SA trigger warning/ Brock Turner (ish)

[miniroller]

I’m sorry if I’ve missed this posted, as I was shocked to see Chanel’s book, Know My Name, came out in September!
If anyone’s read, I’d love to hear!
Know My Name: A Memoir*
Stanford assault victim Chanel Miller’s new book indicts her attacker — and the system
www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/stanford-assault-victim-chanel-millers-new-book-indicts-her-attacker--and-the-system/2019/09/23/d8ed016c-ca89-11e9-be05-f76ac4ec618c_story.html?outputType=amp

Watching Chanel Miller interviewed on CNN & she was so articulate on her situation. It seemed to me that a lot of women here might also be drawn to her now-powerful/ newly-found voice.
*And man, did I obviously need that Amazon thread because my automatic response was to post the link to her book on Amazon, doh! Nope. I need to erase the app. Calling local shop to make sure they have/ request they order today!

[underwaterrhymes]

It’s a wonderful book, but a hard read. I had to stop and take breaks.

She’s a beautiful and powerful writer. One of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

[wesleycrusher]

I know ufcasey has read it and recommended it. It's on my TBR list. 

I did just read What Is a Girl Worth?: My Story of Breaking the Silence and Exposing the Truth about Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics by Rachael Denhollander and I would rec that book also.

[tacokick]

I thought it was very well-written and interesting. She made a difficult topic accessible.

[darnkatz]

I have it on my list to read, but my frame of mind tells me I shouldn't be reading it right now.

[ufcasey]

Thanks for the tag wesleycrusher! Here's the review I wrote for it on Goodreads right after I finished it:


"I still remember what a punch to the gut it was to read the victim impact statement from "Emily Doe" at Brock Turner's sentencing. Despite the fact that Brock Turner was actually caught in the act of sexually assaulting her, and despite the fact that he was found unanimously guilty on three separate charges, the judge presiding over his sentencing gave Turner only a 6 month sentence which really equated to a 3 month sentence due to time for 'good behavior'. The injustice of it all still burns deeply.

So when I heard that Emily Doe was now coming forward and had written a book about her experiences, I knew I had to read it (or actually, listen to it - she narrates the audiobook).

This book is a heartfelt look into the trauma of sexual assault and the justice system. You really get an insight into how an ordinary day and a spur of the moment decision to attend a party with a younger sibling quickly turned into a nightmare that lasted for years and completely upturned her life. I cried so much while reading this book, in part because this could have so easily happened to me or any of my friends or loved ones. Chanel is not unique in having inadvertently drunk too much one night - she was not some out of control party girl, she was a typical college graduate with a full time job and a loving boyfriend. The usual repercussions of a single night of alcoholic excess is a terrible hangover - not being dragged outside behind a dumpster where no one could find her, having her underwear removed, and her vagina penetrated by a complete stranger's fingers. But really, that was only the beginning of her trauma as the court system moved slowly, the press caught wind of the story, and she was forced to repeatedly defend herself.

My only qualms about this book are found in the chapters that take place after Turner's sentencing. Chanel briefly touches on other well-known incidents of injustice outside of her specific case, and some of those are less relevant and insightful than others, and their inclusion felt a little page-filler-y. But overall I would recommend this book."

[Deleted]

Just finished it recently. I thought it was a good read but it made me so sad/angry all over again - probably even more so because now Emily Doe has a name and a backstory that we didn’t know at the time.

I would recommend it for those interested in reading it.

[cville]

Nov 30, 2019 20:38:49 GMT -5 ufcasey said:

My only qualms about this book are found in the chapters that take place after Turner's sentencing. Chanel briefly touches on other well-known incidents of injustice outside of her specific case, and some of those are less relevant and insightful than others, and their inclusion felt a little page-filler-y. But overall I would recommend this book."

I've sat with this for a bit. This last paragraph here is bugging the hell out of me. I haven't read the book, but my immediate reaction to criticizing a women who was brutally assaulted and, in writing a book about her experience, tried to draw some parallels to other similar stories as "page filler" is a hearty go fly a kite.

I presume you didn't mean it this way, but it reads like you don't think she exposed enough of her trauma for your liking or that she doesn't have good enough insight into the both singular and common experience of assault to entertain you. I don't know you or your life experience, but as a survivor myself I would advise treading really fucking lightly.