded account of a reckoning, a story a lifetime in the making.' MICHELLE TOM, AUTHOR OF TEN THOUSAND AFTERSHOCKS 'A heartfelt rendering of the writer's struggles with an abusive sister, and her ultimate journey towards recovery. Mary does an especially good job of describing family of origin dynamics that set the stage for the troubled relationship with her sister, and she points to a path forward for adult survivors.' JOHN CAFFARO, PH.D. DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR, CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 'Mary Garden offers an unflinching account of her experience of sibling abuse, a largely invisible form of domestic violence. With searing honesty, Garden combines memoir and deep research to explore the complex nature of sibling relationships, and the uniquely profound impact of abuse, when inflicted by one sibling onto another.' NICOLE MADIGAN, JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR OF OBSESSED 'From its electrifying opening to its deeply compassionate conclusion, any sibling who's ever had to play happy families will find solace in Garden's visceral battle cry against victim blaming. Writers everywhere will treasure this benchmark book for courageously demanding truth in the face of bothsidesism.' MICHAEL BURGE, JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR OF TANK WATER 'An astonishing life story, containing at its heart a frank, raw and courageous revelation of the reality and long-term effect of violence visited by one sister upon another. Ultimately, almost miraculously, there develops a mood of heroic compassion.' CARMEL BIRD 'A fascinating and sometimes shocking story of family trauma and conflict. Writing with insight, restraint and compassion, Mary Garden shines a clear, unflinching light on her own family, and herself.' MAURICE GEE

Kirkus Review: 'Garden's memoir is highly readable with surprising twists ... a wounded remembrance' Michael Jorgen, Newtown Review of Books: 'a raw and compelling memoir as well as an interesting slice of social history. I was captivated by the detail of life in New Zealand in the years that Garden was growing up. ... well researched and elegantly written by an author with admirable strength of character.' Eman Mourad, Books+Publishing: 'My Father's Suitcase is a must-read memoir, and while the topic may be uncomfortable, Garden's matter-of-fact writing style is not. One can only hope My Father's Suitcase is Garden reclaiming her story and an ultimate catharsis.' Denise Newton's Blog: 'All the hallmarks of abuse are outlined in this book: the unpredictability of violent outbursts, gaslighting, a failure to intervene appropriately by those who should do, scapegoating. And for the victim of abuse? Shame, depression, guilt.' Lesley Hewitt: Wombat Post: 'It's an honest and searing account of a toxic family environment, and one which left me thinking about why Mary was able to emerge as a survivor. It's a book that encourages a reader tor effect on their own relationships within their family. Readings Bookstore: 'a telling portrait of how families alienate one another, how mental health issues dissolve relationships and how beginning again is sometimes the only choice you have. Read it because your family is exhausting and this will give you a brand new perspective on what that can mean. And you'll just love Mary's voice - she writes as if she believes in you to believe in her.' 'Mary Garden roars against injustice to give voice to silent sufferers of sibling abuse. While tugging at the threads of her family in an effort to understand her fraught relationship with her sister, she spares no one, least of all herself. It is a raw and unguarded account of a reckoning, a story a lifetime in the making.' MICHELLE TOM, AUTHOR OF TEN THOUSAND AFTERSHOCKS 'A heartfelt rendering of the writer's struggles with an abusive sister, and her ultimate journey towards recovery. Mary does an especially good job of describing family of origin dynamics that set the stage for the troubled relationship with her sister, and she points to a path forward for adult survivors.' JOHN CAFFARO, PH.D. DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR, CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 'Mary Garden offers an unflinching account of her experience of sibling abuse, a largely invisible form of domestic violence. With searing honesty, Garden combines memoir and deep research to explore the complex nature of sibling relationships, and the uniquely profound impact of abuse, when inflicted by one sibling onto another.' NICOLE MADIGAN, JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR OF OBSESSED 'From its electrifying opening to its deeply compassionate conclusion, any sibling who's ever had to play happy families will find solace in Garden's visceral battle cry against victim blaming. Writers everywhere will treasure this benchmark book for courageously demanding truth in the face of bothsidesism.' MICHAEL BURGE, JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR OF TANK WATER 'An astonishing life story, containing at its heart a frank, raw and courageous revelation of the reality and long-term effect of violence visited by one sister upon another. Ultimately, almost miraculously, there develops a mood of heroic compassion.' CARMEL BIRD 'A fascinating and sometimes shocking story of family trauma and conflict. Writing with insight, restraint and compassion, Mary Garden shines a clear, unflinching light on her own family, and herself.' MAURICE GEE

Author Information

Mary Garden is an author and journalist, with a PhD in Journalism (USC). Her work has appeared in many publications, including the Australian Financial Review, The Weekend Australian, The Guardian, Meanjin, The Humanist, New Zealand Geographic, Newtown Review of Books, Newsroom (NZ), Crime Magazine and Northern Times (Scotland), as well as scores of aviation magazines.Her memoir The Serpent Rising: A Journey of Spiritual Seduction, first published in 1988, recounts her years in India in the 1970s where she fell under the spell of several gurus who led so-called 'spiritual' groups that were in fact sex cults. It has had enduring appeal and won the High Country Indie Book Award 2021. Her biography Sundowner of the Skies: The Story of Oscar Garden, the Forgotten Aviator, a warts and all account of her father's extraordinary but troubled life, was short-listed for the NSW Premier's History Award 2020 for a work of international significance.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available