Books like House Rules by Rachel Sontag
Rachel Sontag’s *House Rules* chronicles her parents’ lives in a suburban Chicago household where her father, a respected physician, exercised extreme control over every aspect of his children’s existence. From duct‑taping her stereo to regulating her grooming, his authoritarian behavior escalated into humiliating punishments and constant surveillance. As Sontag grew, the family dynamics shifted: her mother surrendered power to her husband, her sister’s role diminished, and the house became a battleground of psychological abuse. The memoir examines the complex, destructive relationship between father and daughter, the broader patterns of control within the family, and the enduring struggle for autonomy and healing.
First publish date: 2008
Genre: Biography & Autobiography/Autobiography
Authors: Rachel Sontag
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