Sibling estrangement is its own "Me Too" movement. While I was working on my book, Brothers, Sisters, Strangers, about sibling estrangement, I found that whenever I told people about it, they would sit up a little straighter and lean in, as if I had tapped into a dark secret. Even those who haven't experienced this loss likely know someone who has, and they, like the estranged themselves, welcome insights to understand it.

Still, no one wants to admit to this level of family dysfunction, to face these elemental doubts about oneself. And many don’t want to talk about it. Consequently, the estranged suffer in silence, isolated twice: not only from a primary family member, but also from social support against the........

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