Deborah Margolis is not on a Freud bashing expedition nor is she engaged in political edealization. Rather she takes us on a journey guided by Freud's idea that our complexes are sources of our weaknesses and our strengths. Although Freud actively sought to lead his biographers astray, Margolis's detailed knowledge of the terrain and her psychoanalytically trained perspective directs us to a fascinating exploration of “Freud's preoedipal complexes which have so richly endowed our civilization.”

Deborah Margolis has crafted more than a book about Freud and his mother. The subtitle, Preoedipal Aspects of Freud's Personality, more accurately describes the scope of the work. Margolis introduces us to mother Amalia and her family of origin. We find ourselves in the home of Amalia and Jacob Freud, observing the family interactions.