When Rabbit Howls

June 1, 1987
Phillips, a Washington, D.C., therapist, explains that "The Troops'' are the multiple personalitiesapproximately 80 men and womenof the pseudonymous Truddi Chase, who first consulted him in 1980. He further maintains that the patient, a successful businesswoman now in her 50s, has been ``asleep'' since she was raped at the age of two by her stepfather, who continued to sexually abuse her for 14 years. The cluster of personalities, speaking through a troop member dubbed the ``Recorder,'' talk about their suffering for the primary victim who, it is also revealed, was mistreated by her mother as well. There are sensational episodes described by beings identified as social Alvira, hard Nails, alert Gatekeeper and others. Although the novelistic overtones in the text strain credibility, the book nonetheless proves to be a convincing, affecting case study. Author Tour.