All About My Brother
A Story of Disability, Abuse and Care
$33.16
- Paperback
216 pages
- Release Date
19 May 2026
Summary
According to Archbishop Mannix, boys like David Kanatopsky were the lucky ones. Having sustained an acquired brain injury at birth, Davey grew up in a loving Jewish family in Melbourne. At 16, his care was entrusted to the Hospitaller Brothers of St John of God, a Catholic order dedicated to meeting the needs of people with intellectual disabilities. But behind closed doors, and away from his family, Davey was subjected to horrific physical, psychological and sexual abuse. As the Royal Commis…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781761097409 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1761097407 |
| Author: | Ilana Snyder |
| Publisher: | Ginninderra Press |
| Imprint: | Ginninderra Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 216 |
| Release Date: | 19 May 2026 |
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What They're Saying
Critics Review
“Ilana Snyder has written an unwaveringly honest and moving account of the dreadful abuse endured by her beloved brother and of the heartbreaking challenges faced by his family.”
- THE HON RONALD SACKVILLE AO KC
“One of the ironies of the family memoir genre is that often it is the darkest subject matter that produces the most compelling stories. David Kanatopsky survived monstrous treatment and institutionalised betrayal and inhumanity. Ilana Snyder relates his story in fond, cogent and suitably indignant prose.”
- PETER ROSE, FORMER EDITOR OF AUSTRALIAN BOOK REVIEW and AUTHOR OF ‘ROSE BOYS’
“In a courageous and compassionate portrait of family love and care set against a backdrop of catastrophic institutional failure, Ilana Snyder writes with fierce moral clarity about disability, abuse, and injustice. This is a devastating, moving and timely book that asks us to reckon with what care, responsibility, and justice truly mean.”
- PROFESSOR SARAH HOLLAND-BATT, HEAD OF CREATIVE WRITING, UTS, AWARD-WINNING POET AND ADVOCATE FOR ADULTS IN CARE
About The Author
Ilana Snyder
Ilana Snyder taught English in high schools before working in teacher education at Monash University for nearly three decades as a lecturer and researcher. She has published eight academic books, including Hypertext and The Literacy Wars, along with many journal articles and chapters. An emeritus professor in Education at Monash, she has also written for the Australian Book Review. All About My Brother is her first work of life writing, intimately exploring her family’s experience raising an intellectually disabled child and the long-hidden abuse he suffered over many years.
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