The Quiet Damage: QAnon and the Destruction of the American Family BY Jesselyn Cook

The Quiet Damage is a riveting and compassionate exploration of how conspiracy theories, particularly QAnon, have shattered the lives of five American families, and the paths they take towards recovery. Celebrated reporter Jesselyn Cook delves into the vulnerabilities that leave many susceptible to these outrageous falsehoods, which promise order, purpose, and control, but instead wreak havoc on our most intimate relationships.

The book opens with the haunting story of a once-respected lawyer whose QAnon obsession led her to accuse her own son of being a part of a sinister plot, uttering the chilling words, “SHED MY DNA.” Cook intricately weaves the narratives of five families, each uniquely impacted by conspiracy theories:

An elderly couple’s fifty-year romance takes a tragic turn.
Millennial sisters of color, one a BLM activist and the other a conspiracy theorist, find their bond strained as one pulls her child into the delusion.
A Bay Area woman and her business-executive fiancé face a relationship crisis as she becomes unrecognizable due to her beliefs.
Evangelical parents in a quiet suburb watch their lives spiral into chaos.
A rural mother and son, who supported each other through tragedy, find their once unbreakable bond shattered by disinformation.
Charting each believer’s journey from their initial brush with conspiracy theories to the depths of their convictions, and in some cases, their eventual rejection of these lies, Cook offers an intimate look at the psychology behind why ordinary people believe the unbelievable. Through meticulous research and empathetic storytelling, The Quiet Damage reveals how society has been held hostage by those peddling false hope and lies, and explores ways to free our loved ones and ourselves from their grip. This profound and beautifully written book is a defining work for understanding and addressing one of the most pressing crises of our time.