ABSTRACT
Nostalgia was seen by psychologists as detrimental, not as a response to feelings of loneliness or isolation, but as the very reason for those feelings. Nostalgia has come to be seen as a kind of defence mechanism; a way of building resilience through difficult experiences and surviving times of vulnerability or deprivation. Anecdotal evidence suggests thinking about better times helps us to overcome present adversity, even when these memories are idealised. This phenomenon was notable with survivors of concentration camps, who endured starvation by sharing nostalgic reminiscences about memorable meals and favourite recipes. The psychotherapeutic work that was offered at HMP Holloway can be remembered – nostalgically perhaps – as an attempt to make sense of stories, lives and personal tragedies, not as moralistic lessons to be learned, but as insight into how and why women commit crime.
