Maternal absence, in one form or another, is always....

“ Maternal absence, in one form or another, is always found in the background of the incest romance. Womens literature on incest generally treats the theme of maternal absence tragically. Mens literature trivializes it or treats it comically. And clinical literature tends to treat it judgmentally. ”

Judith Lewis Herman

From : Father-Daughter Incest: With a New Afterword