Catherine Gildiner

Catherine Gildiner is the author and narrator of this non-fiction book. As a psychologist she recounts her work with five patients whom she refers to as heroes because of the way they dealt with the trauma they suffered while keeping themselves relatively intact. Gildiner describes the abuse that each of her patients suffered as described by the patients. She details the steps that she and her patients took to deal with the impact the abuse had on them. Gildiner tells the choices she made that helped her patients. Additionally, she makes references to mistakes that she made and symptoms to which she did not pay enough attention.

Laura Wilkes

Laura Wilkes is the central patient in the story titled by the name Laura. Laura comes to Gildiner because she wants to learn about stress and its impact on her herpes. Gildiner uncovers that Laura has been...