Victims of Memory: Sex Abuse Accusations and Shattered Lives

by Mark Pendergrast, Melody Gavigan (Foreword by)

Taking on the issue of "repressed memories" in incest cases, the author questions whether therapists are revealing actual happenings or shattering lives with false accusations

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

635 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Mark Pendergrast was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, the fourth of seven children in a family that valued civil rights, the environment, sailing, reading, and games of chase and charades. He earned a B.A. in English literature from Harvard, taught high school and elementary school, then went back to Simmons College for a masters in library science and worked as an academic librarian—all the while writing freelance articles for newspapers and magazines. In 1991, he began writing books full time, which allows him to follow his rather eclectic interests.

Pendergrast’s books have been published in 15 languages. For God, Country & Coca-Cola was named a notable book of the year by the New York Times, and Discover Magazine chose Mirror Mirror as one of the top science books of the year. Pendergrast has given speeches to professional groups, business associations, and college audiences in the United States, Canada, the U.K., and Germany. He has appeared on dozens of television shows, including the Today Show, CBS This Morning, and CNN, and has been interviewed on over 100 radio programs, including All Things Considered, Marketplace, Morning Edition, and many other public radio shows. He lives in Colchester, Vermont.

Reviews

[Elaine]

I obtained insight into the phenomenon of the destruction of families by the misguided advice of counselors who manipulate clients into the false memory syndrome.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have read and been affected by The Courage To Heal, I highly recommend reading this one to sort of balance things out in your mind.

[Aeseyman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely thorough and well-researched. Intensity of subject matter makes it difficult to read. I did not entirely finish. Will have another go at a later time.

[Ana-Maria Bujor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is all over the place, and at times it is clearly a book of it times. Sometimes it exists its main theme and then it makes some sweeping generalizations that kind of make me scratch my head. But even so, it is an important book as it dares go to some places that are very uncomfortable.
No matter how you go about it, the concept of fake memories of abuse will make someone angry. And it should, as lives were ruined regardless of what your final opinion is. I was already familiar with the satanic panic and the mess around that, so I went along with the arguments more easily. But do I also feel a slight discomfort at listening to a supposed victim's story and thinking "there's no way that happened"? Also yes, as sometimes we end up thinking that about real cases.
A book that will make one think about many things, very uncomfortable things.

[Sugar Free · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do not recommend this book. There are other books out there that discuss repressed memories and the problems associated with them. I just don't trust the author and I feel he is doing more victim blaming than he is discussing the problems of repressed memories.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in 1998 so not the most up to date book. Interesting and informative. However also very long at 650 pages and quite repetitive. Felt like it could have been trimmed.

[Jennifer Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone who has ever read Courage to Heal must read this.

[Zeb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is probably the best book (of maybe 10)I have read about this sordid topic, the topic being false claims of sexual abuse. Best because it is on the one hand written for lay people, by an investigative reporter, and by one who also happens to be affected.
But on the other hand he has done the research and read the actual scientific articles and books and so on, and boiled it down for you and me to understand, and find the way through.
He goes concisely through the matters arising with this repressed memory (OH MY GOD i woke up and realized I am a victim of abuse et cetera) and debunks quite a lot of common assumptions, and explains how false memory can come about.
I don't think his position is extreme, except perhaps in matters on the periphery, where he might pour out the baby with the bathwater in areas he has not as thoroughly researched. I. e. about facilitated communication, I happen to have the original book by Rosmary Crossley and Anne McDonald. But that is beside his main point.
I unreservedly recommend it for anyone affected.