SCPL Online NonFiction Book Club discussion

In addition to the financial burdens that Pam left for her family, her crime took a serious toll on their psychological, emotional, and physical health as we can see in Axton’s memoir. Her family loses access to some services and faces legal ramifications; for example, their phone is shut off and the police try to arrest Axton’s mother for check fraud. Her father has to use money from his retirement fund to save the farm from foreclosure. In addition, her parents argue often, and they grow increasingly isolated as in a state of fear they cut themselves off from friends and family, creating a stress filled home environment. Betz-Hamilton starts having panic attacks and develops disordered eating. Then there is the hurt and confusion for Axton and John of learning about Pam’s duplicity so soon after her death, and the hard work involved in investigating her fraud.

If part of the purpose of this book is to bring to light the crime of identity theft and its effects, would you say you are in fact more aware and knowledgeable about it than you were before reading this memoir? How have your earlier opinions and thoughts about this topic changed since reading about Betz-Hamilton’s experiences? How would the impact of identity fraud be different in cases where the perpetrator is unknown?