Noted Swiss-based psychotherapist Miller (The Drama of the Gifted Child
) again addresses the psychological and physical legacy of child abuse in these several hundred responses to readers' letters. But her book is weighed down by organizational problems, primarily in that the original letters don't appear here for reasons of privacy (some letters do appear on Miller's Web site). This omission leaves many of the responses sounding bland, without context and in some cases largely incomprehensible. For example, a two-sentence response begins, “I am really happy that you understand me so well and that you are able to learn so much from your child.” leaving the reader in the dark about what Miller is referring to. In addition, the letters run chronologically, rather than topically, so that issues are addressed randomly and repetitively. Finally, the responses are too brief to provide any depth. There are some valuable insights, such as “It is very cruel to leave distressed children alone, for what they most need then is the warm presence of a loving person.” But this frustratingly limited work adds little to Miller's previous writings. (Oct.)
