The true story of the three women behind Sybil, the famous multiple-personality case. Nathan followed an enormous trail of papers, records, photos, and tapes to unearth the lives of these three women and tell the real tale. The result is an intensely fascinating portrait not just of the pop culture phenomenon, but of the complex psychological factors that primed the nation to receive it. 288 pp. 50,000 print.

Reviews

"A gripping history of crackpot psychiatry" --"People" magazine

Made famous by the publication of Flora Rheta Schreiber's Sybil, Shirley Mason (aka Sybil) allegedly possessed 16 unique personalities, a condition for which she was treated by psychoanalyst Cornelia Wilbur. This book by Nathan suggests that Mason may have been far less disturbed than initially reported-and that, in fact, her "illness" was the product of a collaborative fabrication, dreamed up by Wilbur, Schreiber, and Mason herself. Marguerite Gann provides this audio edition with strong, declarative narration that suits the thorny subject matter. When inhabiting one of Mason's personalities or capturing the fraught relationship between Mason, Wilbur, and Schreiber, the narrator shines, varying her vocal tone and creating significant drama. However, during more straightforward passages, Gann's performance is markedly less compelling. Still, this is a fascinating audiobook that will interest listeners fascinated with the human psyche. A Free Press hardcover. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.