Know My Name by Chanel Miller

Synopsis: She was known to the world as Emily Doe when she stunned millions with a letter. Brock Turner had been sentenced to just six months in county jail after he was found sexually assaulting her on Stanford's campus. Her victim impact statement was posted on BuzzFeed, where it instantly went viral--viewed by eleven million people within four days, it was translated globally and read on the floor of Congress; it inspired changes in California law and the recall of the judge in the case. Thousands wrote to say that she had given them the courage to share their own experiences of assault for the first time.

Now she reclaims her identity to tell her story of trauma, transcendence, and the power of words. It was the perfect case, in many ways--there were eyewitnesses, Turner ran away, physical evidence was immediately secured. But her struggles with isolation and shame during the aftermath and the trial reveal the oppression victims face in even the best-case scenarios. Her story illuminates a culture biased to protect perpetrators, indicts a criminal justice system designed to fail the most vulnerable, and, ultimately, shines with the courage required to move through suffering and live a full and beautiful life.

Know My Name will forever transform the way we think about sexual assault, challenging our beliefs about what is acceptable and speaking truth to the tumultuous reality of healing. It also introduces readers to an extraordinary writer, one whose words have already changed our world. Entwining pain, resilience, and humor, this memoir will stand as a modern classic.

My review: "How quickly victims must begin fighting, converting feelings into logic, navigating the legal system, the intrusion of strangers, the relentless judgment." When a woman is assented, one of the first questions people ask is, "Did you say yes?" This question assumes that the answer is always yes, and that is her job to revoke the agreement."

So I don't believe in reviewing memoirs. Like yeah talking about different aspects of the story sure but giving it a rating? No. So there will be no rating from me except to say this book was so important and such a deep emotional read. 

I wasn't going to read this honestly. Truth be told, I didn't even know this was Emily Doe. I knew a bit about Brock Turner case and what I do know, I wasn't pleased. But the Bookstagram world has been talking about this for awhile and my work had it, so I snagged it. And I am so glad I didd. Rarely do we hear from the victim. Rarely do we get an intimate detail of what they overcame. We can assume, sure. But we have no idea. And honestly, we don't need to know their personal details. But it takes immense courage to let those feelings out to the world. Especially in a time when victims are rarely heard and victims are scrutinized at every turn.

If you've been debating on reading this one, do it. Prepare to be angry, sad, annoyed, infuriated and everything in between. But  her message is so important to victims out there: you're not alone 💓