Spectral Evidence: The Ramona Case: Incest, Memory, and Truth on Trial in Napa Valley

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Gary and Stephanie Ramona were part of a fairly typical, affluent Napa Valley family when Holly, the eldest of their three daughters, "remembered" her father raping her. Though the Ramona family was far from cohesive, Holly's accusations destroyed whatever glue had held them together. The lines were drawn clearly: the women of the family, Stephanie and her three daughters, shut Gary out swiftly and surely. Hoping to win his children back, he fought back the only way he knew how. The lawsuit he brought against Holly's therapist, whom he believed planted Holly's disturbing memories, set a precedent, and it would inevitably affect both the counseling profession and this gentrified community the Ramonas called home.

Spectral Evidence tells the story of a modern-day witch trial, a sad and disturbing battle in which nobody wins. This harrowing account of sheltered elite lives suddenly thrust into a national spotlight raises more questions than it answers. Johnston's approach to the subject is evenhanded: there are no true villains, nor are there heroes. The story is riveting, and Johnston is fair yet passionate. --Lisa Higgins

Book Description

Spectral Evidence is the story of the Ramona family of Napa Valley, whose outward appearance of apple-pie all-American success was destroyed by allegations of child sexual abuse brought by the oldest daughter, Holly, her mother, and Holly's therapists against her father, Gary. These allegations were based on memories recovered through the efforts of the therapists, who were subsequently sued by Gary Ramona for malpractice. The book builds with accounts of the not-always-conventional postwar families of Gary and Stephanie Ramona, through Gary's rise to prominence in the wine industry, to the awful day that twenty-year-old Holly was overcome by a vivid recollection of her father in bed with her at age eight. From that point, beginning with a powerfully rendered confrontation between Gary and his wife and daughter, to the dramatic conclusion of the first trial, where malpractice is alleged regarding recovered memory, readers witness a dynamic and emotional family drama.

Customer Reviews:

Powerful examination of "recovered" nightmares.......2000-10-08

I first learned of this fine volume--named from an expression born during the Salem witch trials--while at a skeptic's meeting the keynote speaker for which had gone through a bogus "therapy" which ended her marriage and nearly her life. The person who told me of the book pointed out that the book's alleged victim, the one who'd "recovered" her memories--one of the turns for the worst of the victim culture--is now a therapist. Why does that not surprise me?

The author, Moira Johnston, did a remarkable job of examining all dimensions of the incident. In fact, her closing chapter lists how she proceeded with the investigation. While reading the text, I felt she was clearly in favor of the alleged culprit, Gary Romano, whose life was forever changed, and nearly destroyed, by the incident. But after reading the technique Johnston employed, I had to reconsider. The case which Mr. Romano had filed against the therapists and the institutions in which the memories were "recovered" provided enough evidence to convince a jury that there had been malpractice, i.e., there was not enough evidence to convince the jury that Romano had raped his daughter Holly, the future therapist--repeatedly according to her between the time she was a toddler until she was about 16--despite her therapists' encouraging her to believe that he had. So the author at best took the same stand as the jury.

The story was not atypical of recovered memory cases. A young woman suffering from her own problems, in this case bulimia, went to a therapist. Johnston provides a thorough background by showing that of the 46,000 of the type of therapist Holly was seeing, half of them were in California. (The requirements expected of that sort of therapist were comical at that time too!) They therefore, she surmises, had to develop a niche for themselves. The "recovered memory" niche was just becoming popular. One such case had convicted a father--also in California--not long before this trial of having killed his daughter's friend a couple of decades before. The ostensible evidence of this crime was memories which the daugther allegedly "recovered" while she was under the care of another therapist. (That case was later overturned. But not to get sidetracked...) Holly couldn't understand what was going on with her, and her therapist helped her "recover" memories of having been repeatedly sexually abused by her father. After Holly insisted that she partake of the "truth serum" sodium amytal, and her therapist(s) encouraged her to believe what she "remembered" while blitzed on that stuff, she confronted her father with the "facts." He was caught totally off guard and, to make a long story short, lost is wife, his job, and nearly everything as a consequence.

Ramona wanted to file suit against the therapists but his attorneys insisted that (1) no such case had ever been filed by someone not directly affected by a therapist's malpractice (i.e., patient/client)and (2) Holly's therapy records, probably the prime evidence, could not be used as evidence as they're strictly confidential. When Holly eventually filed criminal charges against him, those files could be opened, and the case began, setting a precedent for malpractice against "mental health professionals."

At the same time this memory recovery fad was picking up steam, scientists were studying memory, but that was still pretty much confined to the Ivory Tower. There were "true believers" in the recovered memory concept, among them Holly and her mother Stephanie. There were, however, scholars who refuted the concepts. And they became some of Romano's key witnesses, challenging the claims of Holly's therapists whose livings depended on their encouraging the ill-founded concept.

The trial itself was a sideshow. Between discussion of Gary Romano's sexual idiosyncrasies--personal details that would embarass anyone not truly insane--and Stephanie's claims that were transparently false, even jury members began to wonder where the justice system was headed.

The verdict: The therapists were guilty of malpractice. However the benefits to Gary were few. He'd been making upwards of $500,000 a year on the job he lost--partly because of the gossip following the allegation, according to one element of the case. He was awarded the equivalent of one year's salary. Nonetheless, Romano felt vindicated. He HAD set a precedent; the recovered memory "movement" was given a profound setback (followed by many since the book's publication).

I have to hand it to Johnston. While she did, at least inferrably, side with the jury, she did include other sides of the story. Her investigative technique included conversations with all parties including defense attorneys and Holly and Stephanie and their allies. And her eye for detail is remarkable, from the mannerisms of the witnesses and their potential influence on the jury and the audience to the clothing chosen by each.

And, after her detailed description of what happened--this isn't a short read but full of relevant detail--she includes a chapter on what continues to happen with the "recovered memory" nonsense. She included pieces from prestigious law journals, written by, for example, feminist ideologues who feel the Romano verdict was more evidence of patriarchal lack of concern for women's well-being--and those of other feminists who remind their fellow attorneys that a concern for the rights of the accused needs to overshadow ideological shading.

In short, it's a fine book that I solidly recommend to anyone who's been accused of anything based on something as shady as "recovered memory," anyone who knows anyone who has, or anyone who will be. And that means just about all of us. So it may be time to consider the punishment, not just fines, for unethical "mental health professionals," prosecutors, and law enforcement quacks who capitalize off of bogus concepts such as "recovered memory."

A Classic.......1998-10-02

Destined to be a "classic" of all the books on the memory wars. The author masterfully recounts a tragic case of alleged incest by a father against his daughter, and captivates and educates the reader. This book excellently reounts the family's background, the therapy and the confrontation, the science and the theories and counter-theories involved, and the court case and its aftermath. This is a must read for anyone interested in false and recovered memories, and the legal cases spawned by the same.

Very disturbing indictment of reality........1998-08-01

What and how do we really remember? Is memory ever really "the truth"? And why are all these people remembering things that supposedly never happened, yet are willing to destroy their lives in the process of asserting their perception of reality? Although this book has more questions than answers, it is very thought provoking and enlightening.

Hardly an objective account.......1998-05-07

A thoughtful reader will ask how this book can be purported to be objective when a key person (Holly Ramona) was never interviewed. A key to the slant of this book is in the title itself, "Spectral Evidence," which is suggestive of "no evidence." What, then, could account for the estrangement of Holly, her sister and mother, from Gary Ramona?

Johnston is obviously a double agent in the "memory wars"........1997-07-08

Whichever side of the recovered memory debate you find yourself on, Moira Johnston's book has something to both please and enrage you. Somehow, Johnston has been able to stay fairly objective to the end of the book, addressing the fact that, when memories of child abuse are recovered by adults, *no one* really wins. Johnston has seemingly talked at length with all the major players in the memory wars: the "celebrity survivors", the compassionate clinicians, the skeptical scientists, the driven attorneys, and the friends, neighbors, and colleagues of Gary and Stephanie Ramona. Her sympathies lie with all those who were affected by this landmark case, and she tells both sides admirably. Whatever you think about recovered memories, read this book. It's got cutting-edge memory science, courtroom drama, and intense family dynamics. I read it in three days, and it was over too soon.

Spectral Evidence the Ramona Case:incest, memory, and truth on trial in Napa Valley

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Spectral Evidence the Ramona Case:incest, memory, and truth on trial in Napa Valley
Moira Johnson
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0PCIQ

Book Description

Foreward by Gene Smith, author of Lee and Grant

An original and deeply human portrait of soldiers and civilians caught in the vortex of war.

So vividly does Allegiance re-create the events leading to the firing of the first shot of the Civil War on April 12, 1861, that we can feel the fabric of the Union tearing apart. It is a tense and surprising story, filled with indecisive bureaucrats, uninformed leaders, hotheaded politicians, and dedicated and honorable soldiers on both sides.

The six-month-long agony that began with Lincoln's election in November sputtered from one crisis to the next until Lincoln's inauguration, and finally exploded as the soldiers at Sumter neared starvation. At the center of this dramatic narrative is the heroic figure of Major Robert Anderson, a soldier whose experience had taught him above all that war is the poorest form of policy. With little help from Washington, D.C., Anderson almost single-handedly forestalled the beginning of the war until he finally had no choice but to fight.

David Detzer's decade-long research illuminates the passions that led to the fighting, the sober reflections of the man who restrained its outbreak, and individuals on both sides who changed American history. No other historian has given us a clearer or more intimate picture of the human drama of Fort Sumter.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic!.......2006-11-21

A fast-paced look at the events that occured in Charleston, at Ft. Sumter and around the nation leading up to the Civil War (or the war of Northern Aggression as we call it in the South : )
A great study of the stalemate that made up the days preceding the conflict and an indepth look at Robert Anderson, the officer in charge of the Federal forces at Ft. Sumter.

Fair & Balanced.......2005-10-25

This could have been a very dry report but it was fascinating. I never thought I'd find a description of the process of firing artillery so interesting! He really brings the politics and the human issues into focus.

We need men like Major Robert Anderson NOW.......2004-08-28

Not usually the history buff, this book showed me an entirely new perspective on the actual events of not only Fort Sumter but the Civil War itself. David Detzer creates wonderful images and develops personalities so very well in print. For that reason, this book clearly defines the hardship and heartbreak of Charleston, Fort Sumter, and so many of the soldiers and their families. Obviously painstakingly researched, the author has shown us the facts without extolling or denouncing the beliefs of the times. Truly a great read.

Detailed and understandable.......2004-08-23

The start of a war is always interesting; we cannot read to many books on Bunker Hill or Ft. Sumter. Mr. Detzer treats us to a very readable beginning of the American Civil War and the city that started it. 1861 Charleston is well drawn, very understandable and engaging as a city on the brink of war. Major Robert Anderson determined to do his duty with little guidance from above and constant criticism from below, takes center stage. Washington, distant and unsure is as much of a problem for him as the Rebel guns in the harbor. Presenting the position of the Confederate Government and the "fire eaters" in Charleston as they see events helps the reader understand the decisions made. While not agreeing or disagreeing, the author informs and guides the reader through this complex time.

A very good start to understanding what caused the war.......2004-07-06

This author, and his fine and well-researched book, is very readable and difficult to put down.

The only criticisms I would offer are:

1. The one fault a large number of Mr Detzer's colleagues fall victim to; a lack of detailed, scaled maps. Even after reading the book and viewing the few vague sketches on offer, I do not believe I understand how large or elaborate Fort Sumter was, nor the geography or weaponry of its Palmetto-state enemy or of Charleston herself.
2. The shifting about in time. In trying to keep things coherent, the author takes an event in one place and develops it. This might take several days in real time. At the same time, something equally important is happening elsewhere. This means there is a backtrack in time. Perhaps, Mr Detzer should try to explain things more chronologically than geographically.

Book Description

A tattered flag above Fort Sumter . . . riots in the streets . . . Union troops occupying private homes and harassing citizens . . . The months before the first major battle of the Civil War were marked by confusion, deep emotion, and bitter divisions between families, neighbors, and friends. Timothy Donovan, a bugler at Fort Sumter; Joseph Schwartz, a scholarship student from a working-class family in Baltimore; and Gregory Howard, son of a wealthy man in Alexandria, Virginia, all find their loyalties challenged by the gathering storm. For Timothy, the threat of bombardment by rebel troops, coupled with a near-starvation diet in a garrison that is under siege, forces him to question what it really means to lay down one's life for one's flag. Joseph's family is fiercely Unionist, but his privileged classmates -- including his one real friend -- are staunchly in favor of secession. And Gregory's Unionist father has disinherited Gregory's older brother, who, like the rest of the family, remains loyal to the South.

Shades of Gray author Carolyn Reeder shows the complexities of life in a time of fear, excitement, and overwhelming change in these three interlinked stories about the months before the first major battle of the Civil War.

Customer Reviews:

Before the Creeks Ran Red.......2007-03-03

Timothy and Joseph have very similar lives and problems when the civil war is starting. First, Timothy and the men at their fort find out that the southern people are going to attack all the forts so they leave to go to fort Sumter. They men at the first fort blow up that fort so the southern people cant use it. Second, Joseph and the rest of the town find out that northern troop are coming through their town. So they get ready for the troops. Third, when Timothy comes to the new fort he is making more enemies than friend, and everyone is going crazy because, cap tin Doubleday wont let them leave for food. One time one of the southern people come to give the men food but Doubleday won't take it because he thinks it might be poisons. Forth, since the south cut off all boats coming from the north people are going with out food. And the shops and market wont open or come because they are to scared to come. Timothy and Joseph have very similar problems but in the end their life's seem to end the same.

Three stories, one common thread.......2007-01-27

As a Civil War buff I really appreciated her thorough research, and the way these stories were tied in with one another - although this bok is classified as Fiction (but based on actual history), these narratives embodied the soul and essence of critical places and history in the early moments in the Civil War.

Those individuals peopling these stories, although fictional for the most part, swept me up in the locale, the events, the emotions of a country divided, of loyalties hidden in order to survive, of friendship and camaraderie woven together with disloyalty and treachery.

Yes, each story ended incomplete- but each story paved the way for the next progression in the slow but inexorable march toward the war that threatened to divide and tear asunder our newly independent country.

I could easily use my imagination to craft another story for each of the 3 endings -- how those people survived during and after the Civil War, how they were called to arms, how they fled, or died.

Or Carolyn Reeder might want to come back in the future and craft a sequel -- but I liked the way each narrative ended -- with uncertainty but with great shows of heroism, cowardice, craftiness, and human emotion in families who, though divided in loyalties, chose at that moment to stay together and help one another survive.

This book brings to mind (to me, anyway)- another book "Rifles for Waite". In my imaginary sequel, any one of those characters in Ms Reeder's excellent book might JUST come into contact with this man, or his troop, later on in the Civil War.

an excellent story, but it leaves you hanging.......2006-03-16

I really enjoyed this book. Although I love historical fiction it isn't as dear to me as regular old fiction, but this book changed that. It is the story of three different boys, all about the same age, living in different places in the US during the months preceding the American Civil War.

The first character is Timothy. He is a bugler in Fort Sumter and his story was my favorite. Timothy is an orphan but he's quick and clever and really nice.

The second character is Joseph who goes to a prep school in Baltimore. He's a Unionist but he doesn't tell anyone because all of his friends are Confederate. This story is about his struggle to keep his identity hidden while his friends and nieghborhood are Confederate, and is twon is torn in half by rioting and violence.

The final character was Gregory, a Virginian who lives in Alexandria. The most interesting thing is that his father is Unionist but the rest of the family iss Confederate. It explores the tensions within and without the family, and the atrocious behaviour of the Union soldiers when they conquer the town.

These three stories are very interesting and amazingly well-written. Not only do they describe the tensions between the North and South, there are also underlying themes like revenge, identity, and loyalty. THe only prolem with this book was that it was too short. The author created wonderfully compeling characters, but didn't go anywhere with them. This story might have been better if it was divided into three seperate books, or if all of the characters meet at one point. We never find out the final fate of any of the people, including the relatives who have gone to war. Still, this story is more about the history than the people, which is a shame, and that is why I give it four stars.

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Good account in one book
Want to know about Charleston in the Civil War? Here it is.

Siege of Charleston, 1861-1865
E. Milby Burton
Manufacturer: University of South Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0872493458

Customer Reviews:

Good account in one book.......2006-01-12

After seeing the movie Glory I was curious to find out more about the Civil War siege of Charleston. This book certainly did the job of covering almost everything. The only area I thought it was lacking was in a fuller description of the effect of the sige on the civilian population there. On the other hand, some minor parts were covered in excessive, long winded detail-for example the history of the submarine Hunley. It also suffered from a bias towards the Confederate States-the plans , movements and units of the CSA are always covered in more deatil than those of the Federals, and while praise the Southerners are continually being praised for bravery, Union troops usually get none.

Want to know about Charleston in the Civil War? Here it is........1999-03-16

Milby's "Siege of Charleston" is a must for those who want to know the full scope of the war, particularly the naval war, in the "Cradle of the Rebellion." Fort Sumter, Secessionists, Union monitors and blockaders, Southern rams and submarines, forts, soldiers, and heroics on all sides are woven together in this great one-volume history. Highly recommended.

Fort Sumter (We the People) (We the People)

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Fort Sumter (We the People) (We the People)
Michael Burgan
Manufacturer: Compass Point Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Military & Wars | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

The Firing on Fort Sumter: A Splintered Nation Goes to War (Great Events)

ASIN: 0756516293

Fort Sumter: Where the Civil War Began (Reading Room Collection)

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Fort Sumter: Where the Civil War Began (Reading Room Collection)
Ira Wood
Manufacturer: PowerKids Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1404233490

The Firing on Fort Sumter: A Splintered Nation Goes to War (Great Events)

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The Firing on Fort Sumter: A Splintered Nation Goes to War (Great Events)
Nancy Colbert
Manufacturer: Morgan Reynolds Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Military & Wars | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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Fort Sumter (We the People) (We the People)

ASIN: 188384651X

Book Description

An exciting countdown of the critical months between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the beginning of the Civil War.

Shots Fired at Fort Sumter: Civil War Breaks Out (Headlines from History)

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Shots Fired at Fort Sumter: Civil War Breaks Out (Headlines from History)
Wendy Vierow
Manufacturer: PowerKids Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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Charleston (Voices of the Civil War)

Manufacturer: Time-Life Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0783547099

The Bombardment of Charleston: 1863-1865

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Interesting local history of controversial events, but disjointed presentation
Insight into Civil War Charleston
fascinating
Outstanding book!

The Bombardment of Charleston: 1863-1865
W. Chris Phelps
Manufacturer: Pelican Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 1589800281

Customer Reviews:

Interesting local history of controversial events, but disjointed presentation.......2007-09-24

Chris Phelps' recounting of the long bombardment of Charleston is a mixture of good and bad. While he clearly knows the local history inside and out, his retelling of the surrounding national military history contains quite a few errors or questionable interpretations. The bombardment of Charleston is a controversial topic even today, and as one might expect, a study by a local author brings some southern bias. He is not completely unfair; and does try to present both sides of local events. However, the way he approaches the wider events reveals some confusion.

The author's description of the bombardment of Charleston provides an example of tenacious defiance, retribution, frustration, and excess all in one. While it was not militarily unreasonable to bombard the city that was the prime instrument of secession and where the serious shooting began, it is also proper to ask if continued bombardment was worthwhile. Customarily, fear of attack or bombardment is why cities surrendered when the enemy closed within range. Charleston correctly presumed it could not be forced to surrender by bombardment alone. The Union was unable to effectively close on the city to fully besiege it or to attack and occupy, this left bombardment as the only active measure. The result was a bombardment of unprecedented length. The work indicates that while unable to force capitulation, the firing did serve a limited strategic purpose of disruption and dislocation of a key city's populace, as well as the psychological desire for retribution.

The chapters are ostensibly sequential, yet the timeline in some early chapters is a jumble. In chapters two and three the text skips from 1861 to 1865 and all points in between, sometimes without signaling the transition to the reader not yet familiar with the events. This makes the early chapters difficult to follow and interpret, but later chapters are more chronologically structured.

Fortunately, the maps provided are quite helpful in understanding the actual bombardment, although identifying key landmarks like St. Michaels would have been useful. The relevant portions of the local history are well researched and the bibliography is reasonably complete, although Brennan's "Secessionville", and Olmstead's "The Big Guns" are notably absent despite being published prior to this work and being relevant to it.

The author makes a limited summary and estimate of the shells expended during the bombardment and recounts the known damage to various structures. This provides a fairly good overview. He does not attempt to tally casualties as a result of the bombardment although accounts of individual deaths and wounding are provided. Overall, casualties were low since the affected areas were largely evacuated.

The author could have benefited from rigorous fact checking and fewer bold statements early in the book. One innocent but annoying feature is the repeated misspelling of John M. Brooke as "Brookes." I was also perplexed by the reference to Union General Truman Seymour's capture at Olustee, Florida in February of 1864--it was actually in May at the Wilderness. Contrary to what the author says, Franz Sigel's mission in the Shenandoah was not to ransack the agricultural productive capacity of the Valley (that was two commanders later, Sheridan--although the interim commander, Hunter, had been heading in that general direction.) The author also leaves the impression that Stones River was a CSA victory rather than a narrow defeat. He makes the assertion that Chickamauga was the greatest confederate victory, but considering the tremendous casualties and limited short-term gains, it seems a hard sell as the greatest.

This is a good source of the local Charleston history of the bombardment, but I recommend that readers crosscheck descriptions of outside events. If something sounds off, it probably is. The first half of the book is confusing; the second half is better.

Insight into Civil War Charleston.......2004-01-22

After visiting Charleston, it is not possible for someone to come away without a desire to learn all they can about its history. This book is very interesting and details this important period in the history of Charleston. The reader can picture the events as if they were happening today. Another visit to Charleston will be in order once this book is read in order to see the places mentioned.

fascinating.......2003-04-25

I recently visited Charleston and took the Civil War Walk with Mr. Phelps' company. During the tour the guide, Charles Hunt, enlightened me that Charleston had been severely bombarded throughout the war. I have studied the war extensively yet never knew of the bombardment of Charleston. After the tour I purchased this book and it was a fascinating read, detailing every aspect of this little known event. If you are going to visit Charleston you should read this book and augment the volume by taking the tour as well!

Outstanding book!.......2003-01-28

This book is written by an author who is well-versed in Charleston history, yet it is written from a down-to-earth point of view. It is an excellent resource on a subject that has never really been expounded previously. Most people know Charleston only because of Fort Sumter, but this book takes you deep into the Civil War giving one a sense of what really happened in this city during the War. This is an easy-to-read historical account of the Union army's attempt to break a city. Great read for any history buff!

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Fort Sumter (Cornerstones of Freedom)
Brendan January
Manufacturer: Children's Press (CT)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0516262270

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