SOLVED!: Book like Sybil, child is abused, possibly false? [s]

[Juliette]

I read this book a few years ago, and it was an old paperback from the 1980's or 1970's. It was a lot like Sybil, except she didn't have multiple personalities. It was either written by the survivor or her therapist. She was abused by her mother in some sort of satanic cult. It is supposed to be true, but has been questioned by several sources. I also think it had something to do with repressed memories.

[Kinsey]

Could it be Broken Child by Marcia Cameron? It is a bit different from your description. It is written by the survivor, but she talks a lot about her two therapists. She was horribly and sadistically abused by her mother, but I'm not sure Satanism was involved. The mother did have some connection to Nazism, though. The book does deal with repressed memories. Over the course of several years, the author slowly regains her memories of everything the mother did to her and her brother.

[Juliette]

I don't think it is that book, because Broken Child was published in 1996. This was older. I don't remember any other siblings in the house, or anything about Nazis. It took place during the 1970's, possibly. Broken Child sounds interesting~thanks for the help.

[April Ann]

The Three Faces of Eve was published in the 70's I believe. I'll look up some descriptions she had three different personalities.

Looks like it was first published in 1957, I remember hearing about it around the time Sybil was published.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thre...

There are some follow up books that might be worth looking at. Maybe one of those delve more into her childhood.

[Jackie "the Librarian"]

Beatrice Sparks "edited" many so-called true stories of teens that have been abused in some way, starting with Go Ask Alice. You might be looking for one of hers.

[Juliette]

I've read both Go Ask Alice and The Three Faces of Eve. It wasn't either of those.... This was sort of trashier, like a dime store paperback novel. It's possible that the girl in the book I'm looking for had multiple personalities, but I'm not certain.

[mdt]

Suffer the Child by Judith Spencer?

Ghost Girl: The True Story of a Child in Peril and the Teacher Who Saved Her by Torey Hayden also deals with these issues, but it looks like it was published in 1991.

[Lisa]

Oh mdt, I've read both of those. It does sound quite a bit like Suffer the Child.

[Diana]

Maybe Ghost Girl by Torey Hayden?

"Ultimately a testament to the powers of caring and commitment, this is the story of an traumatized eight-year-old who refused to speak due to sexual abuse and possible exposure to satanic rituals."

[Joanie]

Suffer the Child is about ritualistic abuse. I have it but haven't been able to make myself read it yet but it sounds like it fits.

[Juliette]

Hmm, I don't think it was Suffer the Child. The book I'm thinking of didn't have a ton of satanic abuse, but it was a small part towards the end, perhaps discovered in a repressed memory. Thanks for all the suggestions.

[This Is Not The Michael You're Looking For]

The book "like" Sybil I always think of was called something like "When Rabbit Howls" but I'm pretty sure it was a multiple personality disorder book.

[Lisa]

Yes, Michael, that's the name and she had many personalities, more than Sybil: When Rabbit Howls

[Juliette]

Thanks, everyone. I'll keep searching.

[Lisa]

Juliette, I'm sure members here will keep trying to help and please also let us know if you find it from somewhere else too. Thanks.

[Juliette]

I will, for sure! Thanks again.

[Christy]

Is it maybe Michelle Remembers? It was published in 1980.

(hoping my HTML is correct)

[Charity]

Wow, Christy! If that's not the book, I would be very surprised!

[Lisa]

Here it is on Goodreads:

Michelle Remembers

[Juliette]

So, this one is solved! Kudos to mdt! I emailed my friend who loaned me the mystery book years ago. She finally got back to me, and it was Suffer the Child!
I didn't recognize it on the first post from mdt because the copy I read was the old first edition with the photo on the cover. Thanks so much, everyone! I may have to re-read Suffer the Child, as it was sort of haunting me.

[Lisa]

Thanks Juliette, Yes, Suffer the Child was memorable, enough so that it did sound like your book to me; it did get to me at the time that I read it, I remember that.

[Juliette]

Thanks to this search, I now know about a ton of other similar books. I'm interested in the hoax aspect of a lot of these satanic abuse books from the 1980's.
Thanks to everyone for the leads!