Franz Alexander was the first graduate of the Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute, the man who turned down Freud's offer to enter into private practice in Vienna, and the man Freud told to go to America and spread the doctrine of psychoanalysis. He was also the grandfather of Ilonka Venier Alexander, the author of this remarkable account of one of the major figures of psychoanalysis in the twentieth century, set against the backdrop of the growth of analysis in America. The book considers his personal and professional life, the role of family in his decisions, and how those decisions affected other family members. Themes touched on in this intimate and personal biography include family secrets and lies, the fear of discovery and the need to reinvent one's past in order to survive, the importance of giving to society, and family reunification after decades of deceit and betrayal. All of these themes help to create a stunning portrait of a man who, as the author's mother once told her, was "as important to psychoanalysis as Elvis is to music". Franz Alexander's story is finally told here by those who really knew him.
