NONFICTION - Dec. 11, 1994

THE HERO’S DAUGHTER: Through Myth, Story and Jungian Psychology, An Exploration of the Shadow Side of Father Love by Maureen Murdock. (Fawcett: $23; 250 pp.) There is a type of family structure that receives very little attention, yet is not at all uncommon. The father’s daughter. This is a situation where the mother is in some way unavailable, and through chance or compatibility, an extremely intense bond is formed between father and favored daughter. Along with huge advantages, there is a terrible price to be paid for this type of relationship. Maureen Murdock examines both sides of this complex dynamic in her incisive, engrossing book, “The Hero’s Daughter.”

Through case studies and compassionate analysis, Murdock explains how a father’s daughter, in order to hold up her end of the relationship, must in a deep sense identify solely with the masculine and remain a diluted version of herself. Murdock says the father’s daughter will, “ . . . continue to define her identity, status, and value through the authority and power of the internalized father, whether this internalization is embodied by a spouse, a boss, (or) a corporation. . . . The rules and opinions of her father, present or not, alive or dead, will define the geography of her inner world.” The Jungian aspects to this book are fairly minimal--more like Jung Lite. This, however, will render it easily accessible to those not familiar with Jung, while still retaining interest for others. Murdock has beautifully illuminated an important aspect of many people’s lives.