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Things We Didn't Talk About When I Was a Girl: A Memoir
Things We Didn't Talk About When I Was a Girl: A Memoir | Jeannie Vanasco
8 posts | 9 read | 4 to read
"Its hard to overstate the importance of this gorgeous, harrowing, heartbreaking book, which tackles sexual violence and its aftermath while also articulating the singular pain of knowing or loving, or caring for, or having a history with ones rapist. Vanasco is whip-smart and tender, open and ruthless; she is the perfect guide through the minefield of her trauma, and ours." Carmen Maria Machado in Bustle A Most Anticipated Book of Fall at Time, NYLON, Bustle, Pacific Standard, The Millions, Publishers Weekly, Chicago Tribune and more! Jeannie Vanasco has had the same nightmare since she was a teenager. She startles awake, saying his name. It is always about him: one of her closest high school friends, a boy named Mark. A boy who raped her. When her nightmares worsen, Jeannie decidesafter fourteen years of silenceto reach out to Mark. He agrees to talk on the record and meet in person. "It's the least I can do," he says. Jeannie details her friendship with Mark before and after the assault, asking the brave and urgent question: Is it possible for a good person to commit a terrible act? Jeannie interviews Mark, exploring how rape has impacted his life as well as her own. She examines the language surrounding sexual assault and pushes against its confines, contributing to and deepening the #MeToo discussion. Exacting and courageous, Things We Didn't Talk About When I Was a Girl is part memoir, part true crime record, and part testament to the strength of female friendshipsa recounting and reckoning that will inspire us to ask harder questions and interrogate our biases. Jeannie Vanasco examines and dismantles long-held myths of victimhood, discovering grace and power in this genre-bending investigation into the trauma of sexual violence.
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EliNeedsMoreShelves
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Pickpick

This was an interesting and unique perspective to add to the many voices of the #MeToo movement - particularly in its honest discussion of the doubt and ambivalence that can come when processing a sexual assault. Worth the read.

#WinterGames #TeamFestivus #TBRReads
@wanderinglynn @StayCurious @Clwojick

+16 points (Friday total =16 points)

wanderinglynn 🙌🏻❤️⛄️ 4y
9 likes1 comment
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ErinC
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Wow. This book packs a punch. Vanasco interviews her former friend/rapist and analyzed her own feelings and tendencies to gender perform. I was annoyed with her much of the time, but she was annoyed with herself too. This book is a fascinating look at gender roles and sexual assault in society.

52 likes1 stack add
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guinsgirlreads
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Pickpick

This is my kind of NF with its short, choppy chapters. She gets a little repetitive , but she tells a good story about a girl torn between being a girl and defending a friend.... #tbrread #wintergames #slaybells

MidnightBookGirl I could definitely fill an entire book on this subject!!! 16pts! 4y
25 likes1 comment
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Bookalong
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4/5🌟Vanasco undertakes the ultimate task, interviewing the man who raped her 14 years ago. A boy who was one of her closest friends. She recounts the rape but also their friendship, and how it changed after the rape, the lasting affect it had on her and him as well. An interesting, deep dive into the Me Too movement,and myths surrounding rape culture.Behind the scenes it also showed the importance of female friendships. #bookreview #bookblogger

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AutumnRLS
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Heartbreaking and thought provoking. Definitely an important book that leaves the reader with more questions than answers. Trigger warnings for rape and suicide.

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Mitch
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I love this format - one author recommending 5 great books around a set theme.

https://bookmarks.reviews/five-great-nonfiction-books-with-metanarratives/

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AutumnRLS
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Probably the scariest book I will read this October. #bookmail #bookriot #allthebooks

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HotCocoaReads
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This is an emotionally difficult read, but I did like the angle she took—that she was turning the person who sexually assaulted her into a human. She made a point of saying it‘s easy to hate someone who hurt you, especially when they‘re not sorry or if they‘re successful—but in this case, he was alone and depressed and she found herself thanking him and building him up. It‘s an interesting angle to take. But there are triggers in this book.

mdemanatee I am drooling over that drop caps stack. I have mostly warmer colors currently so I have some definite drop caps envy 4y
16 likes1 comment