See Jane Fly: A Memoir

This book covers a fascinating case which led to the “memory wars” within the psych community some years ago- do repressed memories exist or are false memories planted and transferred to “truth” for the individual? This is a difficult book to review because it represents the author’s life, perspective and deepest traumas. I am therefore hesitant to be critical and instead applaud the author for their willingness to tell a very difficult story.

See Jane Fly by Nicole S. Kluemper, is a memoir focused on the accounts of a young child embroiled in a custody battle between parents. When she was a young child, Nicole accused her mother of sexual molestation, and was filmed by a psychiatrist articulating these accusations. Summarily, Nicole’s mother lost custody and Nicole lived with her father and stepmother. When her father suffered a stroke when she was just 12 years old, Nicole was shuffled between foster homes. As she got older, Nicole couldn’t remember the abuse or what the videos contained. She requested to see the videos in order to try and ascertain exactly what had happened when she was a young child. Also described in this book is the harm that came to Nicole when another psychiatrist began to examine Nicole’s case due to the training videos that were being utilized regarding memory. Although Nicole should have been protected, as victims of sexual abuse should be, her identity was compromised and she began to be the subject of investigation by this other psychiatrist (Dr. Loftus) who was trying to disprove Dr. Corwin (the initial psychiatrist that had videoed Nicole’s allegations). Nicole has suffered throughout this whole experience and even upon reading this story, you feel her pain, suffering, and uncertainty. What a terrible experience for a young child, and later young adult. While Nicole has been able to get her life on track, her story is horrifying to think about, a young child, put in the middle of a domestic situation, eventually left alone, without family. It serves as a cautionary tale for parents that are looking to ruin each other, but eventually, the only loser is the child in the middle. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

A beautifully written book. Each chaper Dr. Kluemper shares an important aspect of her life with readers. She speaks to many aspects of her life that have shaped, not defined, her into who she is today.

Thanks you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.