The Imposter's Daughter by Laurie Sandell

As a child, Laurie Sandell lived in awe and fear of her father: "He was like one of those avuncular Russian gymnastics coachs...hoisting their charges into the air when they'd completed a feat of gymastic perfection, turning away when they'd failed." But she idolized him, too, and loved to hear stories of his tour of duty as a Green Beret in Vietnam, his stint as a political prisoner in Argentina, his time as an aide for Henry Kissinger, and his work for (what she thought) must be the CIA. To have a father this brave and important must mean that she was brave and important, too. Laurie spent most of her 20s traveling the world, trying on large-than-life personalities of her own, trying to build an identity for herself that could compare with his.

As an adult, Laurie took a job at a well-known women's magazine and began to write an article about her father's amazing life. But as she transcribed and compiled his stories, she began to notice inconsistencies, places where things didn't add up. Could it be that her father was lying about all that he had accomplished? And if he was an imposter--what did that mean for her own carefully crafted identity? Was her whole life--her whole sense of self--built on lies?

The Imposter's Daughter is an illustrated memoir about one woman's identity to uncover the truth about her life. As her father's stories begin to fall apart, Laurie must examine the ways in which his lies have shaped her. Is she unable to stay committed to her boyfriend because her father withheld affection? Could the anxiety caused by her upbringing be the reason for her burgeoning Ambien addiction? Is there any way she can salvage a relationship with her father, and with her mother and sisters, who enable him in his subterfuge? Sandell's story is often funny ("But I'm Jewish!" says Laurie, to Jesus, after finding religion. "So am I!" he parries back), often heartbreaking (as in a picture Sandell drew as a child, in which she appears pin-sized next to a giant, menacing form of her father), but ultimately uplifting, and filled with a remarkably blunt and earnest honesty.


A good story is like a lovely bowl of ice cream; a form that adds something more to it is the cherry on top. Sandell gives us both: Her relationship with her father is presented in cartoons arranged in the style of a comic book, a choice that is perfect for a narrative that has all the classic hallmarks of a superhero story. There's a larger than life superhero with a secret identity; there's a stunning fall from grace; there's a powerful villain sowing fear and confusion. And there's even the sort of cinematic twist that directors crave, as Laurie takes charge of her life and realizes that she was the hero of her own story all along.

In an article in Marie Claire, Sandell talked about her choice of form, and her decision to intersperse drawings from her childhood throughout her memoir: "One day I discovered a batch of old cartoons in the attic. They told the story with no filter, and I wanted to use them as a jumping-off point." She also said: "I'm not on a revenge mission; publishing the book—and exposing my father—has been a huge struggle. But it has also been liberating."

That struggle--and liberation--is a gift she passes to the reader. The Imposter's Daughter was a quick and breezy read--but it's one I think will stick.