Rachel Aviv

Well, the interview with Daphne Merkin was the tipping point for Andrea, where she felt like... What year is it? I think it was 2004. And she felt like she was just being erased. And that was what prompted her to go to the police and report the abuse.

Well, the interview with Daphne Merkin was the tipping point for Andrea, where she felt like... What year is it? I think it was 2004. And she felt like she was just being erased. And that was what prompted her to go to the police and report the abuse.

I talked to the detective and he was, you know, praising her for being this like incredibly straightforward witness who looks him in the eye. And, you know, and she had these incredible letters to back it up. Like she was handing him the perpetrator's confession.

I talked to the detective and he was, you know, praising her for being this like incredibly straightforward witness who looks him in the eye. And, you know, and she had these incredible letters to back it up. Like she was handing him the perpetrator's confession.

It was sort of patched up really quickly. He pled guilty to indecent assault. There was no jury.

It was sort of patched up really quickly. He pled guilty to indecent assault. There was no jury.

And then there was a letter that he wrote to his lawyer basically saying the trial strategy is to exclude the press. And at the time of the court case, Alice had planned to leave him and to move in with her friend who had an empty house for her. And then abruptly she canceled the plan.

And then there was a letter that he wrote to his lawyer basically saying the trial strategy is to exclude the press. And at the time of the court case, Alice had planned to leave him and to move in with her friend who had an empty house for her. And then abruptly she canceled the plan.

Yeah, I was surprised talking to the Toronto Star reporter who ultimately broke the story. But she said when she was first proposed the story after Andrea had sent an email, she said no. She didn't want to do it. She didn't want to take down an idol. She didn't want to jeopardize her relationships and publishing. She'd seen Alice Munro as this emblem of feminism and

Yeah, I was surprised talking to the Toronto Star reporter who ultimately broke the story. But she said when she was first proposed the story after Andrea had sent an email, she said no. She didn't want to do it. She didn't want to take down an idol. She didn't want to jeopardize her relationships and publishing. She'd seen Alice Munro as this emblem of feminism and

And she'd sort of been inspired by the idea, like, you could tell your own story and take control over your own story. And ultimately, she did change her mind. But even that thought that in 2024, there was like a day-long pause before she was ready to do it. And even before then, Andrea had reached out to a number of journalists, and she got no response.

And she'd sort of been inspired by the idea, like, you could tell your own story and take control over your own story. And ultimately, she did change her mind. But even that thought that in 2024, there was like a day-long pause before she was ready to do it. And even before then, Andrea had reached out to a number of journalists, and she got no response.

There was this sense of, like, we all need to protect our mother. And this feeling that she was very horribly fragile and that, like, this refrain in the family, like, she'll die if she knows.

There was this sense of, like, we all need to protect our mother. And this feeling that she was very horribly fragile and that, like, this refrain in the family, like, she'll die if she knows.

And the sisters kind of took their cue from the parents. Jenny tried to tell her mother, and actually Sheila almost told her mother. But they both, there was this kind of mythology of, like, we must not impinge on this great, great career and on this fragile woman.

And the sisters kind of took their cue from the parents. Jenny tried to tell her mother, and actually Sheila almost told her mother. But they both, there was this kind of mythology of, like, we must not impinge on this great, great career and on this fragile woman.

I mean, he just basically said, it's not the book I'm writing. I think what he said to me at one point was, every family has a thing like this.

I mean, he just basically said, it's not the book I'm writing. I think what he said to me at one point was, every family has a thing like this.

I try not to respond with judgment. I think I just listened. But we're sitting here. It's just us two. I mean, why write a biography if you're not going to sort of. Yeah, I think, you know, Andrea said in a letter to him, like, he had responded, you know, I'll make sure I didn't, like, say anything too flattering, essentially, about Jerry.

I try not to respond with judgment. I think I just listened. But we're sitting here. It's just us two. I mean, why write a biography if you're not going to sort of. Yeah, I think, you know, Andrea said in a letter to him, like, he had responded, you know, I'll make sure I didn't, like, say anything too flattering, essentially, about Jerry.