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Robert Coles's tribute to Anna Freud is more a memoir than a biography. It is a relaxed journey through his long association with her, which began when he first heard her speak while he was still an undergraduate at Harvard and continued through his subsequent work with her. It is, above all, a reminiscence of their long conversations about children.
Reading the book, one feels privy to a discussion between two friends. Coles does not make it clear whether he used a tape recorder, but one assumes he did since her remarks are quoted verbatim. It makes fascinating listening. Coles asks her to ponder very difficult questions; Anna Freud reflects and often remarks disarmingly that she simply does not know the answer.
Coles avoids discussing her relations with her mother or her siblings. He is cautious about speculating on the effects of being analyzed by her own father. His focus is on her early work with children and the wonderful wartime nurseries she opened in London. One of the most interesting points he makes is her joy in teaching. The pedagogical was always part of her approach to analysis, and she uses the word “inspirational” as the effect the analyst should have on the analysand. It is not quite clear how this effect would accommodate the transference, particularly in early disturbed relationships.
I have characterized the conversations between Anna Freud and Robert Coles as between friends, but I am not sure that this is precisely the case. For Coles she was a very great lady, and for Anna Freud he was clearly an intelligent and enthusiastic supporter. It is startling how frequently he would make a remark; she would become silent and reflective; and he would wonder if he had offended