A House Divided: Suspicions of Mother-Daughter Incest [Paperback]

Paul R. Abramson (Author), Steven D. Pinkerton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2000 | ISBN-10: 0393976351 | ISBN-13: 978-0393976359

Based on a true story, A House Divided: Suspicions of Mother-Daughter Incest tells the emotionally harrowing tale of a mother’s fight to retain custody of her daughter amid horrifying accusations of mother-daughter incest.

Searching for the truth behind these accusations, while reconstructing this troubling tale from case interviews, trial transcripts, police reports, and other documentary sources, the authors find in this unusual case an ideal springboard for a serious consideration of the legal and psychological issues underlying the assessment and prosecution of incest cases, in particular of mother-daughter incest.

A House Divided serves as a vivid reminder of the legal, moral, and social complexities surrounding cases involving sex crimes.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sex experts and coauthors (With Pleasure; Sexual Nature/Sexual Culture) Abramson (UCLA) and Pinkerton (Medical College of Wisconsin) present a riveting true story about a mother accused of sexually molesting her five-year-old daughter. What intrigues Abramson is that, if the incest did occur, the case presents the opportunity to study the pathology of the extremely rare phenomenon of mother-daughter incest; if no incest occurred, then by testifying on behalf of the mother he could prevent a miscarriage of justice. Abramson's narration of how, using both candid interviews and standard psychological tests, he determines that the mother was wrongly accused is meticulous and engaging, as are his descriptions of the other major playersAa concerned teacher, two driven child welfare counselors and the singleminded doctors who testify on behalf of the prosecution. As the drama unfolds in court, the reader quickly learns just how personal and political agendas can overshadow truth and justice. Abramson informs his account with dispassionate psychological expertise, pointing out critical inconsistencies every step of the way. In the epilogue, he and Pinkerton offer a utilitarian procedure for diagnosing, with greater accuracy, instances of mother-daughter incest. Their argument appears crisp and concise, but the discussion is rather narrow and technical for the lay reader, who might benefit more from a broader discussion of the phenomenon of mother-daughter incest and what is being done to prevent it.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Dr. Paul R. Abramson (UCLA) is one of the leading sexual theorists in the country and also one of the most sought-after legal "sex" experts. He has consulted on many high-profile cases touching on topics like "dial-a-porn," video obscenity, sexual harrassment, and the infamous "Club Fuck" case. He is former editor of the Journal of Sex Research and author of six other books. He also has appeared several times on the nationally syndicated PBS show Closer to the Truth.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393976351
• ISBN-13: 978-0393976359
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,603,533 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A House Divided, July 2, 2005

By 

Kate1975 - See all my reviews

This review is from: A House Divided: Suspicions of Mother-Daughter Incest (Paperback)

This book is a true story of a mother accused of mother daughter sexual abuse and the court case. The authors believe that mother daughter sexual abuse is "extremely rare" and do not exhibit accurate knowledge of mdsa. This is a clinical researchers' book about one case and is not about sexual abuse. It does not appear as though the authors have ever spoken to a survivor of mdsa. It appears as though their knowledge is from doing research, of which they have done none on mdsa. The authors put forth a theory for "scientifically" arriving at a conclusion of whether or not an allegation of mdsa is accurate, using the concept that mdsa is extremely rare. If this is what you are interested in reading about, read this book.
This is not a book for survivors or those who care, love, or assist mdsa survivors in healing. Try one of the many books written by true survivors of mdsa abuse to understand the issues, the dynamics, and long-term aftereffects of mdsa; i.e. "When You're Ready," "The Last Secret," "The Deepest Wound," "Sybil," "Searching for Mercy Street," "Broken Child," and "From Victims to Survivors." Do not expect that from this book, because you will not get it.

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good resource., September 9, 2009

By 

JD Erickson (Salt Lake City, Utah USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A House Divided: Suspicions of Mother-Daughter Incest (Paperback)

I fail to see the usefulness in giving this book a 1 star rating as the previous reviewer did unless you have a personal agenda against it (for example, being involved in the case against the mother).

The fact that it is not a particularly useful book for survivors (which it isn't and was never meant to be) does not make it a useless book.

For the demographic that this book is targeted at - that is, people interested in how the justice system treats and often attempts to steamroll such cases, as well as methods by which to prevent such steamrolling - it is an excellent resource. An effort should be made to understand who the book is targeted at before considering purchase or leaving a review.

As a study of the legal (mis)processes rather than survivor issues, the book does not deserve anything less than a 4.

It should be noted that the authors believe mdsa is under-reported and thus a rarity in terms of information and cases available for study, not extremely rare in terms of occurrence. That would be a gross miscalculation on their part and a serious discredit to their otherwise incredible wealth of professional knowledge on the psychiatric science behind parent-child sexual abuse.