In her new memoir, Jeannie Vanasco gets 'A Silent Treatment' from her mom
14 October 2025

In her new memoir, Jeannie Vanasco gets 'A Silent Treatment' from her mom

NPR's Book of the Day

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Jeannie Vanasco’s memoir A Silent Treatment is about the period her mother spent living in the basement apartment of Vanasco’s home. Sometimes, Vanasco’s mother would stop communicating altogether. The silent treatment could last a few days – but once, it lasted six months. In today’s episode, the author speaks with NPR’s Scott Simon about how she came to understand her mother’s retreat.


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