Public conversation about family estrangement has intensified following comments by Oprah Winfrey discussing the growing number of adult children who choose to distance themselves from their parents. Critics have accused her of promoting what some call a modern “cut-off culture.” Supporters argue she is simply giving voice to people who feel wounded by their families. But the truth is more complicated than the debate suggests. Family estrangement is not a phenomenon limited to abusive or dysfunctional homes. It happens in families that, from the outside, appear loving, stable and responsible. It happens in homes where parents worked long hours, sacrificed...