A review by matildak28
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

this is an incredible piece of non fiction writing — Patrick Redden Keefe is sharp and reflective, presents the facts through a deeply engaging narrative and I literally couldn’t stop listening - I listened to this non stop over the course of 3 days. This may be one of the most precise, excellent non fiction books I’ve ever read. I’ve watched a lot of documentaries about the opioid crisis in America (I’m from the UK and have no personal connection), and all of them have very limited details about the family — I feel like I have learned a lot despite already knowing a fair deal. 

Quite simply, this is incredible and this writer is nothing short of brilliant. I will be seeking out his other works immediately. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Grief, Addiction, Drug use, Death, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Chronic illness