Anger Is My Middle Name

In this stirring memoir, Andersen describes the struggles she faced while growing up in a dysfunctional and fractured family in Denmark. Her parents’ divorce and addiction issues resulted in Andersen and her siblings living in a variety of foster and institutional care settings throughout their childhoods. With this indictment of the Danish social service system, she tells of the years of physical and sexual abuse endured from those were who supposed to care for her, candidly detailing how these early experiences made her emotionally fragile and filled with anger. The author recounts how she overcame the trauma to achieve a high-level education, successful career, and satisfying personal life. Ultimately, Andersen found her voice and became a leading advocate for children’s rights, serving on the Council for Children, a Danish organization that works to safeguard the rights of young people.