Play Audiobook Sample
Truth and Consequences: Life Inside the Madoff Family Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.05) - 208 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
In December 2008, the world watched as master financier Bernard L. Madoff was taken away from his posh Manhattan apartment in handcuffs, accused of swindling thousands of innocent victims-including friends and family-out of billions of dollars in the world's largest Ponzi scheme. Madoff went to jail; he will spend the rest of his life there. But what happened to his devoted wife and sons? The people closest to him, the public reasoned, must have known the truth behind his astounding success. Had they been tricked, too?
With unprecedented access to the surviving family members -- wife Ruth, son Andrew and his fiancéee Catherine Hooper -- journalist Laurie Sandell reveals the personal details behind the headlines.
How did Andrew and Mark, the sons who'd spent their lives believing in and building their own families around their father's business first learn of the massive deception? How does a wife, who adored her husband since they were teenagers, begin to understand the ramifications of his actions? The Madoffs were a tight-knit and even claustrophobic clan, sticking together through marriages, divorces, and illnesses. But the pressures of enduring the massive scandal push them to their breaking points, most of all son Mark, whose suicide is one of the many tragedies that grew in the wake of the scandal.
Muzzled by lawyers, vilified by the media and roundly condemned by the public, the Madoffs have chosen to keep their silence -- until now. Ultimately, theirs is one of the most riveting stories of our time: a modern-day Greek tragedy about money, power, lies, family, truth and consequences.
Download and start listening now!
"I have always been interested in con-artists, especially good old Bernie Madoff (he's at a lower level than Ben Bernanke, but still it's a good read). This is an extremely well written book by Laurie Sandell, and you may even feel sorry for sorry for some of the family members. One thing I want to point out here, this really is not about Bernie Madoff, this is about his family and the after math of the whole 50 BILLION (yes billion) scam he had going on since the mid 80's. It's a sad story, one son kills himself, yet at the same time, one son is beating the scrutiny and adversity thrown to him by peers and wolves, and leading a somewhat normal life. If you have ever been scammed or just want to read a true blood American scam heart breaking story; this is the book for you."
— Todd (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“Sandell spends a great deal of time setting the stage in a biographical account that includes typical family ties, celebrations, trials, and tribulations; the story…really starts to heat up after the confession, when the lives of Ruth, Andrew, and Mark begin to completely unravel. Sandell paints a sympathetic portrait that partially redeems Ruth and Andrew as they attempt to rebuild their lives and achieve some semblance of normalcy.”
— Booklist -
“This biography about Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff’s clan is chock-full of drama…Anyone curious about this fractured, once tight-knit family will find plenty of food for thought here.”
— People -
“Sandell makes a legitimate case that Mark and Andrew Madoff really were caught off guard by their father’s crimes.”
— San Franciso Chronice
Awards
-
A New York Times bestseller
-
A USA Today bestseller
Truth and Consequences Listener Reviews
-
" This book really opened my eyes to how much the Madoff family was vilified. It's really sad that they were held accountable for actions of their father/husband. Everyone has someone in their life that does things we don't agree with, but that doesn't mean we should be held responsible. The first half was a little difficult to get through as it sets up the history of the family. You really need to have an open mind to read this book though. "
— Erin, 2/17/2014 -
" I was surprised at how open honest this book, while we will never know why he did this reading how the family coped and continues to cope made for a good read. "
— Sue-Ellen, 2/17/2014 -
" Very interesting look at the Madoff family and what they didn't know about their dad. "
— Nancy, 1/20/2014 -
" Very good book about the personal impact to the Madoff family of the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme. Extensive interviews with family members shows their unawareness of the situation and what life was like before, during and after Bernie was turned in by his son. "
— Rick, 1/16/2014 -
" Always interesting to read the other side of the story. "
— Mbstrongman, 1/2/2014 -
" Fascinating look into how Madoff' son dealt with his father's betrayals. "
— Kim, 12/23/2013 -
" It has some interesting material but I didn't think it was very well written. "
— Sharon, 11/17/2013 -
" Fascinating to read the inside life of the Madoffs and the terrible effect his lives had on his family "
— Lisafaith, 8/5/2013 -
" If the intention of this book was to invoke sympathy for the family, all it succeeded in doing was make this bunch look pathetic. Then again, maybe they just needed some cash. And the writing was quite amateurish. "
— Jeannine, 6/9/2013 -
" Interesting story, very well written book. Makes me want to read both the other memoir by this author and the Madoff book by the other brother's widow that just came out. I am sure she will have a very different perspective. "
— Sandy, 6/2/2013 -
" It is easy to understand how the family had no idea what Bernie Madoff was doing. He ran his business with an iron hand and allowed no one near it! "
— Theresa, 5/8/2013 -
" Hidden accounts of the life of Bernie Madoff, his wife, and two sons before and after he got arrested. "
— Nilla, 4/12/2013 -
" I thought this book was very interesting and though somewhat superficial I really enjoyed it. Very quick read "
— Catherine, 1/28/2013 -
" A little to one-sided for me ... the participants interviewed come up too sympathetic and kind of uninteresting. Also, I listened to the audio book and found the narrator overly expressive, especially with the New York accent of Ruth ... a little grating. "
— Susan, 12/4/2012 -
" I actually felt sorry for the family.....for a minute. "
— Maureen, 7/19/2012 -
" While the subject of the book is very interesting, the writing was poor & one sided. "
— Amy, 2/20/2012
About Laurie Sandell
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.”
About Maggie Hoffman
Maggie Hoffman is a voice talent and Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator.