WWASPS Mother and Daughter Book

[Anonymous]

So far, there has not been a single negative review about this book published on Amazon.

Most likely because those who have a different opinion about the WWASPS programs wouldn't waste their money on this book.

 :eek:

[Nihilanthic]

Quick Question:

WTF is "intensive" or "intense" therapy. I could understand a "intense" scrubdown if you got exposed to radiactive dust and a bunch of men in space suits drag you off to a decontamination shower, but you cant do that to someones psyche - unless youre in a program and under the age of majority.

[Anonymous]

On 2006-04-23 20:57:00, Anonymous wrote:

"

On 2006-04-23 20:50:00, Anonymous wrote:


 and she is admittedly part of a group whose sole purpose is to shut down WWASPS.

Excuse me?  Where did you get that information?

In the other book, this mom and her daughter relate the true story of their time at two of them

Oh, I see.  It's OK to take personal stories at face value as long as it supports your position?  What about all the personal stories here and on the numerous other websites that allow free, uncensored opinions?  



Have you read Maia's book?  More importantly, did you read the footnotes and see the amount of research that went into it?  Hell, even her detractors say the book is 'meticulously researched'.  Oh, wait......that's right.  You guys prefer 'surveys' over actual clinical research and studies.  I forgot, silly me. :roll: "

Footnotes can look impressive, but I went to the trouble of tracking down every one. They were either invalid, outdated, or simply false. The fact is, no matter how impressive the little numbers appear, if the source sucks, it sucks.

It's not accepted practice in scholarly circles to cite as fact editorial pieces and senasationalist daily press stories. It's actually considered a tacky way to try and look impressive.

If you really can't figure out Szalavitz's bias on your own, go read the reams of other things she's written, and check out her bio.

[Anonymous]

On 2006-04-24 07:23:00, Anonymous wrote:

"So far, there has not been a single negative review about this book published on Amazon.



Most likely because those who have a different opinion about the WWASPS programs wouldn't waste their money on this book.



 :eek: "

Have you read it?

[Anonymous]

On 2006-04-24 14:40:00, Anonymous wrote:

"

On 2006-04-23 20:57:00, Anonymous wrote:


Footnotes can look impressive, but I went to the trouble of tracking down every one. They were either invalid, outdated, or simply false. The fact is, no matter how impressive the little numbers appear, if the source sucks, it sucks.

Please be specific as to which sources "sucked".

[Anonymous]

On 2006-04-24 14:40:00, Anonymous wrote:


Footnotes can look impressive, but I went to the trouble of tracking down every one. They were either invalid, outdated, or simply false. The fact is, no matter how impressive the little numbers appear, if the source sucks, it sucks.

Please be specific as to which sources "sucked".

[Anonymous]

Hello?  The mom sent her kid to the Czech Republic to a school that was run by some people with a dubious record.

After the school is "oddly" accused of abuse (gotta love that term used in the book's review) she sends the kid to another program in a remote area, this time Montana, also accused of abuse and where some other mother's daughter hung herself and another's was made to spend many months in the Hobbit.

Nope, I wouldn't spend 2 cents on this book. It's a sugarcoated Mother/Daughter conflict that emphasizes how stupid some parents are -- which I already know.

[Anonymous]

The unflinching true account of a teenage girl's descent into society's underbelly -- and her mother's desperate and ultimately successful attempts to bring her back.

How does an honor student at one of Los Angeles's finest prep schools -- a bright, beautiful girl from a loving home -- trade school uniforms and afternoons at the beach for shooting up in the back of a van in rural Indiana? How does her devoted mother emerge from the shock of finding that her daughter has not only disappeared but had been living a secret life for more than a year?

Mother and daughter tell their parallel stories in mesmerizing first-person accounts. Claire Fontaine's story is a parent's worst nightmare, a cautionary tale chronicling her daughter Mia's drug-fueled manipulation of everyone around her as she sought refuge in the seedy underworld of criminals and heroin addicts, the painful childhood secrets that led up to it, and the healing that followed. Her search for Mia was brutal for both mother and daughter, a dizzying series of dead ends, incredible coincidences and, at times, miracles. Ultimately, Mia was forced into harsh-but-loving boot camp schools on two continents while Claire entered a painful but life-changing program of her own. Mia's story includes the jarring culture shock of the extreme and controversial behavior modification school she was in for nearly two years, which helped her overcome depression and self-hatred to emerge a powerful young woman with self-esteem and courage.

An unforgettable story of love and transformation, Come Back is a heart-wrenching and humorous portrayal of the primal bond between mother and daughter that will resonate with women everywhere.

ISBN13: 9780060792169; ISBN: 0060792167; Imprint: ReganBooks; On Sale: 04/04/2006; Format: Hardcover; Trimsize: 6 x 9; Pages: 320; $24.95

Regan Books is a division of Harper Collins.  Same people that published the Amber Frey story, later made into a movie.

Uh-Oh ... do I see a Lifetime movie in WWASPS future?  Another Augusta, Gone kinda made for tv movie?

[Anonymous]

"Mia gets involved in a dangerous drug and Wicca scene, stunning her successful, controlling mother, Claire, and stepfather, Paul. But the signs were in place earlier..."

Yeah, those dangerous earth worshiping peacful Wiccans! What is it with some people? My parents sent me to CCM because of "drug abuse" (smoking pot) and being "satanic" (practicing wicca). People are so stupid.

[Anonymous]

How much money did SCL pay this mother and daughter to speak positively about their program??  As much as they paid the legislature?

[A.T.O.M.]

What is ironic is the WWASPIES dismiss the abuse 'allegations' because they say until the abuse is proved (as if some kid can sneak a digital camera in his ass or something to document the abuse) that all the lawsuits, thousands of kids speaking out should all be ignored.

Good point that i'd like to expand on: Try this; do a search for '[insert your favorite wwasp facility here] + torture', then pick a facility that you know to be ethical and do the same. The number of results tell a story all by it self. You don't see very many kids talking about torture and beatings or news articles like "xxx wwasp facility under investigation for abuse/fraud/death/suicide/etc." or video clips of kids getting BEAT TO DEATH like Martin Lee Anderson and kids being punched 28 times in the head while laying on the floor motionless, because the fucking guard needed to "defend" himself!!!!!!!!!!!

WWASPIES - where's the proof that your prison camps actually work? You've been open long enough, show us the data already!!

Yeah, i wouldn't mind seeing that either because the typical wwasp promo posts just doesn't quite do it for me.

[Oz girl]

i did read this book. It was not poorly written, but what i took from it was that the mother was in fact the insane one and the daughter needed to believe in the programme because what she wanted was a loving relationship with her parent. What kid does not want that?
There was a lot of emphasis on the fact that mum needed to "let go" of her guilt and "forgive mia" for what she had put her through. But I note that mum did not get sent off to the school of horrors for exposing her 4 year old to an addict & a molester. The man admitted he liked little girls yet mum blithely stayed with him for a while.
I also read an interview with Mia and some of the things that she described in a pretty blaze fashion seemed to me odd and not something that any respectable school or facility designed for young people would indulge in. one was the relationship with the cousellor. Most places would not encourage a male teacher or youth worker of any kind to initiate "hugs" with a child he was alone in a room with because they are quite careful about the fact that it could be miscontrued by the child or genuinely be a way to initiate a physical relationship. I would imagine that this would be particularly an issue to be sensitive of when dealing with a girl who had a history of sexual abuse & had father figure issues. But then again it is a place which tells parents not to believe children because they lie!
 
The other thing that she openly mentioned was that it did take her a while to adjust to life outside. Its funny but you don't often here kids who went to  a garden variety prep school say "Yeah when i graduated from highschool it took me a while to adjust to the world". Perhaps it is because their environment was a school and not some kind of weird jail.

To the people believe the schools who claim kids manipulate, I have this question. What if your kid was a pathological liar but the school was run by perverts & bullies also? Would the fact that they were telling you this right from the start not ring alarm bells? would you not feel that you ultimately know your kid better than the school so could only get to the bottom of things but chatting extensively unsensored with the kid yourself before reaching any conclusions? Would you not do this regardless of whether they had "earned" the privelige? What if another ex programme kid from the same place with a history of being pretty upfront (perhaps they were in for "defiance" not deceit) posted here & told matching stories to your own child? Would you then begin to doubt the programme. What if your kid described in a positive way their middle aged male counsellor initiating physical contact with them. Would you not feel uneasy even if it was just a hug?

having worked in a mainstream American summer camp which just had average kids they were adamant about not initiating physical contact (kids could initiate a hug) or being privately 1 on 1 alone with kids without doors etc being open. I would imagine that if it involved "troubled" kids this rule would be quite doubly stringent.

I have also coached kids sporting teams here in Australia. Similar policies are adopted when kids go away with adults. i dont know o any reputable coach or professional adult who would encourage parents to "trust" them without question.

[Anonymous]

Even the "struggling parents" over on Lon Woodbury's little ole website STRUGGLING TEENS said:
  DON'T READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!

Now, that's really saying this is a not-to-be-read-piece-of-garbage.

Those people just luv these true tales of locking the kids up for their own good, and how-much-the-parent-suffers.

[Anonymous]

That is one of the craziest things about Lon's forums. The parents all think THEY are the victim. Did their kid suddenly appear from nowhere, step into their perfect lives and ruin it for them? Doubtful. More likely, they were bad parents making mistakes along the way with compounded so much they couldn't handle the result of 14 years of mishandling. So, in their infinite wisdom, they make another huge mistake (what would we expect?) and go to programs to try and 'fix' their kid. Then they spend a fortune, blaming the kid for the monetary loss (or using the kids college fund provided by other family members), and sit at home, alleviated of any responsibility other than financial, feeling sorry for themselves. Some, like Karen, take up drinking to fill their idle time. These people should of never had kids. With the resources at their disposal, they still seek out one of the worst options available for a kid out there. Proxy child abuse is just as bad as regular child abuse. They can afford to pay someone else to do their dirty work, but they are no different than the joe-six-pack who comes home at night to beat his kids, forcing them to live in fear and under his tight rule. Same thing with programs, apples and oranges.

[BuzzKill]

Pls Help - why don't you consider copy and pasting your review on Amazon?
You just go the the page listing the book and there is a button to click to 'review this book' - easy. You'll have to take a moment to register a user name if you don't already have one - but thats no big deal.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006079 ... e&n=283155