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The End of Normal: A Wife’s Anguish, a Widow’s Sorrow Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,553 listener ratings
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An explosive, heartbreaking memoir from the widow of Mark Madoff and daughter-in-law of Bernard Madoff, the first genuine inside story from a family member who has lived through- and survived-both the public crisis and her own deeply personal tragedy.
When the news of Bernard Madoff 's Ponzi scheme broke, Americans were shocked and outraged, perhaps none more so than the unsuspecting members of his own family. After learning that their father's legendarily successful wealth management company was "all just one big lie," Mark and Andrew Madoff turned their father in and cut off all communication with both parents. Mark and his wife, Stephanie, strove to make a fresh start for the sake of their two young children, but Mark could not overcome his sense of betrayal and shame-he and other family members were sued for $200 million in October of 2009. He hung himself on the two-year anniversary of his father's arrest. Left to raise her children as a single mother, Stephanie wrote this memoir to give them a sense of who their father really was, defend his innocence, and put her personal statement on record once and for all. In this candid insider account, she talks about her idyllic wedding to Mark on Nantucket, what it was really like to be a part of the Madoff family, the build-up to Bernard's confession, and the media frenzy that followed. It is about the loss of the fairytale life she knew, adjusting to life with a man she hardly recognized anymore, and the tragic and final loss of her husband.
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"Unlike some of the other reviewers, I felt that Stephanie Madoff was a sincere, loving person. The book seems to be an honest attempt to explain how one's entire world can be destroyed in an instant because of greed and self--deception. I felt great compassion for her and appreciated her courage to not just survive, but to live both for herself and for Mark's children."
— Janet (4 out of 5 stars)
The End of Normal Listener Reviews
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" The narrator talked too fast, needed to take a breath, no emotion in the story and hard to follow. I couldn't finish the book because it felt like she was on fast forward. "
— Sharon, 1/4/2023 -
" I read the book years ago and thought it was a great account of this side of the story. Still an intense, compelling read even after all this time. "
— Jill, 11/16/2021 -
" The author gave a very good account of her and her husband's life immediately before the scandal hit the media and afterwards. She show vividly how her husband struggled with the tragedy and the impact it had on her and her family. I can only imagine how hard it was for her to write her book. It's one thing to write about someone else, or to write a novel and yet another to write about an event that destroyed your life and broke your heart. Well done Stephanie! "
— N2alot, 5/22/2019 -
" This is an interesting read. However, after finishing it, I am not totally convinced that the Mayloff family was as unknowing as they say they are. "
— Susan, 2/19/2014 -
" It was fascinating to see her point of view. "
— Julie, 2/10/2014 -
" When Bernie Madoff fell from grace I was immersed in the process of moving from PIttsburgh to my current home, a distance of 500 miles. Current events took second place to packing boxes and complete chaos. When I saw this book on the library shelf I seized an opportunity to review what that crisis was all about through the eyes of a young mother, Bernie Madoff's daughter-in-law Stephanie, rather than through complex Wall Street lingo. As I began, I had the same feeling I get when I catch up on People Magazine in the hair salon. Call it "Economics Lite," but it worked. I got the gist. Stephanie Madoff suffered enormous anguish and loss when her young husband Mark, son of Bernie, took his life because he could no longer bear the accusations and insinuations that were the fallout of his father's evil deeds. In the end, I judged Mark to be free of any guilt of involvement and I believe he was an unsuspecting victim along with so many friends and relatives who lost money to Madoff's unbelievable 69 BILLION dollar Ponzi scheme. In simple terms, in this book Stephanie put her relationship with the Madoff's on a timeline, an interesting one at that. Hers was a compelling and heartbreaking story. One could only say, "What if?" to a a hundred different scenarios that might have prevented a suicide, scenarios where Mark may have been able to project into the future and imagine that happiness could be his one day. The horror of suicide, the terror of publicity, the ripple effect of an evil deed, it's all there. I think the writing could have used some editing, as MANY details did not ring true. As an example, and this is nit-picking, Stephanie had enrolled in a pastry-making course as a young woman. On a day that she was assigned to mix the ingredients, the cake came out a dreadful color and was so inedible that everyone spat it out. Stephanie explained, "As soon as I bit into my piece, I realized what I'd done. The recipe called for five cups of salt and ten cups of sugar. I'd reversed them." Even if she hadn't reversed them, this would have been inedible. WHAT recipe would have five cups of salt to ten cups of sugar? Did she mean five teaspoons of salt?? The reader will never know. Other observations: As much as Stephanie Madoff tried to be humble about her "class situation," as compared to the Madoff's, the details of her wealthy upbringing made her humbleness seem disingenuous. Also, there was an element of cattiness towards members of the Madoff family that made the reader quite certain that there are two sides of this coin. "
— Lauriann, 2/4/2014 -
" Now I know the story about the Madoff family. "
— Mbstrongman, 2/2/2014 -
" Sad story of a family trying to survive. "
— Janet, 1/27/2014 -
" I read this book, like most would, because of a curiousity about a man like Bernie Madoff and the family who really never knew him. I thought it was an interesting read, and while the author is somewhat self-absorbed who wouldn't be in that situation. One hopes that she 7 her children go on to a happy life and new relationships. "
— Jule, 1/23/2014 -
" It was hard to feel sorry for the author in the beginning when didn't know the pain she went through when her own life and marriage suffered because if somebody else's actions. In the end a good authentic story and a great writer. "
— Tatiana, 1/20/2014 -
" A touching memoir by the wife of Bernie Madoff's son, who committed suicide after the scandal of his father's crimes were publicized. "
— Joella, 1/19/2014