The Magic Daughter: A Memoir of Living with Multiple Personality Disorder

by Jane Phillips

In this extraordinarily distinctive, exquisitely crafted memoir, one that began as a suicide note, Jane Phillips, a woman with "disassociative identity disorder" writes about the intimate details of her life. The Magic Daughter is a harrowing, moving, inspiring, and ultimately triumphant account of a woman's journey toward wholeness.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Psychology, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Biography Memoir, Autobiography

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1995

Reviews

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Interesting parts but felt like author held back a lot for some reason. Plus it was hard for me to finish after going along smooth for quite a while. Due back to the library anyway so I did read it in one nightly sitting.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a mental health professional, I enjoy reading biographies that focus on mental illness. However, so much has changed in the treatment of MPD/DID since this book was written in 1995. I am an advocate for medication, in cases of severe mental illness, and it surprised me that "Jane" took nothing more than Xanax for her anxiety. A lot of her symptoms appear to be associated with Schizoaffective Disorder in that she had aspects of Bipolar Disorder and auditory hallucinations on a regular basis. When she "blacked out" and went on excursions would constitute the diagnosis of DID (due to inability to recall events). This is a very controversal area in treatment because so many of the symptoms mimic those of Schizophrenia. I enjoyed the book overall. It would be interesting to know where she is in treatment now with her integration and if her diagnosis has changed. I wish the author much luck and blessings in her endeavor to heal.

[Toby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really liked this book. Jane Phillips (and yes, on my copy of the book it's spelled "Jane" minus the Y that Goodreads has stuck in) is very articulate, very likable, and, overall, is very enjoyable to get to know through her memoir. I think this book also resonated with me since Jane is a college professor.

It's so interesting to me to see the differences in what caused DID to develop for the people in the various memoirs that I've been reading. In Cameron West's First Person Plural, he developed DID due to childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Although Jane also developed DID due to CSA, there were other factors for her. She was expected to be perfect - to be the daughter that her mother had always wanted, to live the childhood that her mother did not get to live. Her own needs and wants were overlooked and she got what her mother wanted when her mother was a child. Very odd, very dysfunctional.

There was also a passage in here that I can really, really relate to:
The concept that what I thought mattered, that my opinion counted, was stunning. I had all the self-esteem problems any abused child does, and I had always looked not to my self but to the people around me for reward or rebuke. Period. But Mrs. White worked hard with me, teaching me to evaluate my performance [showing horses]. It would be a long time -- possibly not until graduate school -- before I would realize the value of my own efforts in any field and feel pleased with myself when I believed I had done well.

Definite recommend for anyone interested in learning about DID. :)

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The events in the book took place in the 90's, so the psychology is a little outdated compared to what we have now. (Although, in all fairness, we still have little in the way of what is now known as Disassociative Identity Disorder)

I fell in love with Jane, cried when she described the horrific events that caused her to create her alters, respected the decisions she made in order to survive another day inside her mind, and came to better understand what Dissasociating from situations is. An emotional read, but completely worth it for those who want a look into the daily life of someone with this very uncommon ailment.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an interesting read. The book focuses on her healing process and not on the gory details of her abuse. I would recommend it to people who are interested in the disorder, but are not ready for books like Sybil.

[Honey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never in my life have I ever felt as seen as I did reading The Magic Daughter. Jane's experience at times ran parallel to my own, words I also could have written. I even keep a list of quotes from the book that I look over whenever I am feeling too isolated by this disorder (which is often - like Jane, I am intensely secretive about my multiplicity and appear perfectly "normal" to strangers, co-workers, and even close friends).

As others have mentioned, treatment of DID (MPD in the 90s) has progressed considerably over the years, and some things discussed in the book may not be considered standard treatment, or how we conceptualize certain aspects of dissociation. However, I found so much of Jane's experience relatable and timeless. Many dissociative memoirs focus on the gory details, because that's what people want to see. While she does describe some of her abuse, she focuses on her experience of the aftermath, her relationships, and how it has affected her.

"Although all multiples come from families where there has been violence and fear, I like to think that sooner or later such violence should draw to a close."

[Z Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful relationship between Jane and her therapist. He is so committed and patient as he allows her to guide her own healing. I actually had to ask my own therapist if WE wrote this book together, anonymously. All of it seemed like my story. Except for the sexual abuse. And the integration. The integration makes my heart grieve. I hope we never have to integrate, to get well. Especially not our little ones. Jane gives some eye-opening insight about epiphanies she had. I sent many paragraphs to my therapist so we can discuss them and how they relate to my life. I don't read too many books about DID, so I don't know what it's like for others in this situation. But this memoir helped me feel not so alone and not so crazy. Her unraveling of knots provided me with many "ah-ha" moments. I really want my mom and dad to read this, but I'm afraid it will be like they are reading my own personal diary. It was a slow read. Not like a suspenseful story. More like I needed to get my notebook out so I could use all her insight and experiences as tools to try for my own life.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Wrong author. The author is Jane Phillips.

[Penney Knightly · Rating 5 out of 5]

One the most well-written and easy-to-follow autobiographies of someone who suffers from MPD/DID. Unlike other books in this psychology genre, such as 'When Rabbit Howls', this book is not loaded with graphic scenes of violence and history of the abuse. The abuse is related delicately, and is always relevant. It is not a shock-and-awe-look-what-happened-to-me book, this book is about recovery and putting the pieces of a life together. This book truly reinforces that DID is a coping mechanism, not a psychological horror fest, and that the journey of making sense out of it and making a life from the disaster of the past is achievable with some hope and an intelligent, thoughtful, kind, and not-driven-to-destruction heart.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I remember my family went on a little vacation during the time that I was reading this book. I think there's a photo of us out at dinner, and there I am at the table, reading. We ate out on the restaurant's patio, and after bending over reading for all of dinner, I had quite the sunburn on my back! But this book is an excellent memoir of Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD); I found it very interesting.

[Karin Eaman Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book at a Goodwill in Portland a few hours before boarding the train home. It ended up being surprisingly good and quite impressionable. It took me a while to read because of its intensity--I could only take so much. But it was very, very good.

[Rosaland Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book I found was very interesting. As a peer who is recovering from my own depression and low self-esteem, I now understand multiple personalities and how one goes through the disorder. I thought Jane was sane, despite everything her family put her through. Great book.

[Dena Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was different from other books I've read about MPD. It was more about her process of integration and less about how the selves fractured and their individuality. It included that information, but the focus was more on her healing process. It was a very interesting read.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very interesting. It captivated me. The memoir of a woman with multiple personalities. I loved learning about a world of which I know so very little.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautiful and harrowing.

[Anika · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Vicki Gooding · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a stark account of how one multiple saw herself as she worked through the entire assortment of problems and personalities to wholeness