Raven and the Hummingbird: A Healing Path to Recovery from Multiple Personality Disorder
Adult; Self-Help, Sex & Relationships, Psychology, Philosophy, Fashion; (Market)
A fateful chance encounter brings Joan face to face with the therapist she has waited for all her life. Hopeless and desolate, she asks, “Will you take me?”
Joan is a married woman of substance and faith. At age 32, her mind broke open and her life fell apart. She is diagnosed with Multiple Personality Disorder. In treatment, Joan reveals she suffered unrelenting sexual abuse throughout her childhood. Her only defense was to flee into a dissociative state, during which her mind created 52 alternate personalities to protect her from the unimaginable.
Raven and the Hummingbird invites the reader into the therapy room to witness each triumph and setback. Her healing path to recovery is littered with life’s obstacles and often smothered by exhaustion. In her quest to piece together her fragmented mind, Joan must endure the unbearable truth and remember the unthinkable.
Ultimately, Joan’s inspiring story exemplifies the capacity of the human heart to rise above the incomprehensible and usher in a singular authentic life.
Plot/Idea: 9 out of 10
Originality: 9 out of 10
Prose: 8 out of 10
Character/Execution: 9 out of 10
Overall: 8.75 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Written with poise and determination, Raven and the Hummingbird explores Joan's Multiple Personality Disorder in an affecting and powerful manner. The years of abuse and molestation she has suffered are brought into sharp focus.
Prose: Caldwell's text vividly explores Joan's MPD, allowing Joan's 52 alternate personalities to delve deep into the unimaginable trauma of Joan's childhood. This is a tough, uncompromising, and enlightening read.
Originality: Caldwell enables the reader to experience Joan's triumphs and setbacks on her grueling journey to recovery. She takes a headlong dive into one person's vulnerability, resulting in an extremely powerful text for those interested in psychology, therapy, and personality disorder manifestations.
Character/Execution: Over the course of Raven and the Hummingbird a profound connection develops between Joan and her therapist, which is captivating to observe. The presentation of Joan's alternate personalities (or "alters" / "parts" as they are referred to) is incredibly moving, especially when dealing with dark characters like Shadowman or protectors like the titular Raven.
Blurb: A stark and powerful portrait of a tortured mind.
Date Submitted: November 28, 2023
