The obsidian mirror : an adult healing from incest /

Obsidian, the black stone formed when lava cools quickly, is believed to protect gentle- hearted people from abuse and to aid in developing internal vision. Thus it is an ``obsidian mirror'' that Louise Wisechild uses as a metaphor to express her attempt to see into herself and come to terms with the sexual abuse she suffered as a child. Through a long process of therapy and self-discipline, the author was able to deal with her damaged self-image and work toward adult wholeness and a normal life. The story of her abuse by her stepfather, grandfather, and uncle is recounted in detail and should provide a valuable case study, both for those working with incest victims and for the victims themselves, who, like the author, may be struggling to overcome inner voices telling them that they should accept failure as just punishment for their waywardness. This inspiring story of commitment, strength, and determination belongs in most public libraries. MH.

Wisechild was sexually abused by her stepfather, grandfather and uncle. Like many incest survivors, she tells her story after years of silence and repression, but this is more than simply a first-person account of abominations. A gifted writer, Wisechild relates the facts of her abuse in brief flashbacks, using most of her narrative energy to personify the various clashing emotions that strive to dominate her personality: Sarah is the sharp-edged, critical judge; Fuckit, the cursing, cigarette-smoking rebel; YoungerOnes, her scared, whining inner children, all different ages; Sure Voice, the stable, intellectualizing adult; and Carrie, the herbal tea-drinking, meditating nurturer. Wisechild also creates allegorical settingsWell, Pit, Dust, Treeto illuminate her feelings of isolation, fear and longing for human connection. The tale is compelling, frightening and powerful: at 13 she attempts suicide; years later she recognizes the devastating effect of the incest on her adult sexual relationships. Wisechild's graphic, biting, funny, painful chronicle of her journey to health and self-love is also a singular literary achievement. (September) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Personal memoir/self-help as a woman uncovers repressed memories of incest and takes a feminist, New Age journey towards psychic health. The author, who works as a writer and massage therapist, was an excellent student from a respected middle-class family, but as a teen-ager she ran away and tried suicide; she grew into adulthood carrying feelings that she was dirty, bad, and hateful. In her 20s, during her first experience with therapy, Wisechild reawakened the emotional pain of her childhood, but it was only later that she began to have sudden memories of sexual abuse by her grandfather, uncle, and stepfather. She reports her struggle for self-esteem and psychic integrity, her recent confrontation with her family (which led to further rejection), and is honest about the impact of her experiences on her own behavior in relationships (she drains her lesbian lover during her period of emotional neediness and then leaves her once she's on her feet). Wisechild uses the device of imaginary inner voices to convey inner conflict and the complexities of personality; much of the book involves conversations and interactions among critical, authoritarian ""Sarah,"" rebellious ""Fuckit,"" the wise ""Sure Voice,"" and others. Wisechild visualizes these characters in different situations: trapped in a Well, on the brink of a Pit, staggering out into the Dust, joining forces and giving each other flowers. She uses crystals, colors, and images both as metaphors and as healing techniques. For the general reader, the use of so much imaginative material defuses the impact of the actual trauma, diminishes sympathy and the sense of reality. To incest victims, however, memories of actual sexual abuse may already be too real; for them, Wisechild's exposition may be helpful and comparatively benign. Of limited interest and appeal, then, to those concerned generally with women's issues, but valuable as a model for women who have suffered abuse and have not found relief (or been believed) in more traditional therapeutic settings. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.