I have to be honest – I am having a hard time formulating my thoughts on this book. It is, by far, the best I’ve read in 2021 (and I’ve surpassed 60 books already this year, so that’s saying something). What Is a Girl Worth? by former gymnast Rachael Denhollander tells her full story of speaking out and exposing the truth about former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar – one of the most prolific sexual offenders in recent history.
Denhollander, with painstaking detail and incredible courage, walks readers through every painful circumstance and the excruciating fallout and impact it had on her life. She is honest, raw, and direct, not shying away from the brutality of what happened, the awkward and tough questions, the misguided perspectives many hold regarding abuse, and the horribly inappropriate actions (read: cover up!) of some pretty big name institutions. She covers all of it.
She answers the abundance of questions survivors face, including “Why didn’t you come forward sooner?” or “Why didn’t you fight back?” She discusses the embarrassment, the shame, the often overlooked “freeze” response to fear (you know: flight, fight, freeze), and more. I cannot imagine a better account to read to better understand sexual abuse and the perspective of a survivor. While Denhollander’s focus is primarily Nassar and the trial, this is a complete account of her life living as a survivor, and she discusses how it permeates into every facet of daily life – her relationship with her parents, her education, her marriage, the birth and raising of her children, et cetera.
One of the most moving parts of the story is Denhollander’s commitment to her faith. She is very clear about how she wrestled with such evil in light of a good God. She is not afraid to share the truths of the gospel and how her wrestling brought her even nearer to Christ, as suffering so often does. Furthermore, she isn’t ashamed to unbiasedly point out weaknesses in the church, but she does so respectfully and tastefully, walking through why that is and how it has become that way. It was encouraging to read how she clung to her faith over the years, as she first processed the abuse and as she later came forward and dealt with a great deal of publicity, slander, and negativity. As a Christian, this was definitely one of the most impactful parts of the book to me.
I really have so much to say about this book, but the point of this is to be a brief review, not a multi-page essay, so I’ll try to wrap it up. This is one of the most well-written memoirs I have ever read. Denhollander is extremely articulate – a clear, efficient, and strong communicator and highly intelligent woman. Boy, does that come through in her writing (even more so considering the subject matter she navigates)! Her book is equal parts fascinating (on the legal and criminal side of things, which she covers in great detail), heartbreaking, sickening, encouraging (there is hope, friends!), and deeply inspiring. Rachael’s courage is astounding, as is the courage of every woman who came forward. She calls for change and action and asks the reader, just as she asked the courts as she fought to put Nassar behind bars, “What is a girl (or a child) worth?” The answer should be everything. Every effort, every safety, every precaution, every bit of manpower, every legislative protection.
My heart hurt for her and for all the survivors of not just Nassar’s abuse but anyone’s abuse. I hope that this book can be a part of much-needed change in the way we as a culture view and handle sexual abuse. I encourage everyone to read what Rachael Denhollander has to say. I would add only one caution: she is very specific and detailed about the sexual abuse, meaning she writes exactly what happened. There is no attempt to use gentle language. She is graphic because she needs to be. It’s important to know for yourself if you can handle that or not.
Jessica
Copyright Rachael Denhollander and Tyndale Momentum. Image from Amazon.com.
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