aboard_the_readingexpress 's review for:

The Tell by Amy Griffin

5.0

dark medium-paced

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I had never read a memoir before, but I’m so grateful this was my first. What a profoundly moving and hard-hitting book. It reads like a novel, and I had to keep reminding myself—this isn’t fiction. These events actually happened. 

Amy Griffin’s childhood is both deeply personal and widely relatable, especially for those of us who grew up in developing countries, where the emphasis was on obedience, good manners, and striving to do better. That familiar pressure shaped many of us—and there’s nothing inherently wrong with it. But in Amy’s case, there was so much more beneath the surface. 

This memoir isn’t just about enduring trauma—it’s about the courage to remember, confront, and speak the truth. Because, as Amy powerfully reminds us, healing begins with acknowledgment. Her words are searingly honest. When she cries, you cry with her. When she’s angry, you feel that rage. You share her helplessness when justice feels out of reach, and you carry the heavy burden of not knowing if and how many others may have suffered too—while the perpetrator walks free, shielded by a system that offers no real recourse. And then comes the deeper question: what punishment could ever truly be enough for someone whose actions stole your freedom, silenced your voice, and shaped half your life before you even understood why? 

Her message is clear and vital: “Remembering is not so that we wallow in pain. It is so we could more fully touch the joy.” Thank you, Amy Griffin, for your honesty, your strength, and for allowing us to bear witness to your story. I salute you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence