The Impostor's Daughter by Laurie Sandell...A Review!

The Impostor's Daughter by Laurie Sandell
An illustrated Memoir & Coming of Age Story.....

Laurie Sandell grew up in awe (and sometimes in terror) of her larger-than-life father, who told jaw-dropping tales of a privileged childhood in Buenos Aires, academic triumphs, heroism during Vietnam, friendships with Kissinger and the Pope. As a young woman, Laurie unconsciously mirrors her dad, trying on several outsized personalities (Tokyo stripper, lesbian seductress, Ambien addict). Later, she lucks into the perfect job--interviewing celebrities for a top women's magazine. Growing up with her extraordinary father has given Laurie a knack for relating to the stars. But while researching an article on her dad's life, she makes an astonishing discovery: he's not the man he says he is--not even close. Now, Laurie begins to puzzle together three decades of lies and the splintered person that resulted from them--herself.

What Did I think? Even before I opened the book I thought the story was intriguing. What was the mystery behind this man that spun all these amazing believable tales? And what did Laurie eventually find out about her father and herself? Then I opened the book... It was not what I was expecting... it was illustrated... it was a graphic novel! (Laurie prefers graphic memoir)... I was intrigued even more!

One of the fun parts of this book is that it is a graphic novel! I had no idea when I received the review copy until I opened it up, but just glancing thru it turned into reading a few pages... then a few more... and I just kept reading! It hooked me! I could not put it down. Very colorful, funny, well written and a great read! For anyone not familiar with graphic novels a great starting point! And a very happy surprise for me!

We follow Laurie from a little girl growing up with her father's mysterious ways- stopping the mail anytime HE was going away, phone calls asking for her 'father' in many different aliases, his going away for months at a time with no notice and returning home just as mysteriously, and the stories!...CIA? Secret Service? Not by a mile... A fascinating story about Laurie's relationship with her father, but also a wonderful story about Laurie herself as she uncovers the layers of lies she's lived with all her life and how it changes her... A modern day detective story that shows us the honest quirky things that make up a family. We meet Laurie's sisters, mother, boyfriends plus as she searches out the truth. The drawings are great! We see Laurie's & her families expressions as we read the story. Never read a graphic novel before? Do Not let that stop you! This book is great! Want to see some of Laurie's art from the book? Learn a little more about Laurie? Here a link to Laurie's website. You can also find a link there to the original Esquire story Laurie wrote about her father that lead to this book!

Currently Laurie Sandell is a contributing editor at Glamour, where she writes cover stories, features, and personal essays. She has also written for Esquire, GQ, New York, and In Style, among other publications. In her twenties, she spent four years traveling around the world, having unsavory experiences she later justified as “material.”