The Less People Know About Us, Axton BetzHamilton
The Less People Know About Us, Axton BetzHamilton
1 Rating(s)
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.49

The Less People Know About Us
A Mystery of Betrayal, Family Secrets, and Stolen Identity

Author: Axton Betz-Hamilton

Narrator: Laurie Catherine Winkel

Unabridged: 7 hr 31 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/15/2019

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

In this powerful and “engrossing” memoir, identity theft expert Axton Betz-Hamilton tells the shocking story of how her family was destroyed by the actions of an anonymous criminal (The New York Times).

When Axton Betz-Hamilton was 11 years old, her parents both had their identities stolen. This was before the age of the Internet—authorities and banks were clueless and reluctant to help Axton's parents. 
 
Convinced that the thief had to be someone they knew, Axton and her parents completely cut off the outside world. As a result, Axton spent her formative years crippled by anxiety, quarantined behind the closed curtains in her childhood home. Years later, Axton discovered that she, too, had fallen prey to the identity thief.
 
The Less People Know About Us is a cautionary tale, but not one without hope as Axton looks back on the dysfunctional childhood that led to her desire to help this from happening to others.
 
AN EDGAR AWARDS 2020 WINNER AND WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER

Reviews

My first and only five star of 2022 thus far…(04/01/2022) I'm not sure if it was just good timing or what, but I inhaled this book. I really enjoy memoirs in general and this one had a mystery/crime element that felt very reminiscent of a Dateline episode (and I love that show). Also, the writing her......more

Goodreads review by Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader on November 16, 2019

A true crime memoir? Sign me up! Axton’s parents’ identities were stolen when she was a young child, and the family was in ruins, not just financially. The rest of her childhood was riddled with anxiety and a changed way of life. Eventually, Axton goes to college and finds out her identity was also......more

Goodreads review by Pamela on November 01, 2019

I hate to rate a memoir. But this one was lacking for me in some way. Too much information in some places, far too little in others. I guess maybe my issue is that the focus is about Identity Theft, when in fact it should be about Mental Illness.......more

Goodreads review by Lauren on February 06, 2020

Let me warn you before you open this book: DON'T GET SPOILED. Multiple Goodreads reviews and even a coworker who listened to Betz-Hamilton's episode of the podcast Criminal totally ruined the big reveal for me. Try to stay away from anything that smacks of a spoiler and go in with a clear mind. Betz......more

Goodreads review by Karla on May 22, 2022

story & audio4 stars** NarratorLaurie Winkel......more


Quotes

"Reads like a grim folk tale...intimate and engrossing."—The New York Times

"The air of menace is palpable...A deeply compelling story of a crime that hit close to home."—NPR

"The tension of a thriller...[and] jaw dropping revelations. Astonishing and disturbing, this emotionally resonant book is perfect for true crime fans."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"This memoir has all the suspense and twists of a thriller; even as readers begin to suspect the truth, it still shocks...highly recommended."—Booklist

"Betz-Hamilton expertly blends true crime and memoir in this tale of family, lies, and identity...a brave, candid examination of her painful past [and] a poignant and fascinating exploration of identity theft."
Library Journal

"'Identity theft' sounds like something that happens far, far away and only to other people...certainly not within a seemingly picture-perfect family in the rural U.S. In a gut-wrenching portrayal of victimization starting at age 11, Axton Betz-Hamilton shows that's simply not true. The stunning revelations will keep you looking over your shoulder for a long time and even more troubling...at the ones you think you know the best!"—Nancy Grace, legal commentator, broadcast journalist, and New York Times bestselling author of The Eleventh Victim

"Axton Betz-Hamilton's story is remarkable. One of the primary challenges for those of us advocating for more rights and resources for identity theft victims is their reluctance to share their experience. Betz-Hamilton writes with candor and grace about both her relationship with her mother/perpetrator, and the long term effect victimization has had on her life."—EvaCasey Velasquez, president/CEO of Identity Theft Resource Center

"A brave, rueful memoir of fear and heartbreak in rural America. Axton Betz-Hamilton mines the most essential of life's questions: can we ever really know the people we love? The Less People Know About Us is an unflinching portrait of grit and determination in the wake of a fractured childhood and complicated grief."Carolyn Murnick, author of The Hot One