While working on his second novel, John Sedgwick spiraled into a depression so profound that it very nearly resulted in suicide. An author acclaimed for his intimate literary excursions into the rarified, moneyed enclave of Brahmin Boston, he decided to search for the roots of his malaise in the history of his own storied family—one of America's oldest and most notable. Following a bloodline that travels from Theodore Sedgwick, compatriot of George Washington and John Adams, to Edie Sedgwick, Andy Warhol's tragic muse, John Sedgwick's very personal journey of self-discovery became something far greater: a spellbinding study of the evolution of an extraordinary American family. “The combination of privilege and affliction is seductive.” - Daily News “Engrossing, affecting, and enlightening...A grand, candid, and sensitive family memoir...unique in its perspective on American history.” - Donna Seaman, Chicago Tribune “Astute.” - New York Times “Articulate, insightful…and substantial…Mr. Sedgwick provides a clear, incisive view of a complicated family.” - Janet Maslin, New York Times “Compelling family biography…These people are...like characters in a very good novel...[Sedgwick] writes with great confidence.” - Linda Wertheimer, NPR's Weekend Edition “A gift...The Sedgwick story engages us with the powers and insights of a great novel.” - Boston Globe “The individual stories are fascinating…With a writer’s eye for detail, Sedgwick provides an unflinchingly honest chronicle of a...familial odyssey.” - Booklist “Ingenious…a lurid inversion of the American Dream...it...makes a larger point about the self protective mechanisms of American democracy.” - Wall Street Journal “This reading promises to be an excellent portrait, not just of madness, but of one of the major American families.” - Bostonist “Sedgwick has a keen eye for detail...The finely honed prose glides along effortlessly.” - Publishers Weekly “[Sedgwick] offers up a very personal look at his family history.” - Pages “Gorgeous...fascinating...it’s John Sedgwick’s struggles with his own health and identity that give this book its literary power.” - USA Today While working on his second novel, John Sedgwick spiraled into a depression so profound that it very nearly resulted in suicide. An author acclaimed for his intimate literary excursions into the rarified, moneyed enclave of Brahmin Boston, he decided to search for the roots of his malaise in the history of his own storied family—one of America's oldest and most notable. Following a bloodline that travels from Theodore Sedgwick, compatriot of George Washington and John Adams, to Edie Sedgwick, Andy Warhol's tragic muse, John Sedgwick's very personal journey of self-discovery became something far greater: a spellbinding study of the evolution of an extraordinary American family. John Sedgwick is the author of the novels The Dark House and The Education of Mrs. Bemis , and contributes regularly to Newsweek , GQ , and The Atlantic , among other publications. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.