Julie Myerson - Family Controversies

Family Controversies

Julie Myerson was the anonymous author of 'Living with Teenagers', a Guardian column and later book that detailed the lives of a family with three teenage children. The column was stopped after one of the children was identified and was ridiculed at school. After the Guardian confirmed the author of the series it removed the articles from its website to 'protect their privacy'.

She was at the centre of a media controversy in March 2009 when details of her book 'The Lost Child: a True Story' emerged; commentators criticised Myerson for what Minette Marrin in The Sunday Times, called her "betrayal not just of love and intimacy, but also of motherhood itself". Tim Lott called the book a "moral failure", adding "Julie has betrayed Jake for her own ambition". However, some critics took a diametrically opposing view. The Guardian's Mark Lawson, a friend of Julie Myerson, called the book noble, saying that "The elegance and thoughtfulness of this book – and its warning of a fate that may overtake many parents – should not be lost in the extra-literary frenzy.", while The Observer's Kate Kellaway called the book rash but courageous, writing that Myserson had tried to "write honestly about a nightmarish situation and a subject that never seems to get the attention it deserves." The book was published in the U.S. in August 2009.

Myerson stated she may also sell the film rights at some point in the future, "maybe in 20 years."

Her son described her as "slightly insane" and the publication as "obscene", and declared his intention to change his name to "Jake Karna". The last name refers to Karna, a Hindu warrior who, in the Mahabharata, is rejected by his mother.