Too Much And Never Enough by Mary L. Trump

Too Much And Never Enough by Mary L. Trump.

Published 14th July 2020 by Simon and Schuster.

From the cover of the book:

In this revelatory, authoritative portrait of Donald J. Trump and the toxic family that made him, Mary L. Trump, a trained clinical psychologist and Donald’s only niece, shines a bright light on the dark history of their family in order to explain how her uncle became the man who now threatens the world’s health, economic security and social fabric.

Mary Trump spent much of her childhood in her grandparents’ large, imposing house in New York, where Donald and his four siblings grew up. She describes a nightmare of traumas, destructive relationships and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse. 

She explains how specific events and general family patterns created the damaged man who currently occupies the Oval Office, including the strange and harmful relationship between Fred Trump and his two oldest sons, Fred Jr. and Donald.

A first-hand witness, Mary brings an incisive wit and unexpected humour to sometimes grim, often confounding family events. She recounts in unsparing detail everything from her uncle Donald’s place in the family spotlight and Ivana’s penchant for regifting to her grandmother’s frequent injuries and illnesses and the appalling way Donald, Fred Trump’s favourite son, dismissed and derided him when he began to succumb to Alzheimer’s.

Numerous pundits, armchair psychologists and journalists have sought to explain Donald Trump’s lethal flaws. Mary Trump has the education, insight and intimate familiarity needed to reveal what makes Donald, and the rest of her clan, tick. She alone can recount this fascinating, unnerving saga, not just because of her insider’s perspective but also because she is the only Trump willing to tell the truth about one of the world’s most powerful and dysfunctional families.

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This is a book that I had no intention of reading over the Christmas holidays, especially since I bought it as a present for my husband, but he was so fascinated and horrified by what he read that he said I needed to read it as soon as he had finished. How could I refuse? 

The blurb pretty much tells you what to expect in these pages, but nevertheless actually reading the intimate details of the goings on within the dysfunctional Trump family is still horrifying in the extreme. Mary L. Trump, although a family member, walks just the right line here by telling the tale through the eyes of her professional persona as a Clinical Psychologist and this makes it all the more credible and macabrely fascinating - it certainly serves as a case study in how not to raise a family if you wish your children to become decent, caring, law abiding citizens. In fact, it is the story of the making of a monster, who in other circumstances we would have been vaguely aware of from trashy stories in the media. Unfortunately, this particular monster somehow found himself elected to take on the job of arguably the most powerful man in the Western World - a role he is not only woefully unqualified for, but one which he does not have the moral, or intellectual capacity to even make a half decent stab at.

I was very impressed with not only the style of the writing and its accessibility to a general audience, but the simple way Mary Trump lays out the history of her family and leaves us to make up our own minds whether or not such behaviour is acceptable in the grand scheme of things. She lays out the facts clearly and with surprising wit and forbearance, even though the events she recounts must have been very painful to experience. The title of the book is also surprisingly sharp and full of nuance, which becomes apparent as you work your way through from start to finish. 

Critics of Mary Trump have claimed that this book has been written out of spite, but having read her words I can tell you that  I wholeheartedly believe she has actually done this out of a compulsion to reveal the truth about her own family before it is too late, however uncomfortable this must be for her personally, and her bravery should be commended. I do wonder how much difference her words have made given the 2020 election result.

There are many lessons that can be taken from this book and the more people that read it the better. Anyone who can act so cruelly towards his own flesh and blood, albeit as a result of being brought up to believe this is acceptable conduct, is wholly unsuited to any job that requires even a modicum of compassion and understanding. However, what really comes across from Mary Trump's account is the blame that should be laid at the feet of all those that have enabled Donald Trump from the very start - those who have fuelled his need for self-aggrandizement and taken advantage of his arrogance and weakness for their own ends.

I must admit that this is probably a book I would not have even considered reading if Trump had won the 2020 Presidential election (Yes, Donald you really have lost), because it would have been too depressing to contemplate. However, given the forthcoming change in Whitehouse staffing it is one I would recommend as required reading, especially to anyone who thinks Donald might be a suitable candidate for re-election.

Too Much And Never Enough is available to buy now from your favourite book retailer, or from Bookshop.org HERE.