Spectral Evidence: The Ramona Case : Incest, Memory, and Truth on Trial in Napa Valley
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Gary and Stephanie Ramona were part of a fairly typical, affluent Napa Valley family when Holly, the eldest of their three daughters, "remembered" her father raping her. Though the Ramona family was far from cohesive, Holly's accusations destroyed whatever glue had held them together. The lines were drawn clearly: the women of the family, Stephanie and her three daughters, shut Gary out swiftly and surely. Hoping to win his children back, he fought back the only way he knew how. The lawsuit he brought against Holly's therapist, whom he believed planted Holly's disturbing memories, set a precedent, and it would inevitably affect both the counseling profession and this gentrified community the Ramonas called home.
Spectral Evidence tells the story of a modern-day witch trial, a sad and disturbing battle in which nobody wins. This harrowing account of sheltered elite lives suddenly thrust into a national spotlight raises more questions than it answers. Johnston's approach to the subject is evenhanded: there are no true villains, nor are there heroes. The story is riveting, and Johnston is fair yet passionate. --Lisa Higgins
The New York Times Book Review, Vivian Dent
Johnston avoids the virulent righteousness that infects so many discussion of what critics call "false memory." Yet her conclusions will undoubtedly anger many readers. She leaves some strings dangling; for instance, she barely acknowledges corroborated cases of adults who have remembered long-forgotten trauma. Ultimately though, Spectral Evidence stands as a reminder of how much in life resists understanding--and as a caution against reaching too quickly for explanations that make only intuitive sense.
Spectral Evidence: The Ramona Case : Incest, Memory, and Truth on Trial in Napa Valley
Spectral Evidence: The Ramona Case : Incest, Memory, and Truth on Trial in Napa Valley,Moira Johnston,I B S Books Stocked,0395718228,Adult Child Sexual Abuse Victims,California,Child Abuse,Criminal Procedure,General,Health/Fitness,Incest,Legal Reference / Law Profession,Napa Valley,Recovered memory,Trials (Child sexual abuse),Ramona, Gary,Trials, litigation, etc
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