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A review by jeannine_
One Way Back: A Memoir by Christine Blasey Ford
4.5
4.5 stars
This is a surprisingly apolitical memoir detailing the authors life as it pertained to the initial trauma (when she was 15) and then the trauma of speaking out against BK and the retaliation from members of the GOP. I definitely expected there to be much more disdain and anger in this book toward not just the lamest loser of a judge on the Supreme Court but also towards the people who directly and indirectly enabled him (looking at you, Sens. Collins and Manchin) to take that office.
In a way though, I think it was effective to not have that (I assume the author surely has feelings on these people and on Trump!) because it did allow the focus to be solely on telling her story and how she recovered from it (both times). (Not that one is ever fully recovered). So if you are contemplating this book but also don’t like the back and forth of politics, I think you’d be pleased to know that this book is not really political at all, other than describing the events that happened from her pov.
I really appreciated the chance to hear her (actual) side of things, not just what was in the press - I did watch some of the testimony when it happened (both of theirs), but now, several years later, it’s become incredibly fuzzy for me - I only remember the very basic nuts and bolts of it. I definitely did not know of the indelible hippocampus statement that she indicated went viral. I must have missed it, or glossed over it. I also didn’t know/remember that she’s a surfer. Liked that part. And! Oprah! Bless her for her big heart.
This is a surprisingly apolitical memoir detailing the authors life as it pertained to the initial trauma (when she was 15) and then the trauma of speaking out against BK and the retaliation from members of the GOP. I definitely expected there to be much more disdain and anger in this book toward not just the lamest loser of a judge on the Supreme Court but also towards the people who directly and indirectly enabled him (looking at you, Sens. Collins and Manchin) to take that office.
In a way though, I think it was effective to not have that (I assume the author surely has feelings on these people and on Trump!) because it did allow the focus to be solely on telling her story and how she recovered from it (both times). (Not that one is ever fully recovered). So if you are contemplating this book but also don’t like the back and forth of politics, I think you’d be pleased to know that this book is not really political at all, other than describing the events that happened from her pov.
I really appreciated the chance to hear her (actual) side of things, not just what was in the press - I did watch some of the testimony when it happened (both of theirs), but now, several years later, it’s become incredibly fuzzy for me - I only remember the very basic nuts and bolts of it. I definitely did not know of the indelible hippocampus statement that she indicated went viral. I must have missed it, or glossed over it. I also didn’t know/remember that she’s a surfer. Liked that part. And! Oprah! Bless her for her big heart.