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3.5/5
Non-Fiction
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Rating: 4.5/5
Pages: 640 (18 hrs)
Started: 4 July 2024
Finished: 15 July 2024
Summary:
In a masterful work of narrative reporting, Keefe outlines the story of Arthur Sackler, a poor Jewish boy who climbed from nobody to the man who catalyzed the opioid crisis in the US. From start to finish, Empire of Pain is an explanation of just how instrumental the Sackler family was in the addiction of a nation.
Thoughts:
I adored this book with all my heart. Following a single family, it was a perfect amount of narrative, including details about how different 'characters' felt about events, without seeming to sacrifice any sort of faith to the truth. Factually, carefully, with details galore, this book outlined the monstrosity of the Arthur Sackler's impact on humanity. The writing was personable and empathetic, not condemning actors from the get-go but also not shying away from the horrors of some of the things that the Sackler family did. The writing was engaging and interesting, and I recommend this book so highly to anyone with an interest in nonfiction or American history.