Karen Horney

School Library Journal

Gr 7-12-- This biography of the famous psychiatrist outlines in clear prose the accomplishments of Horney's life and the various difficulties she had, both as a young girl growing up in a repressive household and as a young woman going to medical school and specializing in psychiatry at a time when women were a rarity in the field. The uniqueness of Horney's position, coupled with her pointed criticism of the reigning theories of psychiatry, single her out as a pioneer and champion of women's participation in medicine and in the theoretical dialogues that now inform her profession. The fictionalizing of dialogue is kept to a minimum; Horney's marital and professional difficulties are dealt with openly and fairly, although sympathetically. The presentation is balanced, with enough background material for today's readers to understand the plight of a woman whose life and conditions were vastly different earlier in this century. This book makes available material that might otherwise remain unaccessible for young adults, and celebrates a life that might not otherwise receive their notice. --Ruth K. MacDonald, Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, IN