Fathers’ Daughters:
Breaking the Ties That Bind

One of the most profound relationships in a woman’s life is with her father. In childhood, she is often referred to as “Daddy’s little girl.” As cute as that may sound in childhood, there is often a dark side to that alliance. Such a “father’s daughter” pays a high price for her favored status. In order to sustain his approval, protection and love she often distances herself from her mother. Although she may be successful at work, she may have difficulties in intimate relationships and in the realms of sexuality, spirituality, and creativity. 

Father’s Daughters explores the shadow side of father love through myth, fairy tales, and Jungian psychology. It has been published in Korean, Chinese, Hebrew, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Through myth, fairy tale, case studies, and Jungian psychology, best-selling author Maureen Murdock explores the unique relationship between a "father's daughter" and her father, its rewards and pitfalls, and how this idealized relationship affects the mother daughter bond. This rich and thoughtful analysis examines Beauty and the Beast, Donkeyskin, The Wizard of Oz, King Lear, and The Handless Maiden to empower the father's daughter to untangle the ties that bind her to her father and redeem a female vision that is truly powerful and nurturing.

Published December, 2005 by Spring Journal, Inc.
Kindle version published April, 2019.