Under Investigation: Non Fiction Book Club

An instant sensation when first published—A New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller—First Person Plural chronicles Cameron West’s desperate journey to understand his fragmented mind and ultimately achieve the triumph of a regular life. The 25th Anniversary Edition features a powerful new afterword by the author about his journey since that time, illuminating remarkable progress in the treatment of a rare mental illness.

“What the hell is happening to me? I feel possessed. I’m talking gibberish in the mirror and somebody else’s voice is coming out of my mouth.”

Cameron West was in his thirties, a successful businessman, happily married, and the father of a young son when he spoke these words. The “voice” he heard belonged to Davy, the first of twenty-four alter personalities to emerge over a period of several months as West began to recall memories of horrific abuse he’d repressed since childhood. With distinct characteristics, mannerisms, and memories, all twenty-four were created by West to protect his psyche from the trauma of repeated sexual abuse at the hands of family members.

In addition to a spellbinding story, West provides rare and unprecedented insight into the fascinating condition known as Dissociative Identity Disorder, the working of the mind of a multiple, and his alters’ coexistence with one another and with the world “outside.” Heart-wrenching, humorous, and ultimately hopeful, First Person Plural is a story that will make you stand in awe of the power of the mind to protect itself and cheer for West as he struggles to gain control of his life.