Book Reviews: The Warriors – True Stories of Sexual Assault.
A guilty verdict for a victim is never enough to lessen their pain but it is a start. It has meant they were believed. Even when believed though the story does not end when a rapist goes to jail.
The past few months I have focused on true stories of sexual assault survivors. It has been draining and inspiring. While reading the following stories has been painful they have all given me hope that one day the world might be okay. If only we listen.
1. Know My Name by Chanel Miller.
“You took away
My worth,
My privacy,
My energy,
My time,
My safety,
My intimacy,
My confidence,
My own voice,
Until today.”
- Chanel Miller.
In 2015 an unconscious young woman was assaulted behind a dumpster at Stanford University after attending a party on campus. Her attacker was a student by the name of Brock Turner. He was known for his skill as a swimmer. Two brave bystanders, Swedish young men out for a bike ride, saw the attack taking place and chased down Turner. The victim was taken to the hospital where she woke up and her life was irrevocably changed. Through out the criminal trial she was known simply as Emily Doe. A faceless brave young woman stood up and faced her attacker in a courtroom. She spoke her truth and even though she was believed she did not get justice. Brock Turner was sentenced to just 6 months in the county jail but served only 3 months.
“My pain was never more important than his potential.” – Chanel Miller.
Emily had a voice and she used it at the end of the trial to speak her unabridged truth. Her victim impact statement was published on Buzzfeed where it went viral. She stunned the world with her bravery and her grace. Chanel Miller is now ready for the world to know her name. In Know My Name Chanel Miller takes us through the relentless court proceedings.
Reading this book has had a significant impact on shaping me as a person. As I read the words the book became a part of me and by doing so Chanel had an everlasting impact on who I am as a person. What surprised me most is that reading this book didn’t leave me devastated like I thought it would have. This book left me feeling powerful. Chanel had so much power running through her veins and she taught me I could be powerful as well. A few days after finishing this book I woke up to see that Chanel Miller was on the cover of Time magazine and my heart soared. I realised then that there is hope in a world that can be so cruel.
Chanel is much more than a brave survivor. Chanel is a protective big sister, a loving daughter, a devoted girlfriend, an excellent friend, a caring dog mum, a hilarious comedian, a talented artist and the wisest of the warriors. Chanel is a person and Chanel is a superhero. I feel privileged to have read her story and the world is privileged to have Chanel Miller. She will make this world a kinder place.
2. Eggshell Skull by Bri Lee.
“Because he’d let those words slip from his mouth: that I wasn’t the only one. Because the girl he’d molested had grown into a furious feminist, and that just made him plain unlucky, and that was just too bad for him, because that’s eggshell skull.”
- Bri Lee
Eggshell Skull: A legal doctrine meaning that the fragility of a victim does not negate the seriousness of the harm caused.
In regards to Bri Lee eggshell skull means that the system and her attacker has to take her for how she comes – a strong woman who is ready to fight for justice.
Bri Lee is a judge’s associate working within the Australian court system. Bri was raised by a police officer father and has decided to study law as a profession. Bri’s workload is demanding and she travels frequently. Bri spends day after day listening to horrifying testimony of sexual assault. As the days go by Bri is inspired by the strength of the victims who have come forward to face their attackers in court. Bri decides to report the molestation that she lived through as a little girl at the hands of her older brother’s friend.
Bri Lee has seen many cases play out in court and knows better than most that justice rarely prevails. She has seen juries take short amount of time for deliberation, she has seen hung juries, and she has seen too many not guilty verdicts to count. Despite all this Bri walks into a police station and makes a report. Bri is well educated and determined which is a large part of what convinces the police to pursue this case. To some it may appear the crime committed against Bri is ‘minor’ compared to the extremely violent cases Bri has seen in her line of work but the crime committed against her has had an extreme impact on Bri.
This book has extreme graphic content and it is profoundly horrifying. I suffered nightmares and felt shaken often. I had my partner and my friends all strongly suggest I stop reading. I kept going and at the end I pulled my knees to my chest and cried so hard I shook. It has changed me but at the end of the day I think it changed me for the better. It has showed me that there are women like Bri Lee in this world and she can take her pain and use it not only to heal herself but also to heal others.
3. Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow.
Catch and Kill: A journalism tactic to buy the exclusive rights to a scandalous story to ensure it is never published for the public’s knowledge.
“In the end, the courage of women can’t be stamped out. And stories – the big ones, the true ones – can be caught but never killed” – Ronan Farrow
On March 11th the New York State Court Supreme Court will sentence former Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein after he was found guilty on two counts in relation to sexual assault and rape. I pray all the brave women involved get the justice they deserve.
The criminal trial may have never of happened without this book. This book is a momentous work of investigative journalism that will be studied for generations. This tale of the relentless Ronan Farrow, never stopping to ensure that the voices will be heard of the women who trusted him, eventually won the Pulitzer Prize.
This inspirational story had twists at every turn. Ronan Farrow, son of Mia Farrow & Woody Allen, takes down one of the most powerful men in Hollywood. From late 2016 to early 2019 journalist Ronan Farrow pursued a story, which will change Hollywood.
Dealing with Hollywood, politics, frightened victims, death threats, non disclosure agreements, betrayal, cryptic tweets, journalists, lawyers, spies, detectives, investigators, models and actors…Ronan had everything thrown at him and kept on running with the story. Ronan fought to have the truth heard and almost lost everything in the fight.
While this book focuses largely on Ronan’s experience there are moments where you hear the brutality, the humiliation and the pain through the words of the women who were assaulted and it is gut wrenching. This story has heroes and villains at every turn and at times it was almost difficult to remember all the people involved. It is overwhelming how many people were involved in this cover up to protect Harvey Weinstein. It amazed me how evil and corrupt people can be in the name of greed. This is what shocked me most of all, that Harvey Weinstein is not the sole villain in this tale, there was an army behind him. That old saying ‘the only way for evil to triumph is if good men to do nothing’ just screamed through the pages. I even found myself screaming out in frustration.
I will forever be grateful there are good men like Ronan Farrow walking on this earth to do something in the face of evil. Ronan Farrow is a brilliant lawyer, a brilliant journalist and a brilliant man.
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