Christopher Hitchen’s mother committed suicide

While reading Christopher Hitchen’s memoir Hitch-22, I learned that Hitchens’ mother, whom her refers to by her first name Yvonne, died in Greece in the early 1970’s in what looked like a suicide pact with a psychotic lover.

After some investigation, Hitchens discovered that she had tried to call him multiple times shortly before swallowing a lethal dose of pills. In fact, she was found on the bedside floor with the phone knocked off the nightstand, leading Hitchens to speculate that she may have had second thoughts about the act after it was too late and tried to reach out for help.

Only weeks prior, Hitchens had bumped into his mother in London. Tagging along with her was her lover, whom Hitchens was meeting for the first time. Hitchens took them out for a nice meal in Soho. His mother asked him privately what he thought of her new man. Without much to base his opinion, Hitchens kindly offered his approval.