Fault Lines — Karl Pillemer
Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2026 5:19 pm
Fault Lines: Fractured Families and How to Mend Them
Karl Pillemer, PhD — 2020
Sociologist Karl Pillemer examines family estrangement through research rather than personal anecdote alone.
Drawing on the Cornell Family Reconciliation Project, including survey data and extensive interviews with people affected by family rifts, the book explores how estrangements develop, how they affect families across generations, why some relationships are repaired, and how people can live with estrangement when reconciliation is not possible.
Why we’ve included it:
This is one of the strongest research-informed books written for a general audience. It offers a broader perspective than parent-specific self-help books and is useful for understanding the wider patterns and consequences of family estrangement.
Buy the book
Fault Lines — Bookshop.org
Affiliate link: if you buy through this link, Estranged Parents may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Bookshop.org also supports independent bookshops.
Inclusion in our library means we believe this item may be useful or thought-provoking. It does not mean Estranged Parents endorses every opinion or conclusion expressed.
Karl Pillemer, PhD — 2020
Sociologist Karl Pillemer examines family estrangement through research rather than personal anecdote alone.
Drawing on the Cornell Family Reconciliation Project, including survey data and extensive interviews with people affected by family rifts, the book explores how estrangements develop, how they affect families across generations, why some relationships are repaired, and how people can live with estrangement when reconciliation is not possible.
Why we’ve included it:
This is one of the strongest research-informed books written for a general audience. It offers a broader perspective than parent-specific self-help books and is useful for understanding the wider patterns and consequences of family estrangement.
Buy the book
Fault Lines — Bookshop.org
Affiliate link: if you buy through this link, Estranged Parents may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Bookshop.org also supports independent bookshops.
Inclusion in our library means we believe this item may be useful or thought-provoking. It does not mean Estranged Parents endorses every opinion or conclusion expressed.