A review by joshlynjavier
Know My Name by Chanel Miller

dark hopeful sad tense medium-paced

5.0

 “how do you feel all these heavy things for the rest of your life?” 

“it is not a question of if you survive this, but what beautiful things await you if you do” 

“so if you come on the worst day of your life, my hope is to catch you, to gently guide you back” 

“...i wrote and imagined my future down to the coffee bean, to the children’s books i will illustrate, the chickens i will have in my yard, the soft cotton linens, the sauce - dipped wooden spoons on the counter. the need for it come true according to plan was not important. the act of imagining it was.” 

the most affecting novel and memoir i’ve read in the last few years. i’m honestly still speechless, because there is nothing i can say that would do the beauty and vulnerability of this book any justice. this book was more than what was contained within the pages, and the force of it comes from experiencing this alongside chanel. i found myself enveloped in her journey even after i had put the book down. 

as a victim, this book gave me the validation to allow my trauma to lay somewhere comfortable and safe, but also gave me the courage to confront some of the scariest and worst parts of my experiences and journey. 

this is not a book about sexual assault or victimhood. it’s about humanity and incredible resilience. miller writes with so honesty and power and is living proof that you and you alone are entitled to what you make of your grief and pain: the most beautiful flowers can grow in even the harshest of conditions. 

as a friend of mine said: this book should be a required reading for everyone. i don’t think i’ll ever stop thinking about her story and my admiration for her and her art. the grace she extends towards herself and the universe even when her circumstances were so unkind is so inspiring, and i truly hope that she never forgets her power and what she’s done for victims everywhere. thank you for telling us your name, chanel miller.