"I am a victim, I have no qualms with this word, only with the idea that it is all that I am."

In Know My Name, Chanel Miller more than proves that she is so much more than victim. For one, it is soon clear that she's an incredible memoirist. Miller writes so eloquently about her life, her relationships, her pain, and her journey to become whole again. At one point Miller states that she always knew she would write a book - but hadn't expected it to be this one. After reading, it's hard to disagree that she was fated to be an author.

Beyond her innate ability as a writer, this book is powerful because it reveals the flaws and hypocrisies of our culture at large. Continuously in the media and court proceedings, Chanel was reduced to her role that night. She was solely seen as a victim or "unconscious woman." Meanwhile, reporters and character witnesses portrayed her rapist over and over again as a whole person: a smart man, a championship athlete. As Miller shows in this book, putting all of the focus on what the rapist could lose if convicted is just one of many ways that our culture continuously fails victims. After gaining an emotionally devastating firsthand experience with the inner workings of the U.S. judicial system, Miller advocates for all survivors of sexual assault and uses her platform to demand change.

This was a book club read and I am so grateful to have finally read this memoir! Even though it's an incredibly difficult read, I honestly think that everyone should read Know My Name. (And take plenty of time if need be.) For survivors, it is empowering and empathetic. For everyone else, it's an opportunity to become a more compassionate person. And to get to know the incredible woman that is Chanel Miller.