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A review by mugsandmanuscripts
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I listened to this on audio months ago, and I can honestly say that this one has stuck with me and will stick with me for a long time. It's the kind of book that has the power to change how you see the experience and road ahead of sex assault survivors.
Many years ago, I was trained and served as a sex assault victim advocate, and I showed up in hospitals as a support person for SA victims before/during/after their SART exam (aka an invasive exam done for evidence collection in case the survivor ever decided to press charges) for more women than I can count (and yet, somehow, I remember their stories). I'm not a stranger to this process. But it was still very hard to read/listen to this memoir. I'm so glad I did, but if you're a victim of SA, please be gentle with yourself and know that this book is extremely explicit and will likely be triggering.
That said, Chanel Miller's vulnerability—along with the voice she has found/taken back after her voice was repeatedly stolen from her both during the assault and afterwards repeatedly through the criminal system—is an absolute gift to the reader. I don't know her personally, but I'm so proud of her for the work she has done to heal and tell her story.
This book is a must-read for every single human who has ever victim-blamed or victim-shamed a woman who has experienced any form of sexual trauma or harassment. It should be mandatory for every human accused or convicted of sexual crime. It should be required in every social work, psychiatry, or psychology program in the US. And if you have a friend who has experienced SA, I highly encourage you to read this book.
Even if you haven't experienced SA, this is a heavy read. You should be gentle with yourself (as well as reflective on your own understanding of the experience of SA survivors and whether or not you've been part of the problem without meaning to be). But if you care about being an empathetic human, I absolutely recommend this read.
Many years ago, I was trained and served as a sex assault victim advocate, and I showed up in hospitals as a support person for SA victims before/during/after their SART exam (aka an invasive exam done for evidence collection in case the survivor ever decided to press charges) for more women than I can count (and yet, somehow, I remember their stories). I'm not a stranger to this process. But it was still very hard to read/listen to this memoir. I'm so glad I did, but if you're a victim of SA, please be gentle with yourself and know that this book is extremely explicit and will likely be triggering.
That said, Chanel Miller's vulnerability—along with the voice she has found/taken back after her voice was repeatedly stolen from her both during the assault and afterwards repeatedly through the criminal system—is an absolute gift to the reader. I don't know her personally, but I'm so proud of her for the work she has done to heal and tell her story.
This book is a must-read for every single human who has ever victim-blamed or victim-shamed a woman who has experienced any form of sexual trauma or harassment. It should be mandatory for every human accused or convicted of sexual crime. It should be required in every social work, psychiatry, or psychology program in the US. And if you have a friend who has experienced SA, I highly encourage you to read this book.
Even if you haven't experienced SA, this is a heavy read. You should be gentle with yourself (as well as reflective on your own understanding of the experience of SA survivors and whether or not you've been part of the problem without meaning to be). But if you care about being an empathetic human, I absolutely recommend this read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence