My Life in Pieces: Shattered by Satanic Ritual Abuse, Splintered by Dissociative Identity Disorder, Redeemed and Restored

by C.J. Schaeffer

Can a life shattered by childhood trauma become whole again?

Behind the ordinary appearance of Alice Iris Fisher’s churchgoing family was a terrifying reality. Her father led a double life as the leader of a satanic cult, subjecting Alice to years of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and forcing her to participate in ritual ceremonies.

To survive what no child should endure, her mind separated the overwhelming pain into multiple personalities. What began as protection became a lifelong struggle with dissociative identity disorder, self-harm, psychiatric hospitalizations, and the difficult work of understanding the pieces of herself.

Yet darkness did not have the final word.

My Life in Pieces is a Christian inspirational memoir about trauma recovery, spiritual warfare, and the patient process of healing. Through compassionate counselors, Scripture, and an enduring faith in Jesus, Alice began moving from fragmentation toward wholeness.

Through Alice’s honest account, readers how childhood trauma can lead to dissociation and fragmented identityRecognize the hidden emotional and spiritual effects of prolonged abuseWitness a difficult but hopeful journey from survival toward healingSee how counseling, Scripture, and faith supported her recoveryFind encouragement that no life is beyond hope and restorationThis is not a story of easy answers or instant restoration. It is a deeply personal account of resilience, faith, and the redeeming love of God.

For trauma survivors, their loved ones, and Christian readers seeking hope after suffering, Alice’s journey bears witness to a powerful truth. Brokenness does not have to be the end of the story.

Discover how hope gathers shattered pieces.

303 pages, Paperback

Published August 25, 2020

Reviews

[Susan Brummer]

CJ Schaeffer did an excellent job of giving short glimpses into the life of Alice who not only suffered sexual abuse and Satanic ritual abuse but also suffered under DID in order to cope. As all these short glimpses were put together you are able to see the full picture of Alice. Only by her increasing trust in God was she able to finally put her horrific past behind her and to face the challenges of the future. She was a very heroic young woman who endured more than most of us can imagine. The book gave me better insight into DID and was written in a way that I was able to more fully understand. The comments written by the doctors . therapists, care givers, and friends also helped in understanding what Alice was going through.

[Raena]

My Life in Pieces is the true story of Alice Fisher, a young woman who suffered terrible abuses at the hands of her Satan-worshipping father. As a result of this horrific abuse, Alice's mind splits into twenty-one different personalities. She finds notes written in handwriting she doesn't recognize, and items in the house that she has no memory of purchasing. These other personalities--or Alters--developed as a coping mechanism to deal with her abuse. While her father is a Satan worshipper, he's also the deacon of their local church. Because Alice attends church every Sunday, she is introduced to Jesus Christ, and that tiny mustard seed of faith is what carries her through the darkest season of her life.

This book is incredibly well-written and very difficult to put down. It includes some of Alice's original artwork and journal entries, and it really gives the reader a greater insight into Dissociative Identity Disorder, outside of the more things they might have seen in the movies. I also loved that many people who knew Alice personally, including her pastor and her therapist, contributed their own chapters to the book.

Alice's story--beautifully told by her best friend, Grace--is very difficult to read at times. Some of the things that happened to Alice as a child are beyond anything I could've imagined. But I pushed through those difficult chapters and was personally blessed and inspired by this story of redemption, faith, and forgiveness. Throughout her childhood, Alice constantly had things taken from her. Yet she grew up to love giving things to other people. Cards, gifts, notes of encouragement. She was always giving something away. Reading her story inspired me to find ways to give back in my own life. Although I never knew Alice personally, I closed this book feeling as if I did. She inspired those around her to never give in to the darkness and always reach for the light. I pray that her story reaches the people God intends for it to reach, and that her life of redemption and restoration continues to inspire others long after her final "moving day."

[Allison]

The biography My Life in Pieces is the I'm Eve of Christian literature. From over five years of gathering the memories of her friend, Alice, CJ Schaeffer narrates a true and inspiring story. The first-person account exposes the face of evil in satanic cults and the harrowing life of Alice who survived the cult's sadistic terrors. My Life in Pieces is not for readers with a morbid attachment to tragedy or horror. It is not for those seeking a talented sufferer portrait or a dooms-to-ashes narrative. Suffering persists to the last pages, but like static noise is to the ears: it makes no discrete sound. My Life in Pieces was Alice's prayer, that all self-pity or gratification in personal martyrdom be muted, so she could gladly say, "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." It is truly an unbelievable read, on all counts.

Schaeffer's fearless and sympathetic perspective guides this riveting read, while inviting the reader to ask difficult questions about identity, suffering, and evil. Thanks to the author's detailed account, readers also have a context for discussing the otherwise hidden lives of those raised in satanic cults and the often misunderstood affliction of dissociative identity disorder. The book pieces together a lifetime of conversations and psychiatric records, as well as Alice's artwork and diary entries, which are included in its pages. Schaeffer's compelling, instructive, and humbling biography, My Life in Pieces, is Alice's prayer answered.

[Cornelia Verkem]

This book is phenomenal. The author really captures every emotional period of Alice's life and compassionately reveals her spiritual strength and courage. A must read for those struggling with a past or knows someone who is struggling. After reading My Life In Pieces I purchased several copies as gifts and am now reordering for New Years gifts.

[PATRICIA]

Do you want a really great "good triumphs over evil" read? I've read this book twice. It's a riveting page-turner of true redemption from the hands of evil.  I’m grateful Alice wanted her story told, and that Grace honored her death-bed promise to tell it.

[Karen Kimakovich]

Thank you for writing this book! The way Alice came to the Lord after her horrific past was truly inspirational. She was a truly special person and one that none of us who knew her will ever forget. You did a beautiful job bringing her truth to light. Thanks again!

[Mandy Lehti]

Ritual Abuse, Splintered by Dissociative Identity Disorder, Redeemed and Restored is a staggering, soul baring testimony of survival, faith, and unimaginable courage. C.J. Schaeffer doesn’t just recount trauma she brings readers into the emotional and psychological landscape of a child forced to endure unthinkable horrors while maintaining the fragile heartbeat of hope inside her.

Alice’s journey is haunting, deeply human, and ultimately triumphant. The stark contrast between the “normal life” she appears to lead and the hidden world of ritualistic abuse creates a narrative tension that grips from the first page. The dissociative splintering of her mind is portrayed with truth and clarity, and yet the most powerful thread is the quiet resilience that refuses to die. Her faith becomes not just a lifeline, but a lighthouse in an endless storm.

This book is the kind that stays with you long after you close the final page painful, brave, restorative, and profoundly meaningful. For readers seeking memoirs of survival, trauma recovery, and spiritual redemption, this story stands as both a warning and a beacon.

[Jessica Crain]

Connie’s My Life in Pieces beautifully captures Alice’s tragically awful experiences and amazing transformation, with honesty and grace. The story is raw, heartfelt, and deeply moving—a testament to resilience and hope.
A must-read!

[Katie Heil]

A beautiful example of how God’s mercy and grace can heal and redeem even the deepest of wounds.

[Jo]

It was horrible and beautiful and I cried several times. Her story will break your heart, but mend it too. I am grateful to have learned of her strength.

[Tammy]

DNF