Betty Friedan gets a few mentions, because this book mainly covers the 1930’s through the 70’s, when women were experiencing the “problem with no name”. The book weaves together the stories of the three women (Flora, Connie, and Shirley) from childhood to death, but there is also another “character” in the novel: feminism (or rather, the need for it). Wilbur lived together until they died of old age. Later, memory regression therapy led to more diagnoses of multiple personalities and the “satanic cult” scandal of the 90’s. Flora Schreiber wrote the original book despite having misgivings about Sybil’s multiple personalities and in fact she made up large sections to make the book more compelling/salacious. Cornelia Wilbur, who stuffed her with barbituates and false memories of abuse. Shirley Mason was an imaginative Seventh Day Adventist with undiagnosed pernicious anemia and chronic loneliness. In 100 words or less, here is an over-simplified summary of the book: Welcome back to the Skepchick Book Club! This month we read Sybil Exposed: The Extraordinary Story Behind the Famous Multiple Personality Case by Debbie Nathan. Note: Details for next month’s book and meeting date are at the bottom of this post.
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