Anonymity: The Secret Life of an American Family

by Susan Bergman

In 1983, award-winning poet and essayist Susan Bergman lost her father to AIDS. This gripping memoir of her family's struggle to cope with the loss of a husband and father--and come to terms with the shocking revelation that he had been secretly gay--sheds light on Bergman's father's deceit, tells of the cost to his survivors, and reveals how her family was finally able to forgive and heal.

Genres: Memoir

198 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1994

Reviews

[Emily Rappaport · Rating 5 out of 5]

A genuinely brilliant memoir that I can't wait to re-read and keep learning from. This book was ahead of its time—if Bergman wrote it now, I wonder if it might win a National Book Award instead of being out of print. Bergman's reflections on grief, sexuality, and the way that families are (often unwitting) keepers of each other's secrets and solitude are breathtaking. Not an easy read but well worth the time.

[Barbara Vincent · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the book very difficult to get into. The author, known as a poet, writes with a style that was hard for me to follow. It was only the last 1/3rd of the book that didn’t seem to ramble beyond the text.
I’m sorry…..just a style of writing that I’m not a fan of. The story is a sad one.

[Tekapope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man leads gay double life and the disilusionment ensues. One of the first men to die of AIDS.