Charges of sexual abuse can tear a family apart. What if they are not true? This riveting fiction book explores this phenomenon.
Years ago many of us were stunned and riveted as charges of sexual abuse were made against the late Cardinal Bernadine, of Chicago. Nightly the drama and accusations were brought into America´s living rooms via television. The allegations. The denials. Then, just as suddenly as the charges were made, they were dropped. Why? The young man in this case realized that these were "false" memories suggested by his "hypnotherapist."
This tragedy was brought into the spotlight by the media and a man´s life was almost destroyed. How many families are destroyed by these types of false memories? This question is key to Zane Kotker´s novel. In Try To Remember the question of what is real and what is imagined carries the power to ruin lives. A therapist "uncovers" 23 year old Phoebe´s memories of being sexually abused by her father. Phoebe´s life and family fall apart.
Kotker takes the reader into a close-knit family that quickly unravels. Written in a time when men are often afraid to simply say "hello" to children, and fathers to hug their daughters, the story is compelling. The supporting characters, Phoebe´s parents and sister, are full of life. This family could be ours. It could be yours. That is the dread that Kotker conjures up in the reader. How easily this could happen. The reader is not left in despair, but truth and freedom are never easy, as Phoebe finds out.
An admirable job has been done. The author avoids the trap of becoming preachy. Psychiatry is treated as a profession that has its flaws. It has members that are more interested in their own agendas than their patients. False memories and accusations of sexual abuse are among the most frightening and fascinating events of our times. A riveting fact. A riveting book.
