While at the library the other day-always fun for the kids, especially when the heat index is in the 100's-I took a gander at writings by Joyce Carol Oates. While I have seen many movies based on her novels--Foxfire, We Were the Mulvaney's-- I had yet to read one.
Rape:A Love Story caught my eye. I am drawn to stories of mental and physical abuse-sexual violence in particular. So I grabbed it, this small, 154 page novella. I finished it in 3 days- a major feat for me :) Without going into it to much, it is about a mother who is gang-raped and her daughter who is beaten-narrowly escaping only to listen to the rape and beating of her mother. Horrendous. The story is told in multiple points of view. From the daughter, to the officer first on the scene to some of the suspects. I could not read it fast enough. I cannot say whether or not I will read another of her books- I am uneasy with reading alot of swearing and this book is full of it. However, I do not hold that against the book- it has its place and this story was one of those places. Favorite line: "You spared the adults in your household. You learned how if a thing is not spoken of, even those closest to you , who love you, will assume that it doesn't exist."
Visit RAINN for info on sexual violence
