--- product_id: 8697561 title: "My Lie: A True Story of False Memory" brand: "meredith maran" price: "£1.92" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 6 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/8697561-my-lie-a-true-story-of-false-memory store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # My Lie: A True Story of False Memory **Brand:** meredith maran **Price:** £1.92 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** My Lie: A True Story of False Memory by meredith maran - **How much does it cost?** £1.92 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/8697561-my-lie-a-true-story-of-false-memory) ## Best For - meredith maran enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted meredith maran brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![My Lie: A True Story of False Memory - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81TD3KjKfWL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ REALITY *by F***R on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 25, 2011* I agree with the thoughts expressed in common in the 4 and 5 star reviews so I'm not going to repeat, except to reiterate that Meredith Maran deserves kudos for telling her story.The title, "My Lie," may seem to some to be inappropriate. At the time she accused her father, she believed what she said, which means she was not lying (although she vacillated a lot between doubt and certainty). An important bit of dogma among Radical Feminists and "post-modernists" of the era was: "Everyone has their own truth." ("Truth is subjective.") In the letter Meredith wrote to her father in 1989 (and never sent), she stated, "I don't want to see you because I'm afraid I'm not strong enough to defend my truth in the face of yours."In a case in which one person's "truth" is that incest occurred, and the other's "truth" is that it did not, there is not a lot of middle ground. So given the environment in which Meredith lived at that time ("Planet Incest," as she calls it), I see the title "My Lie" as quite appropriate, and then some -- it's sort of a wake-up call for those who would hold the absurd notion that we all have our own "truth." (Granted, we all have our own beliefs and opinions -- which may or may not be true, and which we should always be ready to modify given better information/evidence.)The fact that Radical Feminism played an important role in the Recovered Memory hysteria and of the 80s and 90s has been apparent to a few of us who really studied the issue, but it has not been a point of focus (probably because of fear of being attacked as anti-women). [So in self defense, I am a conventional feminist -- for equal rights, equal opportunity, and equal pay for equal work (ie: an equity feminist). And I acknowledge that sexual abuse of girls in our society is a serious problem, but of which not all men are guilty.] To get back to the point, thank you Meredith, for helping to illuminate the role of feminist extremism in false accusations of abuse.A chapter in the latter part of the book is (rather sarcastically) titled "In Neuroscience We Trust." However, it contains some excellent information resulting from interviews conducted by Meredith of some of our top scientists regarding memory. After one interview, Meredith wrote: "It was the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth I was after, and the synapse story didn't quite satisfy." That's an admirable attitude. Yes, consider all reasonable sources of information. BUT remember: although not perfect, science usually provides *by far* our most reliable knowledge!One of Meredith's friends, at one point in the book, said (paraphrased): It seems that we go through life trading one set of "cultish beliefs" for another. Later Meredith wrote, "But I'd lived fifty-seven years in the United States of Anything Goes ... This time I'd be taking the long way home." (Ie: cross-checking, verifying, getting facts.) Meredith's story became her search for life based upon reality, a journey upon which she has made very considerable progress. Almost at the very end of the book she wrote, "Goddess knows..." Is the Supreme Being of only one sex? Does the cult of Planet Incest or the resentment within Radical Feminism still have a bit of a hold? Oh well, none of us has a 100% handle on reality, but such a search is of major importance!My Lie is a very worth-while read. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A rare "retractor's" perspective on the memory wars *by I***. on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 11, 2010* From the late 1980s until the late 1990s, America and its psychological profession underwent "the memory wars" -- a long-running emotional, academic, and often personal debate over whether it was possible to recover repressed memories of childhood sexual abuse.There were hundreds of journal articles published, hundreds of articles in mass media, dozens of books. Researchers on both sides of the debate were reviled and sometimes personally threatened. First came books by women who claimed, through therapy, to have recovered long-forgotten memories of early abuse by fathers or other relatives. Then came books by fathers and other relatives saying they were being falsly accused, and calling the whole thing an instance of mass hysteria.Since around 2000, the debate has quieted down somewhat (for reasons that aren't quite clear to me). But with "My Lie," Meredith Maran brings a new and fascinating perspective to the issue -- the story of a retractor, a woman who accused her father of abuse and later realized her memories of abuse were in fact fictional.I've read short interviews with retractors before this, or references in articles. But never such an in-depth account of one person's story.Maran is a fluid writer and storyteller -- I cruised through the book in less than a day. She is impressively honest about her own failings and the failings of the people around her. I had a few quibbles -- I think perhaps she could have gone a little deeper into her own psychology and why her false-memories filled a need for her, and I wish she had been more detailed, evocative and literary in sharing stories from her childhood and family.But on the whole, this is a great book to read as a complement to all the academic debates on this issue. It is also a cautionary fable about how easy it is for us to get caught up in the hysteria of the moment, whether that is looking for child abusers in every day care center or fearing non-existent "death panels" in health care reform. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reason and reflection can help dampen hysteria... *by T***S on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 1, 2016* .......There are many very good and lengthy reviews of the book. After reading the book I have some general impressions. I am impressed with the author's honesty and courage in telling her story of being blown to and fro by the winds of our culture. I am also surprised by the emotional "neediness" that leads her on the paths she chooses (though I appreciate her sharing that). Clearly the winds of culture and the emotional needs are two undercurrents that feed hysteria. I am saddened by the hurt and pain the untrue recollections of abuse heap on the accused, the accuser and the collateral damage done to all those who are forced to witness the carnage. Finally I understand her focus on the hysteria not being limited to a particular political orientation. The search and elimination of witches, attacks by our enemies that require inordinate response, the search and eradication of communists or the search and destroy mission against those accused of sexual child abuse (innocent or guilty) all had a hysteria in common. Hysteria can happen to the religious, avowed atheists, conservatives or liberals. All of us are vulnerable. Reason and reflection are our only defense......... The title of the book is the opposite of the typical expression of the time when "recovered memories" of child sexual abuse were all the "rage" in the 1980's and 1990's. The accuser, when challenged by those knowledgeable of the actual family, would say indignantly that this is "My Truth" as if facts took a back seat to the importance of the accusation. Her perspective changed and now she realizes it was truly "My Lie". --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/8697561-my-lie-a-true-story-of-false-memory](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/8697561-my-lie-a-true-story-of-false-memory) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-06-13*