History Conversations: Secrets of the Asylum: A Family History Journey

What do you do when your family stories don’t add up? All Julianne Mangin had wanted to do was fact-check her mother’s cryptic stories. But when she acquired her grandmother’s patient record from the state hospital, the secrets just poured out. In her book, Secrets of the Asylum: Norwich State Hospital and My Family, she used patient records, genealogical methods, and DNA testing to piece together a family story that reads like a Dickens novel. Weaving in what she learned about intergenerational trauma and the consequences of family secrets, Mangin has created a testament to the power of family history to empower people and heal old wounds.