The Quiet Damage

QAnon and the Destruction of the American Family

By: Jesselyn Cook

Narrated by: Jesselyn Cook

Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

The riveting story of five families shattered by pernicious, pervasive conspiracy theories, and how we might set ourselves free from a crisis that could haunt American life for generations.

“Compassionate, wise, and thoroughly reported . . . one of the defining books of our time.”—Johann Hari, New York Times bestselling author of Magic Pill

“SHED MY DNA”: three excruciating words uttered by a QAnon-obsessed mother, once a highly respected lawyer, to her only son, once the closest person in her life. QAnon beliefs and adjacent conspiracy theories have had devastating political consequences as they’ve exploded in popularity. What’s often overlooked is the lasting havoc they wreak on our society at its most basic and intimate level—the family.

In The Quiet Damage, celebrated reporter Jesselyn Cook paints a harrowing portrait of the vulnerabilities that have left so many of us susceptible to outrageous falsehoods promising order, purpose, and control. Braided throughout are the stories of five American families: an elderly couple whose fifty-year romance takes a heartbreaking turn; millennial sisters of color who grew up in dire poverty—one to become a BLM activist, the other, a hardcore conspiracy theorist pulling her little boy down the rabbit hole with her; a Bay Area hippie-type and her business-executive fiancé, who must decide whether to stay with her as she turns into a stranger before his eyes; evangelical parents whose simple life in a sleepy suburb spirals into delusion-fueled chaos; and a rural mother-son duo who, after carrying each other through unspeakable tragedy, stop speaking at all as ludicrous untruths shatter a bond long thought unbreakable.

Charting the arc of each believer’s path from their first intersection with conspiracy theories to the depths of their cultish conviction, to—in some cases—their rejection of disinformation and the mending of fractured relationships, Cook offers a rare, intimate look into the psychology of how and why ordinary people come to believe the unbelievable. Profound, brilliantly researched, and beautifully written, The Quiet Damage lays bare how we have been taken hostage by grifters peddling lies built on false hope—and how we might release our loved ones, and ourselves, from their grasp.

©2024 Jesselyn Cook (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“If you are wondering why so many people seem to be slipping into alternative and frightening realities, you have to read this brilliant book. It’s compassionate, wise, thoroughly reported—and terrifying. One of the defining books of our time.”—Johann Hari, New York Times bestselling author of Stolen Focus

“Captivating from the very first page, The Quiet Damage floored me. With empathetic storytelling and an exquisite eye for detail, Jesselyn Cook ushers readers into the darkest corners of the internet to document how disinformation is dismantling family bonds and disintegrating the social fabric. Gracefully written and thoroughly researched, this book is essential for this era.”—Toluse Olorunnipa, Pulitzer Prize-winning coauthor of His Name Is George Floyd: One Man’s Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice and White House Bureau Chief at The Washington Post

“This book is brilliant, heartbreaking, and necessary reading. Through tender stories of families riven by social media, politics, and trauma […] Cook offers an essential account of the context and human cost of conspiracy theory.”—Eliza Griswold, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America, poet, and contributing writer for The New Yorker

Honest look at the damage conspiracy theories wreck on society.

Really good listen and gave me a lot of insight in some things going on right now.

Great storytelling

Really loved the stories presented. Reminded me of people I know who fell down the “rabbit hole.”

one of the finest pieces of investigative journalism I've ever seen

Reeve lays down world-class, 'effortlessly' polished writing in service of a deeply complex story told with stunningly elegant simplicity. Yesterday I'd have cited Michael Lewis's work on "The Premonition" and "The Fifth Risk" as a gold-standard for this style of deep, character-driven reporting, but at this point he should be watching his back. S*** like this is what Pulitzers are made for.

fascinating and sad

so disheartening and sad the amount of damage done to relationships because of QAnon.

Gripping storytelling and tight pacing

An insight window into wtf happened to everyone these past few years, told through the perspectives of five different people.

No gimmicks or chintzy cliches, you’ll finish this book with a sense of awareness and compassion about your social circles, and how no one is immune to the allure of conspiracy theories.

Eye opening

Changed my viewpoint of this group. Instead of feeling anger I feel more sad for the friends and families.

Story of my life these past few years

I'll be sharing this book with friends & family as it accurately portrays the lives of us who have been suffering because of our loved ones going down the rabbit hole of conspiracies. People find it hard to believe me when I tell them that my wife thinks the Earth is flat, & we now sleep in separate rooms after I received the COVID vaccine, amongst all of the other conspiracies. i could relate to all of the characters, though Dale is my favorite.

Please read this book, and share it.

reasons for irrational beliefs

it showed the evil in Qanon beliefs and how devastating and destructive its propagation can be.

Stories that need to be told

This is not my usual style of book, but the subject matter pulled me in. I have so many feelings for the people in the book. Especially Dale and Adam. Both deserve long, tight hugs.

Helped me to understand how the victims fell prey to q anon

I liked the in depth stories of all the families. Sympathy for the all the families.