A book club that makes you think! This month, we are reading 'Know My Name' by Chanel Miller
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: it was viewed by 11 million people within four days, was translated globally, was read on the floor of Congress, inspired changes in California law and inspired 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 and physical evidence was immediately secured. However, 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.
If you have any questions about this program, including accommodations, please contact Shannon Devlin at nwprograms@cc-pl.org. Please see all our program offerings in our online newsletter at cc-pl.org/connections.
AGE GROUP: | Adult |
EVENT TYPE: | Book Clubs |
