Unchained Memories: True Stories Of Traumatic Memories Lost And Found [Paperback]

Lenore Terr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 24, 1995

Can a long-forgotten memory of a horrible event suddenly resurface years later? How can we know whether a memory is true or false? Seven spellbinding cases shed light on why it is rare for a reclaimed memory to be wholly false. Here are unforgettable true stories of what happens when people remember what they’ve tried to forget—plus one case of genuine false memory. In the best detective-story fashion, using her insights as a psychiatrist and the latest research on the mind and the brain, Lenore Terr helps us separate truth from fiction.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Memory expert Terr's study of five cases of repressed memory offers a "broad, balanced view of the topic" said PW last year.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Much controversy exists about whether or not childhood memories repressed for many years can be fully retrieved in adulthood without major distortions (otherwise known as the "false memory" debate). In this fascinating book, Terr, author of Too Scared To Cry ( LJ 5/1/90), presents a well-balanced, insightful examination of memory. The themes and theories of what can go wrong with memory and how parts of a memory can become false are skillfully illustrated in seven case studies. The many ways we have of remembering and of forgetting are clearly detailed. Terr argues that all cases of reclaimed memories from childhood should be assessed individually and that taking a general stand on the truth or falsity of such memories is a mistake. This rare blend of science, research, and good storytelling makes for an exceptionally readable book that is hard to put down. Highly recommended for all psychology collections.
- January Adams, ODSI Research Lib., Raritan, N.J.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (February 24, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465095399
• ISBN-13: 978-0465095391
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #189,766 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #97 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In Depth Look at Repressed Memory With Famous Case Studies, January 8, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Unchained Memories: True Stories Of Traumatic Memories Lost And Found (Paperback)

This is one of the very best books I have read. Lenore Terr is a psychiatrist who has devoted her career to the study of repressed memory and post traumatic stess syndrome both in children and adults who suffered traumatic events in their childhoods. Effectively weaving the biology of memory and the mechanics of suppression through seven highly publicized true stories, this book is fascinating, educating, and highly readable. Dr. Terr manages to convey a large amount of highly technical knowledge without talking down to the reader and manages to convey the knowledge in terms any layman can understand. The stories she shares, most of whom she has worked on, are interesting and are a testament to both man's capacity for cruelty and his (and hers) strength and ability to endure and eventually triumph. The first two chapters delve into the famous case of Eileen Franklin who testified against her father about the rape and murder of her childhood friend twenty years before. In recovering her memories, Eileen also discovers the physical and sexual abuse that, though "forgotten", has shaped her life for years. Dr. Terr interviewed Ms. Franklin on several occassions and eventually went on to testify at the trial overcoming the arguments of False Memory Syndrom advocate Elizabeth Loftus in eloquent and detailed terms. Subsequent chapters are equally fascinating. As a victim and a survivor myself, this book offered validation to my own suppressed memories and hope for brighter tomorrows.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The unchained memories by Leonore Terr, October 14, 2008

By 

Sondra Ball - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Unchained Memories: True Stories Of Traumatic Memories Lost And Found (Paperback)

Although I have not finished the book yet, I do feel a need to respond to the review by Casey Lytle, who said that the father had been cleared of this murder by DNA tests. I just researched the case. The DNA tests cleared him of another murder he was convicted of, not this one. He walked free of this murder because of a mistrial. The daughter had been hypnotized prior to her recovered memory, and had failed to disclose that fact to the court. The prosecutor chose not to do a re-trial because he was uncertain that, in the absence of the daughter's testimony (which could not be admitted if it was obtained under hypnotism), they would be able to obtain a second conviction.

18 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An important book for many reasons., November 6, 2005

By 

Casey Lytle (Centralia, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Unchained Memories: True Stories Of Traumatic Memories Lost And Found (Paperback)

In 1990 Lenore Terr was a hero for helping Eileen Franklin uncover the repressed memories of her father killing her best friend. Terr's testimony was seen as a victory over "False Memory Advocate" Elizabeth Loftus who was an expert for the defense.

George Franklin was convicted and sent to prison in 1990 due to the details of his daughter's "repressed memories." It is important to note however, that advances in DNA technology led to DNA tests in 1996 which cleared George Franklin, showing that he could not have been the murderer. He was released from prison.

Today this book stands as a great example of the functions and dysfunctions of memory, and the incredible danger in putting faith in anything "retrieved" via hypnosis.

The Terr vs Loftus battle has definitely shifted in the last decade. Terr's books are frequent finds on the shelves of used book stores, while the works of Loftus must be purchased new.