Vicissitudes: A study, a book, a play: Lessons from the work of a narrative scholar

This article narrates the process whereby my work as a qualitative researcher has undergone some profound vicissitudes - from a study of life stories, to a popular book, and then to a play, each construction adding insight and meaning to the topic, and empowerment to the participants. The reflexive writing about these airs issues which normally remain undisclosed in academic reports. The study dealt with autobiographical narratives ofwomen in the New Family. The book represented these storied lives with the necessary alterations. The play brought the characters back to life, albeit a different life than the "real" one. The narrative of these transformations is presented in the context of the "performance turn in the social sciences" on one hand, and the ethical concerns for the research participants and their life stories on the other hand.