An utterly compelling, drily funny, and, at times, jaw-dropping account of life as a diagnosed sociopath from a music manager who retrained as a therapist to better understand her condition, and help other sociopaths.
'Deliciously wicked and insightful.' - The Guardian
'Addictively page-turning.' - The Telegraph
'Thought-provoking and surprisingly life-affirming.' - Cosmopolitan
Sociopath: A Memoir is the astoundingly honest true story of a life lived on the edge of the law, and a fascinating account of one woman’s battle to understand her diagnosis. Jaw-dropping, moving and illuminating, it will challenge everything you thought you knew about sociopathy.
'Your friends would probably describe me as nice. But guess what? I can't stand your friends. I'm a liar. I'm a thief. I'm highly manipulative. I don't care what other people think. I'm capable of almost anything.'
From stabbing elementary school classmates with pencils to stealing car keys from fellow frat party guests and joyriding around her college town, to breaking and entering, even stalking. Patric Gagne doesn’t hold back when it comes to describing the behaviour that, eventually, made her realize she is a sociopath.
But her discovery forced her to question the official descriptions of sociopathy. After all, she had a plan for her life, had nurtured close relationships and was doing her best (most of the time) to avoid harming others.
While her darker impulses warred against her attempts to live a settled, loving life with her partner, Patric began to wonder – was there a way for sociopaths to integrate happily into society? And could she find it before her own behaviour went a step too far?
'Surprising, thoughtful and deeply personal.' – Pandora Sykes
'Arresting and addictive.' - The Times
'She is compelling, like a movie character – a sociopath who’s beautiful, warm and funny, articulate and charming' - The Guardian
"Deliciously wicked and insightful" - Guardian Books of the Year
"Arresting and addictive" - The Sunday Times
"Thought-provoking and surprisingly life-affirming" - Cosmopolitan
"No review can really do justice to the depth and nuance of this entertaining, empathy-stirring read. . . this is eye-opening, informative and surprising in equal measure" - Harpers Bazaar
