Steve Luxenberg's mother, Beth died in 2002. A few years before her death (1999), she had a bit of a mental breakdown and was "forced" into an institution to regulate meds. While there, she let slip (after a lifetime of claiming to be an only child) that she had a sister. In the years following his mother's death, Steve Luxenberg searches for the answers of who his aunt was and why his mother consciously chose to keep her hidden. What follows is the story of Annie who, at age 21, was committed to Eloise Hospital, southeastern Michigan’s sprawling psychiatric facility. She spent her life there, approximately 40 years, until she was moved into a nursing home facility where she died completely alone. "Annie's Ghost" centers around answering the questions of why did Beth, two years Annie’s senior, refuse for so long to acknowledge her sibling’s existence?
Really this was an intriguing book. It read like a novel and was fascinating and rich in state institution stories. Amazing that these places existed but more amazing still that our system today is still so flawed. Quite interesting but not a "light" read.
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