Jennifer became a shattered human being suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) as a result of the trauma she experienced. In 1995, she decided to change her name to Serena as part of her journey into self-healing and integration. Before the change of name, she was in denial. Consequently, Serena lost custody of her sons, and this prompted her to start working with therapists. But she wasn’t able to stabilize until she met Norma Delaney. I Am Serena by Serena-Faith Masterson is a memoir about the author’s miraculous twenty-three-year journey of self-healing and transformation into an integrated person.
Firstly, I must thank the author for writing this book! I am in awe of how courageous she is to share this story. Nevertheless, I need to commend Norma Delaney for her patience and love all through the healing process. I have heard and seen in movies how difficult it is to integrate people with DID, so Norma’s commitment to treating Serena is praiseworthy. This book has taken me on an intriguing ride that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
This book is a delight to read. I enjoyed the author’s use of simple language because it made the book so easy to understand. You might assume that this book is full of therapy jargon, but that is not the case. The narration flows seamlessly all through. The linear timeline of events also makes the author’s story easy to follow. Good job, Serena!
What I liked the most about this book was its insights into the human mind and soul. Through the process of fixing the fragmented pieces of Serena’s personality, I was able to understand how trauma could shatter the mind. More so, I found Norma’s teachings about rage and fear to be very inspiring. I cannot sufficiently commend the author for opening my eyes to how necessary it is to accept one’s reality and truth.
Furthermore, there is a strong message of love and hope in this title. Norma’s zeal to keep working with Serena stems from love, no doubt. But Serena’s commitment to the healing process will inspire anyone who reads this book to keep the fire of hope burning. Thanks for this message, Serena.
Midway through my read, I started to wonder how Serena was able to remember everything that happened in her sessions with Norma. I was glad to find out that Norma recorded parts of their sessions, which explains how Serena was able to relay them in the book so excellently.
Honestly, there was nothing I disliked about this book. I Am Serena is a memoir that will thrill anyone who reads it. It even sustained an atmosphere of suspense more than some fictionalized stories for me. I am glad to rate it 4 out of 4 stars. It is also professionally edited and with few typos. I strongly recommend that anyone who is in a difficult situation should read this book and tap from its sincere message of hope. Nevertheless, anyone interested in the subject of Multiple Personality Disorder will find this book very intriguing.”