Reviews

One Way Back: A Memoir by Christine Blasey Ford

caddysnack's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

danihunter's review

emotional medium-paced

4.0

nordstina's review against another edition

3.5

One Way Back is Christine Blasey Ford's recapping of her experience during the Kavanaugh hearings, the events leading up to her speaking in front of the committee, and how it upended her life. Because she is a psychologist (not practicing), her way of conceptualizing her trauma and how she dealt (or didn't deal with) it was fascinating. I appreciated learning about her childhood and the closed in environment of wealthy DC private schools and how she fled DC to the west coast for school and stayed there. It is an interesting memoir where there is definitely a dichotomy of the rather straightforward nature of her experiences dealing with folks in DC (none of the backlash really came as a surprise to me) and reconciling this with someone who is obsessed with surfing (SO many surfing metaphors in this), dyes her hair blue, and loves 90's metal bands. I appreciate how far she's come with the aftermath of her experience with the confirmation hearing, but it is still quite obvious that she is still very traumatized from the whole experience. I do wonder if even more time had passed if this would be written any differently.

staceface's review

fast-paced

5.0

I wish we didn’t live in a world where Christine Blasey Ford had to endure everything she went through (and is probably continuing to face with the release of this book), but I’m really glad she decided to write it all down and share it with us. Excellent memoir. 

rounding's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment

erkoning's review

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

The book focuses on the time from when Christine Blasey Ford found out that Brent Kavenaugh was a contender for the Supreme Court through now. The focus is mainly on her experience of navigating telling reporters and politicians about what happened, the path to testifying in congress, and then the fallout of the testimony. While most of the text is dedicated to describing the individual conversations she had with friends, lawyers, and others, there is also reflection on the lack of a system for reporting and the terrible threats and treatment she received from many people.

Many times throughout the book she mentions how other people decided how to frame her testimony or even lie about her, and so I am so glad that we now get to read her perspective of the last six years.

pancakepan's review against another edition

medium-paced

4.0

shelbymccarty's review

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

ONE WAY BACK is really beautifully written - you can tell that every word was a reclamation. For the amount of vitriol and villainizing Christine Blasey Ford went through when she decided to step forward and share about her assault, this memoir returns none of it. Her writing is full of grace and compassion with only inklings of the anger she certainly is entitled to. I was incredibly moved throughout her prose and uplifted by the many sacrifices she made and continues to make. 
I remember believing her story then, and to imagine what would be different if our country not only believed her (although SO many did) but also made it matter.

carolynmorgan's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.5

marc's review

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

5.0