Know My Name - Chanel Miller

Know My Name

By Chanel Miller

  • Release Date: 2019-09-24
  • Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
4.5 Score: 4.5 (From 1,295 Ratings)

Description

Universally acclaimed, rapturously reviewed, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for autobiography, and an instant New York Times bestseller, Chanel Miller's breathtaking memoir "gives readers the privilege of knowing her not just as Emily Doe, but as Chanel Miller the writer, the artist, the survivor, the fighter." (The Wrap).

"I opened Know My Name with the intention to bear witness to the story of a survivor. Instead, I found myself falling into the hands of one of the great writers and thinkers of our time. Chanel Miller is a philosopher, a cultural critic, a deep observer, a writer's writer, a true artist. I could not put this phenomenal book down." --Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love Warrior and Untamed

"Know My Name is a gut-punch, and in the end, somehow, also blessedly hopeful." --Washington Post


She was known to the world as Emily Doe when she stunned millions with a letter. Brock Turner had been sentenced to just six months in county jail after he was found sexually assaulting her on Stanford's campus. Her victim impact statement was posted on BuzzFeed, where it instantly went viral--viewed by eleven million people within four days, it was translated globally and read on the floor of Congress; it inspired changes in California law and the recall of the judge in the case. Thousands wrote to say that she had given them the courage to share their own experiences of assault for the first time.

Now she reclaims her identity to tell her story of trauma, transcendence, and the power of words. It was the perfect case, in many ways--there were eyewitnesses, Turner ran away, physical evidence was immediately secured. But her struggles with isolation and shame during the aftermath and the trial reveal the oppression victims face in even the best-case scenarios. Her story illuminates a culture biased to protect perpetrators, indicts a criminal justice system designed to fail the most vulnerable, and, ultimately, shines with the courage required to move through suffering and live a full and beautiful life.

Know My Name will forever transform the way we think about sexual assault, challenging our beliefs about what is acceptable and speaking truth to the tumultuous reality of healing. It also introduces readers to an extraordinary writer, one whose words have already changed our world. Entwining pain, resilience, and humor, this memoir will stand as a modern classic.

Chosen as a BEST BOOK OF 2019 by The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, TIME, Elle, Glamour, Parade, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, BookRiot

Reviews

  • Hard to read

    3
    By puglover2121
    What a courageous woman. I commend her for telling her story in such a vulnerable way. Like others have stated, the grammar/writing style is not great, making it a hard read. I had to force myself to finish it at times when the writing was so poor. The story is ultimately what made me push through and finish the book.
  • harrowing and powerful

    5
    By KrabbyPattyFormula
    i come back to the victim statement at least once a year. it has changed the way i see myself and the world. this book even more so.
  • Know My Name

    3
    By PaulaDella
    Don’t be impressed that Joe Biden acknowledged the crime. His son has been accused of the same criminal behavior.
  • An important book

    5
    By Melissa Fergusson
    Chanel is a powerful writer with a powerful story. I think she articulates with poise and clarity what is wrong with the way sexual assault cases are treated in the criminal justice system and in universities as well. Her story is compelling, funny, and motivating for others to fight for better treatment for victims and survivors of sexual assault. I also really appreciate her perspective as a person of color and as a Chinese American. Highly recommend this memoir and think everyone should read it.
  • Powerful

    5
    By esherry6
    I would love to see this book listed as required reading in all high schools as well as all colleges. Chanel tells an extremely important story in excruciating detail that everyone needs to hear. She shines a bright light, a beacon in fact, on why so many women don’t come forward after being sexually assaulted or why they wait, sometimes for years, before telling their story. Her courage, tenacity and strength to keep going during a grueling trial and a completely inappropriate sentence for her attacker makes a clear and shattering statement about privilege and power and how our system of justice not only makes it extremely painful for women to come forward but also how women are persecuted and blamed for being assaulted by men who see them as objects. Please read this book, then ask your family and friends to read it and ask them to ask their family and friends to read it. Keep reading to the very end, including Chanel’s acknowledgements, because the statement she wrote that brought her case international recognition is printed in full after them. It’s a stunningly written encapsulation of her experience
  • A must read

    5
    By weekszmac
    I have no words after reading. This is so well written. I almost felt like I experienced this myself. So proud of Chanel for telling her story. A must read for all!
  • A journey

    5
    By rchandra2023
    Chanel- This book is indeed a lighthouse and beacon, as are you. As Muriel Rukeyser said “One woman’s Tory would split open the world. We are living in the split, the wound, the opening created by the trauma of sexual and cultural violence and bias. Thank you for what you’ve done here and for being yourself. This book is required reading for a more compassionate future.
  • Journey

    5
    By FantasticBumpster
    I enjoyed reading her story; learning how our justice system needs a revamp;sadden to read about Stanford due to my affiliation. Know My Name- we now know! Thank you for speaking up & being strong for others.
  • Page turner

    5
    By KWN614
    Literally could not put it down. Amazing.
  • mind blowing

    5
    By marlesyo
    such a great read. love feeling like i’m inside her head. the feelings she depicts are indescribable.

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