What do you think?
Rate this book
One Way Back: A Memoir
On September 27, 2018, Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee which was considering the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court. She described an alleged sexual assault by the Supreme Court nominee that took place at a high school party in the 1980s. Her words and courage on that day provided some of the most credible and unforgettable testimony our country has ever witnessed.
In One Way Back, Ford recounts the months she spent trying to get information into the right hands without exposing herself and her family to dangerous backlash. Drawing parallels to her life as a surfer, she explains the process of paddling out into unknown waters despite the risks and fears, knowing there is only one way back to shore. The book reveals riveting new details about the leadup to her testimony and its overwhelming aftermath and describes how she continues to navigate her way out of the storm.
This is the real story behind the headlines and the soundbites, a complex, page-turning memoir of a scientist, a surfer, a mother, a patriot and an unlikely whistleblower. Ford’s experience shows that when one person steps forward to speak truth to power, she adds to a collective whole, causing "a ripple that might one day become a wave.”
In One Way Back, Ford recounts the months she spent trying to get information into the right hands without exposing herself and her family to dangerous backlash. Drawing parallels to her life as a surfer, she explains the process of paddling out into unknown waters despite the risks and fears, knowing there is only one way back to shore. The book reveals riveting new details about the leadup to her testimony and its overwhelming aftermath and describes how she continues to navigate her way out of the storm.
This is the real story behind the headlines and the soundbites, a complex, page-turning memoir of a scientist, a surfer, a mother, a patriot and an unlikely whistleblower. Ford’s experience shows that when one person steps forward to speak truth to power, she adds to a collective whole, causing "a ripple that might one day become a wave.”
298 pages, Hardcover
First published March 19, 2024
236 people are currently reading
19013 people want to read
About the author
Christine Blasey Ford
2 books115 followersChristine Blasey Ford is a professor of psychology at Palo Alto University and a clinical professor and consulting biostatistician at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Time magazine included Ford on its shortlist for Person of the Year in 2018. In 2019, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in Time 100, nominated by then-Senator Kamala Harris. In 2019, she won the inaugural Christine Blasey Ford Woman of Courage Award, and the ACLU's Roger Baldwin Courage Award.
source: Amazon
source: Amazon
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 546 reviews
May 29, 2025
I listened to One Way Back: A Memoir on audiobook and it is narrated by the author, Christine Blasy Ford. It is powerful to hear her story directly from her. The audiobook includes the actual testimony of Ford when she spoke at the Congressional hearing during Brett Kavanaugh's nomination process to become a Supreme Court justice.
Prior to his nomination, Ford struggled with whether or not she should come forward to report a sexual assault by Kavanaugh when Ford was fifteen years old. She determined she would come forward because he was being considered for one of the most important top jobs in the country.
When Ford came forward, it had been 28 years since Anita Hill had taken the same course of action regarding Clarence Thomas. I have Anita Hill's book, Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence, on my TBR.
The audiobook also includes segments of Trump speaking at rallies where millions of people watched on television or attended and heard him slander Ford. Ford and her family received and continue to receive death threats. They move often and have hired and paid for their own bodyguard protection for many years.
Other horrific insights from the book include the FBI investigation into Ford's allegations about Kavanaugh; the FBI never interviewed Ford or the other women who alleged sexual assault by Kavanaugh as part of their investigation. The staggering statistics about sexual assault in the US are sobering.
Ford references Chanel Miller's book, Know My Name, and I have placed that high on my TBR.
The content is challenging, and Ford's story demonstrates the extreme difficulties in being a whistleblower. These testimonials are crucial to addressing and significantly reducing sexual assaults.
Prior to his nomination, Ford struggled with whether or not she should come forward to report a sexual assault by Kavanaugh when Ford was fifteen years old. She determined she would come forward because he was being considered for one of the most important top jobs in the country.
When Ford came forward, it had been 28 years since Anita Hill had taken the same course of action regarding Clarence Thomas. I have Anita Hill's book, Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence, on my TBR.
The audiobook also includes segments of Trump speaking at rallies where millions of people watched on television or attended and heard him slander Ford. Ford and her family received and continue to receive death threats. They move often and have hired and paid for their own bodyguard protection for many years.
Other horrific insights from the book include the FBI investigation into Ford's allegations about Kavanaugh; the FBI never interviewed Ford or the other women who alleged sexual assault by Kavanaugh as part of their investigation. The staggering statistics about sexual assault in the US are sobering.
Ford references Chanel Miller's book, Know My Name, and I have placed that high on my TBR.
The content is challenging, and Ford's story demonstrates the extreme difficulties in being a whistleblower. These testimonials are crucial to addressing and significantly reducing sexual assaults.
March 21, 2024
I could not put this book down. It is not politically motivated, nor is it a self-help book about surviving trauma or abuse. Rather, it is both a confirmation that there are good people in this world and a reminder that there are very nasty people in this country. This memoir focuses on the impact on Dr Ford and her family after her testimony before the senate judiciary committee. She instantly became a lightning rod for all the extremists in the country, who threatened her and her family. All because she was brave enough to stand up and tell her truth. The memoir is honest, emotional and raw. I could not put it down and applaud Dr Ford for having the courage to tell her story.
March 19, 2024
Dr. Ford's story of how she tried to get her story out as well as the abuse she suffered before, during, and after her testimony is an indictment of our current political climate. Sadly, it's no surprise that the FBI didn't follow-up on the more than 4500 calls to the FBI Tip Line about Kavanaugh, nor did they even interview her in their so-called investigation after her testimony.
Along with Catch and Kill, One Way Back shines a spotlight on how abusive powerful men are protected.
Along with Catch and Kill, One Way Back shines a spotlight on how abusive powerful men are protected.
March 20, 2024
I was not expecting this memoir. I think I found it while I was searching for something else and her name caught my eye.
As someone who was glued to the news all throughout the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, and who read every detail about her I could find back in 2018, I felt I owed it to her to read this and learn what she would like people to know.
I wasn't surprised by much, except that she's obsessed with surfing and she loves Metallica. Otherwise she seems exactly like the person I would expect based on what is publicly known about her. She seems honest, thoughtful, perhaps a bit naïve in some ways, but generally a good person who's trying her best to do the right thing.
I'm shocked by how expensive it was for her to come forward. I expected the death threats and the emotional toll, but I was not prepared for these numbers. Her life was truly turned upside down on every level. A lot of the worst details didn't surprise me, but it still sucks to hear. Like how there's a congressional report out there with a bunch of easily refuted misinformation in it that completely ignores actual evidence. Cute.
I really hope being able to recount everything she experienced and explain things in her own words has helped her. She is so good at explaining her point of view in clear concise language and I felt like it was so easy to see where she was coming from every step of the way.
This was a rare instance of me reading an entire book in one sitting. If you watched her testimony I highly recommend reading her book.
As someone who was glued to the news all throughout the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, and who read every detail about her I could find back in 2018, I felt I owed it to her to read this and learn what she would like people to know.
I wasn't surprised by much, except that she's obsessed with surfing and she loves Metallica. Otherwise she seems exactly like the person I would expect based on what is publicly known about her. She seems honest, thoughtful, perhaps a bit naïve in some ways, but generally a good person who's trying her best to do the right thing.
I'm shocked by how expensive it was for her to come forward. I expected the death threats and the emotional toll, but I was not prepared for these numbers. Her life was truly turned upside down on every level. A lot of the worst details didn't surprise me, but it still sucks to hear. Like how there's a congressional report out there with a bunch of easily refuted misinformation in it that completely ignores actual evidence. Cute.
I really hope being able to recount everything she experienced and explain things in her own words has helped her. She is so good at explaining her point of view in clear concise language and I felt like it was so easy to see where she was coming from every step of the way.
This was a rare instance of me reading an entire book in one sitting. If you watched her testimony I highly recommend reading her book.
April 28, 2024
Memoirs are very hit or miss for me. They often feel like they were written for money and not for the purpose of telling us the story of their life. When I read a memoir I want to feel like I got to know the person. With Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's memoir I feel like I know her.
Dr. Ford came to public knowledge in 2018 when she testified that when she was 15 years old she was sexually assaulted by soon to be Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanagh. You may know Kavanagh for taking away a woman's right to choose what medical care she can or cannot receive or from stopping student loan forgiveness or for further dismantling the Civil Rights Act or for trying to make protesting illegal or for dismantling clean air initiatives.....or for I'm assuming at some point in the future making birth control and gay marriage illegal. All that is to say do I believe that a man who doesn't want women making health care decisions for themselves would sexual assault someone? Yes! I 100% believe Dr. Ford. Just like a I believe Anita Hill was sexual harassed by diversity hire Clarence Thomas( the only reason Thomas is on the Supreme Court is because they need to pick someone Black....If I'm not mistaken thats Affirmative Action something else this Supreme Court gutted)
One Way Back is about how Dr. Fords decision to come forward has completely changed her life. While Kavanagh gets to strip people of their rights and make good money doing it, Dr Ford has had to spend years living out of hotels and hiring security because deranged people continue to threaten her and her husband and children's lives. Dr. Ford was a professor but in the aftermath of her testimony she had to take a leave of absence. Dr. Ford writes about just how unprepared for this she truly was. She actually naively believed that politicians would actually care about truth instead of just being controlled by their quest for power. The saddest part of this book to read was how her parents especially her dad and her brothers didn't support her. She comes from a Republican family, she never says it but it's pretty clear her family is MAGA. Dr. Ford doesn't seem to have had any serious political opinions, it wouldn't surprise to learn that she voted for Trump but she could be a Clinton voter....but now she's definitely not a Republican given how they've treated her.
This book isn't super graphic but she does describe what Supreme Court Justice Kavanagh did to her in detail...but only once. So if that's a trigger for you just skip the section where she discusses her testimony. This book also reminded me that I need to read Chanel Miller's book Know My Name...I'm getting to it. I also learned more than I ever thought I would about surfing.
An important read that will make you even angrier to know that we have at least 2 sexual predators on the Supreme Court taking away more and more of our rights.
Dr. Ford came to public knowledge in 2018 when she testified that when she was 15 years old she was sexually assaulted by soon to be Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanagh. You may know Kavanagh for taking away a woman's right to choose what medical care she can or cannot receive or from stopping student loan forgiveness or for further dismantling the Civil Rights Act or for trying to make protesting illegal or for dismantling clean air initiatives.....or for I'm assuming at some point in the future making birth control and gay marriage illegal. All that is to say do I believe that a man who doesn't want women making health care decisions for themselves would sexual assault someone? Yes! I 100% believe Dr. Ford. Just like a I believe Anita Hill was sexual harassed by diversity hire Clarence Thomas( the only reason Thomas is on the Supreme Court is because they need to pick someone Black....If I'm not mistaken thats Affirmative Action something else this Supreme Court gutted)
One Way Back is about how Dr. Fords decision to come forward has completely changed her life. While Kavanagh gets to strip people of their rights and make good money doing it, Dr Ford has had to spend years living out of hotels and hiring security because deranged people continue to threaten her and her husband and children's lives. Dr. Ford was a professor but in the aftermath of her testimony she had to take a leave of absence. Dr. Ford writes about just how unprepared for this she truly was. She actually naively believed that politicians would actually care about truth instead of just being controlled by their quest for power. The saddest part of this book to read was how her parents especially her dad and her brothers didn't support her. She comes from a Republican family, she never says it but it's pretty clear her family is MAGA. Dr. Ford doesn't seem to have had any serious political opinions, it wouldn't surprise to learn that she voted for Trump but she could be a Clinton voter....but now she's definitely not a Republican given how they've treated her.
This book isn't super graphic but she does describe what Supreme Court Justice Kavanagh did to her in detail...but only once. So if that's a trigger for you just skip the section where she discusses her testimony. This book also reminded me that I need to read Chanel Miller's book Know My Name...I'm getting to it. I also learned more than I ever thought I would about surfing.
An important read that will make you even angrier to know that we have at least 2 sexual predators on the Supreme Court taking away more and more of our rights.
May 5, 2024
The surfing metaphor goes on a bit long, but for the most part this is a well done memoir from Blasey-Ford.
I find her story quite credible that she really didn’t want or anticipate all the attention and disruption from what seemed to be a great life, where a major part of her days were spent on California beaches with a couple of hours teaching in a classroom each week. I mean, who’d purposely mess that up?! She only testified because she thought it was the right thing to do.
In fact, that theme of how disruptive testifying against Kavanaugh became to her life constitutes the majority of the book: the exorbitant cost of security, the reactions from strangers, friends, family members and Mr. Trump. No further details about the high school incident are within; in fact all details about the alleged attack are shared via her exact testimony—the judiciary committee recording itself is part of the audiobook. I guess legally, no more could be shared….not that there is anything more to be shared. She’s made that clear.
Mostly, her suburban, privileged normalcy jumps off the page, making me think that I probably would have done the exact same thing in her shoes: walking in as naively and blithely into a vicious and volatile Washington political maelstrom, thinking I was “doing the right thing”…never once thinking or believing I’d go through my life savings and needing a Go Fund Me page to pay for bodyguards for the next four years.
I find her story quite credible that she really didn’t want or anticipate all the attention and disruption from what seemed to be a great life, where a major part of her days were spent on California beaches with a couple of hours teaching in a classroom each week. I mean, who’d purposely mess that up?! She only testified because she thought it was the right thing to do.
In fact, that theme of how disruptive testifying against Kavanaugh became to her life constitutes the majority of the book: the exorbitant cost of security, the reactions from strangers, friends, family members and Mr. Trump. No further details about the high school incident are within; in fact all details about the alleged attack are shared via her exact testimony—the judiciary committee recording itself is part of the audiobook. I guess legally, no more could be shared….not that there is anything more to be shared. She’s made that clear.
Mostly, her suburban, privileged normalcy jumps off the page, making me think that I probably would have done the exact same thing in her shoes: walking in as naively and blithely into a vicious and volatile Washington political maelstrom, thinking I was “doing the right thing”…never once thinking or believing I’d go through my life savings and needing a Go Fund Me page to pay for bodyguards for the next four years.
March 21, 2024
Christine Blasey Ford, one of my role models has written a memoir of her sexual assault by Brett Cavanaugh in a manner that avoids the details of her attack, saying that it’s public record and readers could look it up if they weren’t familiar. I appreciate her focusing on the impact of coming forward and her mistreatment by the senate judiciary committee and the FBI.
Like Christine* (I’m using Dr Blasey Ford’s first name because early in the book she speaks about using both her maiden and/or married last names in different circumstances. I wasn’t sure which she’d prefer) I was denied justice for my abuse and the aftermath of coming forward was as traumatic as the assaults. I found myself nodding in understanding her feelings while in awe of the depth of backlash she received.
I had written Christine after her senate testimony, sharing my experiences, one of over 100,000 she received that helped buoy her spirits during the difficult times, including death threats she received. She dedicated ONE WAY BACK to those letter writers, all 100,000 of us.
I enjoyed Christine’s narration in the audiobook version of her memoir, though was taken aback when she included audio from her testimony, audio from a few senators and worst of all, Trump’s voice insulting her and mocking her story. Use of these historical audio tapes was very effective in relating the story.
Christine talks a lot about surfing, often using it as metaphors for her experiences.
I wish I could sit down and talk to Christine, share stories and commiserate.
I highly recommend this audiobook.
Like Christine* (I’m using Dr Blasey Ford’s first name because early in the book she speaks about using both her maiden and/or married last names in different circumstances. I wasn’t sure which she’d prefer) I was denied justice for my abuse and the aftermath of coming forward was as traumatic as the assaults. I found myself nodding in understanding her feelings while in awe of the depth of backlash she received.
I had written Christine after her senate testimony, sharing my experiences, one of over 100,000 she received that helped buoy her spirits during the difficult times, including death threats she received. She dedicated ONE WAY BACK to those letter writers, all 100,000 of us.
I enjoyed Christine’s narration in the audiobook version of her memoir, though was taken aback when she included audio from her testimony, audio from a few senators and worst of all, Trump’s voice insulting her and mocking her story. Use of these historical audio tapes was very effective in relating the story.
Christine talks a lot about surfing, often using it as metaphors for her experiences.
I wish I could sit down and talk to Christine, share stories and commiserate.
I highly recommend this audiobook.
February 17, 2025
As much hate as she got is the hate I hold for Bret Kavanaugh and his MAGA dicx. I’m glad she got to tell her story her way, finally, and I hope she’s able to get relief and further healing and support.
Shame on all the politicians that confirmed him. As a result, we now have a rapist on the Supreme Court and the opinions of a rapist that will have long lasting ramifications for the rest of my natural lifetime and possibly beyond.
How many rapists and and assaulters do we need on SCOTUS???? Wasn't Clarence Thomas enough????? I guess not. Then again, we have a president who brags about grabbing any woman he wants by the pu$$y. I'd like to grab his little mushroom and give it a good twist to see if he still thinks that it's ok to do that to women. Then again, he's such a sicko, he might enjoy it. AUGH. I hate him and Kavanaugh and Thomas and the whole lot of them. HATE them.
Shame on all the politicians that confirmed him. As a result, we now have a rapist on the Supreme Court and the opinions of a rapist that will have long lasting ramifications for the rest of my natural lifetime and possibly beyond.
How many rapists and and assaulters do we need on SCOTUS???? Wasn't Clarence Thomas enough????? I guess not. Then again, we have a president who brags about grabbing any woman he wants by the pu$$y. I'd like to grab his little mushroom and give it a good twist to see if he still thinks that it's ok to do that to women. Then again, he's such a sicko, he might enjoy it. AUGH. I hate him and Kavanaugh and Thomas and the whole lot of them. HATE them.
June 1, 2024
Let me first explain two things prior to starting this review, and why I only awarded this memoir a rather iffy three stars:
1) I’m one of those people who, awhile back, generally adopted the view that I wouldn’t rate memoirs. Well, not necessarily. If I viewed it to be a masterpiece of sorts, such as Chanel Miller’s work, Know My Name, then I had no problem awarding that and other memoirs the five stars I felt they deserved. However, anything less, and I wouldn’t rate.
2) Obviously, I have changed my mind - maybe. What I still will always refuse to do, however, is to one-star or five-star any book I have not personally read, or discount anyone’s personal traumatic experiences when I don’t know these individuals.
So, let me just make it very clear that I 100% believe Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. I, without a doubt, sympathize with her greatly, and despite her feeling as though her decision to speak out wasn’t courageous - not to her, anyway - it is, in fact, one of the most courageous things a girl/woman can do, given all of the backlash we know we’ll face, the accusations of being an attention-seeking liar, the suggestion that we “wanted it”, only to wake up in the morning to regret our decision (either because we were fearful of gaining a bad rep, or perhaps were in a relationship and didn’t want to admit to cheating).
Sadly, those examples didn’t just spring to my mind as possibilities. They come from my personal experiences at age 13 and again at 21 - not of being raped, but attempted rape and sexual assault, nonetheless. They also come from many accounts in which have been provided to me by my friends over the years.
I remember a little more than two years ago eating dinner with a small group of my college girlfriends (4, to be exact, along with a homosexual male best friend of one of the girls). Somehow we got on the topic of sexual assault, and the insanely high statistics surrounding the number of girls who have been sexually assaulted to some degree by the age of 21 (most of my friends were 20-22, a good decade + younger than me, lol).
All five of us - myself included - admitted that yes, we were a part of this statistic - which I believe resides at a staggering 77% or so. What was even more depressing was our utter dismissal of it all. Not because it hadn’t hurt us, scarred us, changed us, but because by that point, we had all been made aware that this was, more or less, just an unfortunate part of life for women to experience. The contrast between our blasé attitudes and the guy’s shock couldn’t have been more pronounced.
Unfortunately, after reading other accounts, like Chanel Miller’s - where the writing is just mindblowingly good - many others simply won’t measure up in comparison.
It didn’t help that Ford brought up Chanel’s book as often as she did: because anyone who’s read it would see such a huge contrast in the quality between both stories. Not exactly the best route to take if you’re trying to generate interest in, and explain the fallout from, your own experience.
There really isn’t anything new to learn from this account, aside from maybe that the harassment lasted a lot longer than the public ever expected (or knew about, for that matter).
Also, we learn that she wasn’t at all prepared to be broadcasted live before the nation until she was literally walking to the Senate floor, and asked about the many cameras mobbing her. She had expected to just get the info out to the Senate Judiciary Committee, give a brief statement, and be on her way - knowing there was still a great chance he’d still get the seat, but at least not feeling guilty that she hadn’t played her part in speaking out against why a man, about to be appointed (for a lifetime, at that) to the highest court in the nation, should perhaps have all of his past actions a bit more carefully scrutinized, first.
I also felt a ton of sympathy for her knowing that her family failed to make any acknowledgment of public support during her testimony, instead wishing she had just stayed silent. Worst of all was the fact that even looking beyond that and coming to terms with it, she later found out from a journalist that her own father had reached out to Brett’s father during the proceedings - or perhaps it was right after, actually - essentially (without actually saying it, but that’s obviously the message) apologizing for all of the hardship it caused everyone, going so far as to congratulate Brett on the appointment, and declare that he would “very much like to put this all behind us, at some point.”
But aside from what I’ve mentioned and what we’ve all already seen/heard in the testimony itself, the book was mostly just a lot of filler. Maybe it was due to reluctance on her part to address the most hurtful aspects; I don’t know, of course.
Many of the surfing metaphors (cool in the beginning) got old very quickly, imo. A major gripe I had was the seemingly very random (and odd?) detailing by Ford of all the encounters she’d had with celebrities and powerful politicians following her testimony.
I just didn’t understand a need to bring up meeting Metallica backstage, who then invited her and her husband to an afterparty, nor hearing the details of a dinner party she’d been invited to and attended at Gwyneth Paltrow’s home - apparently it was necessary for us to know: a) the seating arrangements (Ford sat next to and very much enjoyed the company of Ashley Judd) and b) that Paltrow has been misrepresented in the press as being “cold”/“standoffish” (when really, she was “such a kind, nice person”).
Least we forget that she was now meeting celebrities, it couldn’t be left out how she got to stay at Oprah’s house - Oprah! - and how she was just like any normal person, down-to-earth, fun, nice, whatever. Oprah even LAUGHED while helping Ford strap her surfboard onto her car, stating: “you didn’t think I’d know how to do this, did you?!”
It just wasn’t of any relevance to the story. I get that they were cool experiences for her, and she clearly needed some good ones to offset all the bad at least to some degree. Yet there comes a point where if you mention too many famous names, it may seem very much as though you’re name-dropping.
Sadly that was the impression I got. I think the fact that it took me like a week to read it, when the book is a mere 295 pages or so, tiny and short pages, speaks volumes too. It just couldn’t hold my attention very long whatsoever. Very repetitious. If you really are determined to read this, don’t let me stop you, as I seem to be in the minority with my unpopular opinion.
If you’re on the fence though - perhaps skip it, just watch a YouTube documentary or interviews with Ford online instead. There really isn’t enough new information to justify the writing of an entire book.
1) I’m one of those people who, awhile back, generally adopted the view that I wouldn’t rate memoirs. Well, not necessarily. If I viewed it to be a masterpiece of sorts, such as Chanel Miller’s work, Know My Name, then I had no problem awarding that and other memoirs the five stars I felt they deserved. However, anything less, and I wouldn’t rate.
2) Obviously, I have changed my mind - maybe. What I still will always refuse to do, however, is to one-star or five-star any book I have not personally read, or discount anyone’s personal traumatic experiences when I don’t know these individuals.
So, let me just make it very clear that I 100% believe Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. I, without a doubt, sympathize with her greatly, and despite her feeling as though her decision to speak out wasn’t courageous - not to her, anyway - it is, in fact, one of the most courageous things a girl/woman can do, given all of the backlash we know we’ll face, the accusations of being an attention-seeking liar, the suggestion that we “wanted it”, only to wake up in the morning to regret our decision (either because we were fearful of gaining a bad rep, or perhaps were in a relationship and didn’t want to admit to cheating).
Sadly, those examples didn’t just spring to my mind as possibilities. They come from my personal experiences at age 13 and again at 21 - not of being raped, but attempted rape and sexual assault, nonetheless. They also come from many accounts in which have been provided to me by my friends over the years.
I remember a little more than two years ago eating dinner with a small group of my college girlfriends (4, to be exact, along with a homosexual male best friend of one of the girls). Somehow we got on the topic of sexual assault, and the insanely high statistics surrounding the number of girls who have been sexually assaulted to some degree by the age of 21 (most of my friends were 20-22, a good decade + younger than me, lol).
All five of us - myself included - admitted that yes, we were a part of this statistic - which I believe resides at a staggering 77% or so. What was even more depressing was our utter dismissal of it all. Not because it hadn’t hurt us, scarred us, changed us, but because by that point, we had all been made aware that this was, more or less, just an unfortunate part of life for women to experience. The contrast between our blasé attitudes and the guy’s shock couldn’t have been more pronounced.
Unfortunately, after reading other accounts, like Chanel Miller’s - where the writing is just mindblowingly good - many others simply won’t measure up in comparison.
It didn’t help that Ford brought up Chanel’s book as often as she did: because anyone who’s read it would see such a huge contrast in the quality between both stories. Not exactly the best route to take if you’re trying to generate interest in, and explain the fallout from, your own experience.
There really isn’t anything new to learn from this account, aside from maybe that the harassment lasted a lot longer than the public ever expected (or knew about, for that matter).
Also, we learn that she wasn’t at all prepared to be broadcasted live before the nation until she was literally walking to the Senate floor, and asked about the many cameras mobbing her. She had expected to just get the info out to the Senate Judiciary Committee, give a brief statement, and be on her way - knowing there was still a great chance he’d still get the seat, but at least not feeling guilty that she hadn’t played her part in speaking out against why a man, about to be appointed (for a lifetime, at that) to the highest court in the nation, should perhaps have all of his past actions a bit more carefully scrutinized, first.
I also felt a ton of sympathy for her knowing that her family failed to make any acknowledgment of public support during her testimony, instead wishing she had just stayed silent. Worst of all was the fact that even looking beyond that and coming to terms with it, she later found out from a journalist that her own father had reached out to Brett’s father during the proceedings - or perhaps it was right after, actually - essentially (without actually saying it, but that’s obviously the message) apologizing for all of the hardship it caused everyone, going so far as to congratulate Brett on the appointment, and declare that he would “very much like to put this all behind us, at some point.”
But aside from what I’ve mentioned and what we’ve all already seen/heard in the testimony itself, the book was mostly just a lot of filler. Maybe it was due to reluctance on her part to address the most hurtful aspects; I don’t know, of course.
Many of the surfing metaphors (cool in the beginning) got old very quickly, imo. A major gripe I had was the seemingly very random (and odd?) detailing by Ford of all the encounters she’d had with celebrities and powerful politicians following her testimony.
I just didn’t understand a need to bring up meeting Metallica backstage, who then invited her and her husband to an afterparty, nor hearing the details of a dinner party she’d been invited to and attended at Gwyneth Paltrow’s home - apparently it was necessary for us to know: a) the seating arrangements (Ford sat next to and very much enjoyed the company of Ashley Judd) and b) that Paltrow has been misrepresented in the press as being “cold”/“standoffish” (when really, she was “such a kind, nice person”).
Least we forget that she was now meeting celebrities, it couldn’t be left out how she got to stay at Oprah’s house - Oprah! - and how she was just like any normal person, down-to-earth, fun, nice, whatever. Oprah even LAUGHED while helping Ford strap her surfboard onto her car, stating: “you didn’t think I’d know how to do this, did you?!”
It just wasn’t of any relevance to the story. I get that they were cool experiences for her, and she clearly needed some good ones to offset all the bad at least to some degree. Yet there comes a point where if you mention too many famous names, it may seem very much as though you’re name-dropping.
Sadly that was the impression I got. I think the fact that it took me like a week to read it, when the book is a mere 295 pages or so, tiny and short pages, speaks volumes too. It just couldn’t hold my attention very long whatsoever. Very repetitious. If you really are determined to read this, don’t let me stop you, as I seem to be in the minority with my unpopular opinion.
If you’re on the fence though - perhaps skip it, just watch a YouTube documentary or interviews with Ford online instead. There really isn’t enough new information to justify the writing of an entire book.
March 17, 2024
This woman comes off to me as a mentally ill, deranged liar. It’s actually just sad anyone paid money for this or buys into it.
March 21, 2024
The book is closer to 4 stars for me, but I admire the hell out of this woman, and she gets 5 stars. The audiobook version, narrated by the author, includes snippets of her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
May 23, 2024
Even if you were glued to your TV for every second of Christine Blasey Ford’s heroic testimony about now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s sexual assault of her in high school, even if the event was such that it became an indelible event in your own life, there is much to gain from reading her new memoir, One Way Back.
For instance, I didn’t understand before this book that after she initially decided to come forward, she faced a wall of resistance from her own attorneys that only came down once her name was leaked to the press, and going forward was the only option. I had no idea that she was a surfer and how that point of view can illuminate things. I had suspected she was sensitive and in many ways almost willfully naïve (dealing with reporters, etc.) and that turns out to be the case.
What she presents is her whole, flawed self, who, no matter what her problems, stepped up at a time when it was the right thing to do, and has since grappled with the price of that.
Despite its subject, this book is an easy, fast read—I read at least 100 pp. per day. I wanted to know who this woman is, and the book allowed me in enough to say that I like and admire her even more than I did before reading it.
For instance, I didn’t understand before this book that after she initially decided to come forward, she faced a wall of resistance from her own attorneys that only came down once her name was leaked to the press, and going forward was the only option. I had no idea that she was a surfer and how that point of view can illuminate things. I had suspected she was sensitive and in many ways almost willfully naïve (dealing with reporters, etc.) and that turns out to be the case.
What she presents is her whole, flawed self, who, no matter what her problems, stepped up at a time when it was the right thing to do, and has since grappled with the price of that.
Despite its subject, this book is an easy, fast read—I read at least 100 pp. per day. I wanted to know who this woman is, and the book allowed me in enough to say that I like and admire her even more than I did before reading it.
July 28, 2024
it's not that they didn't believe her; they just didn't care.
March 31, 2024
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.
October 9, 2024
I have once again decided to embark on a mission to read a number of books on subjects that will be of great importance to the upcoming 2024 US Presidential Election. This was a great success as I prepared for 2020, with an outcome at the polls (and antics by both candidates up to Inauguration Day) that only a fiction writer might have come up with at the time! Many of these will focus on actors and events intricately involved in the US political system over the last few years, in hopes that I can understand them better and, perhaps, educate others with the power to cast a ballot. I am, as always, open to serious recommendations from anyone who has a book I might like to include in the process.
With the events of July 21, 2024, when Joe Biden chose not to seek re-election, the challenge has become harder to properly reflect the Democratic side. I will do the best I can to properly prepare and offer up books that can explore the Biden Administration, as well as whomever takes the helm into November.
This is Book #40 in my 2024 US Election Preparation Challenge.
Not long before September 27, 2018, few people would have heard the name Christine Blasey Ford outside of those who knew her well. However, she would come to be the 21st century Anita Hill, claiming to be the victim of sexual assault by a nominee to the US Supreme Court. In this well-paced memoir, Blasey Ford offers the reader some great insight into the events of the time of the assault, how she thought about it and lived her life in the years afterwards, as well as the tumultuous results of her coming forward to politicians who were evaluating the worthiness of Brett Kavanaugh to sit on the highest court in the land. While the dust may have settled on the scandalous events, they are worth another look, as well the role both 2024 presidential candidates played in the entire situation. This is one book I could not wait to read throughout this reading challenge and I thank Christine Blasey Ford for writing it.
The memoir begins with some memories of Blasey Ford when she heard that one Brett Kavanaugh was being considered for a position on the US Supreme Court. Her apprehension and concern at what he had done and the possibility that he would secure such a powerful position worried her, though she could only share what she knew and let it go from there. The book takes the reader back though Christine Blasey’s childhood in the DC area and how she was an entitled girl, who sometimes broke the rules to have more fun. Memories of the party in 1982 when she had been drinking, but also those around her and the rambunctious Brett who brought her to a back room and assaulted her come to light. This was the key memory she had of the time and it appears to have impacted her a great deal.
In those intermittent years, the reader sees how the memories of those events led Christine to discover herself and move across the country. She found surfing and dated a great deal before she found the man of her dreams. Armed with a great education and passion to better herself, Christine Blasey married and started a family, never forgetting what happened, but not letting it ruin her. Two boys soon were added to her life and she excelled in her profession as a professor.
When news came in 2018 that President Trump was looking to fill a vacancy on the US Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh’s name emerged. While she debated for a long while, Blasey Ford knew she would have to say something and chose to reach out to her congresswoman, which opened the floodgates. As Blasey Ford describes it, the meetings were quiet and the grilling intense, however it appeared that nothing would come of it. Only later, when both the Chairman and senior Democrat on the Senate’s Judiciary Committee decided to have Christine Blasey Ford testify, did things go from accuser to town crier.
Blasey Ford depicts events in detail and keeps the reader in the know about decisions made and the chaos the testimony became. She was vilified by GOP supporters and hounded by the media. Her accounts in the hearing room were less about what happened but sought to discredit her whenever possible. While she was called a credible witness, many senators fell in line with their leadership and treated Christine Blasey Ford as a commodity. Once it was all done, she got her thanks and was sent away, deemed not to have given enough to sway the committee. The latter portion of the book depicts the countess hate-filled letters, emails, posts, and comments tossed at her by a right that was maligned for having one of their giants tainted.
Looking back, Blasey Ford had to wonder if it was worth it. She came forward and allowed many victims to know they, too, could have a voice. These events also helped create more of a household name for Kamala Harris, who sat on the Senate Judiciary Committee and grilled the Court’s nominee. This is not thoroughly explored in the book, but it stuck in my mind. Donald Trump’s role was to use her testimony on the rally campaign trail and to mock her. Excerpts of his speeches are included in the book and those wh listen to the audiobook will get actual clips to hear his own voice (so no one can say words were twisted), all to show the deplorable nature of a leader shaming a victim. This is the man who now says he is the protector of women. To that I can only shake my head.
Blasey Ford is humble where she needs to be and passionate for herself, something that she was not offered by politicians in Washington. She wrote this to set the record straight and not to smear anyone, though she does admit her disappointment that some chose to smear her, call her an opportunistic bitch, or even someone who made things up in order to steal the spotlight. While no one can go back to that party in 1982 and see what did happen, I have a hard time believing that Christine Blasey Ford would knowingly put herself through the torment for shits and giggles, as many on the right seemed to think she did back in 2018. I also have a new-found compassion for those ho speak out against wrong, even when they are shunned or diminished, as Anita Hill did in 1991. Alas, both Hill and Blasey Ford must stomach that their attackers snuck by and they became the victims a second time.
While I vividly remember the circus that was the Brett Kavanaugh nomination and vetting in the US Supreme Court, I knew that there was more to the story. Christine Blasey Ford fills many of the gaps I had and needed to know so as to better offer an opinion, though none was ever sought of me, as to what happened. Blasey Ford offers up great detail and presents her story in context, while admitting that she is neither perfect or not attempting to bring down a man who was being considered for a place on the US Supreme Court. Each chapter is balanced and well-argued, providing the reader with succinct and yet honest sentiments about the woman and her struggles, as well as the heroics she offered to others who have been attacked and kept silent.
Kudos, Madam Blasey Ford, for this gripping story and your heroic nature to stand firm in the face of ignorance and adversity.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
With the events of July 21, 2024, when Joe Biden chose not to seek re-election, the challenge has become harder to properly reflect the Democratic side. I will do the best I can to properly prepare and offer up books that can explore the Biden Administration, as well as whomever takes the helm into November.
This is Book #40 in my 2024 US Election Preparation Challenge.
Not long before September 27, 2018, few people would have heard the name Christine Blasey Ford outside of those who knew her well. However, she would come to be the 21st century Anita Hill, claiming to be the victim of sexual assault by a nominee to the US Supreme Court. In this well-paced memoir, Blasey Ford offers the reader some great insight into the events of the time of the assault, how she thought about it and lived her life in the years afterwards, as well as the tumultuous results of her coming forward to politicians who were evaluating the worthiness of Brett Kavanaugh to sit on the highest court in the land. While the dust may have settled on the scandalous events, they are worth another look, as well the role both 2024 presidential candidates played in the entire situation. This is one book I could not wait to read throughout this reading challenge and I thank Christine Blasey Ford for writing it.
The memoir begins with some memories of Blasey Ford when she heard that one Brett Kavanaugh was being considered for a position on the US Supreme Court. Her apprehension and concern at what he had done and the possibility that he would secure such a powerful position worried her, though she could only share what she knew and let it go from there. The book takes the reader back though Christine Blasey’s childhood in the DC area and how she was an entitled girl, who sometimes broke the rules to have more fun. Memories of the party in 1982 when she had been drinking, but also those around her and the rambunctious Brett who brought her to a back room and assaulted her come to light. This was the key memory she had of the time and it appears to have impacted her a great deal.
In those intermittent years, the reader sees how the memories of those events led Christine to discover herself and move across the country. She found surfing and dated a great deal before she found the man of her dreams. Armed with a great education and passion to better herself, Christine Blasey married and started a family, never forgetting what happened, but not letting it ruin her. Two boys soon were added to her life and she excelled in her profession as a professor.
When news came in 2018 that President Trump was looking to fill a vacancy on the US Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh’s name emerged. While she debated for a long while, Blasey Ford knew she would have to say something and chose to reach out to her congresswoman, which opened the floodgates. As Blasey Ford describes it, the meetings were quiet and the grilling intense, however it appeared that nothing would come of it. Only later, when both the Chairman and senior Democrat on the Senate’s Judiciary Committee decided to have Christine Blasey Ford testify, did things go from accuser to town crier.
Blasey Ford depicts events in detail and keeps the reader in the know about decisions made and the chaos the testimony became. She was vilified by GOP supporters and hounded by the media. Her accounts in the hearing room were less about what happened but sought to discredit her whenever possible. While she was called a credible witness, many senators fell in line with their leadership and treated Christine Blasey Ford as a commodity. Once it was all done, she got her thanks and was sent away, deemed not to have given enough to sway the committee. The latter portion of the book depicts the countess hate-filled letters, emails, posts, and comments tossed at her by a right that was maligned for having one of their giants tainted.
Looking back, Blasey Ford had to wonder if it was worth it. She came forward and allowed many victims to know they, too, could have a voice. These events also helped create more of a household name for Kamala Harris, who sat on the Senate Judiciary Committee and grilled the Court’s nominee. This is not thoroughly explored in the book, but it stuck in my mind. Donald Trump’s role was to use her testimony on the rally campaign trail and to mock her. Excerpts of his speeches are included in the book and those wh listen to the audiobook will get actual clips to hear his own voice (so no one can say words were twisted), all to show the deplorable nature of a leader shaming a victim. This is the man who now says he is the protector of women. To that I can only shake my head.
Blasey Ford is humble where she needs to be and passionate for herself, something that she was not offered by politicians in Washington. She wrote this to set the record straight and not to smear anyone, though she does admit her disappointment that some chose to smear her, call her an opportunistic bitch, or even someone who made things up in order to steal the spotlight. While no one can go back to that party in 1982 and see what did happen, I have a hard time believing that Christine Blasey Ford would knowingly put herself through the torment for shits and giggles, as many on the right seemed to think she did back in 2018. I also have a new-found compassion for those ho speak out against wrong, even when they are shunned or diminished, as Anita Hill did in 1991. Alas, both Hill and Blasey Ford must stomach that their attackers snuck by and they became the victims a second time.
While I vividly remember the circus that was the Brett Kavanaugh nomination and vetting in the US Supreme Court, I knew that there was more to the story. Christine Blasey Ford fills many of the gaps I had and needed to know so as to better offer an opinion, though none was ever sought of me, as to what happened. Blasey Ford offers up great detail and presents her story in context, while admitting that she is neither perfect or not attempting to bring down a man who was being considered for a place on the US Supreme Court. Each chapter is balanced and well-argued, providing the reader with succinct and yet honest sentiments about the woman and her struggles, as well as the heroics she offered to others who have been attacked and kept silent.
Kudos, Madam Blasey Ford, for this gripping story and your heroic nature to stand firm in the face of ignorance and adversity.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
March 28, 2024
I wish I could give this more stars, but it wouldn’t be fair to the truly great writing out there. This is going to sound way more harsh than I mean it, but at least I now know that Know My Name is one of my top books ever, not because of her story, but because of what an incredibly gifted writer Chanel Miller is. I am constantly hoping she writes another book, about literally anything. I’m sorry but I don’t think reading this book added anything to the story for me.
October 2, 2024
All of the gratitude in the world.
March 20, 2024
Whatever happened with Christine Blasey Ford
Oddly, this question crossed my mind last week. As if in answer, I saw this book available for preorder. Been reading all day. Now I know. It's a great read.
Oddly, this question crossed my mind last week. As if in answer, I saw this book available for preorder. Been reading all day. Now I know. It's a great read.
March 22, 2024
Every person who’s had a traumatic experience and has not been believed should read this book !!! It’s unbelievably tragic the things this hero went through. It’s hard to believe Americans can be so cruel today !!! I am ashamed !!
April 16, 2024
Believe women.
March 26, 2024
I can't imagine how hard it was to tell her story initially, much less write a book about this time period and relive it all again. And, the aftermath and consequences for coming forward. I distinctly remember being riveted to the television during and after her testimony. There were still some details that I had forgotten on reading her book.
All women can identify with the fear of being isolated and assaulted. And, I could identify indirectly with her story by living in the DC area in my teens, understanding the political culture of this area and vacationing at Delaware beaches. I attended public schools and my future husband attended a private boys high school in DC, Archbishop John Carroll, for one year (his brothers attended Georgetown Prep, but my husband purposely flunked the entrance exam to avoid going there) and begged his parents to transfer to his local public high school afterwards. His brothers did not attend with Kavanaugh, but we were very much aware of the elite culture that surrounded these students. Late in my federal career in Human Resources, I once applied to work at the Justice Department in 2012. I was selected for their final round of interviews at the downtown location next to Union Station. I met several people during the interview process and remember thinking these employees were somewhat arrogant and filled with righteous self importance. Very business like and conservative in dress. Everyone rushing everywhere. I was handed several business cards. I was not selected for the position and sometimes wonder how my life would have differed had I been offered the job and taken it. All this is to say, we personally knew the atmosphere in Washington.
I applaud Christine's sense of civic duty to her country and to other women. All women benefit from her courage.
"I'd like to believe that we're in the middle of a revolution that will only be recognizable in years to come. If it takes countless survivors to tell their story despite personal risks and consequences on an individual level--all of us slowly stacking on top of one another until there is finally a collective response--I'm proud to have contributed. If my act of speaking out plays a role in an eventual paradigm shift, ending stigma around sexual assault and holding powerful people accountable for their actions, then I accept whatever personal sacrifices I had to make."
All women can identify with the fear of being isolated and assaulted. And, I could identify indirectly with her story by living in the DC area in my teens, understanding the political culture of this area and vacationing at Delaware beaches. I attended public schools and my future husband attended a private boys high school in DC, Archbishop John Carroll, for one year (his brothers attended Georgetown Prep, but my husband purposely flunked the entrance exam to avoid going there) and begged his parents to transfer to his local public high school afterwards. His brothers did not attend with Kavanaugh, but we were very much aware of the elite culture that surrounded these students. Late in my federal career in Human Resources, I once applied to work at the Justice Department in 2012. I was selected for their final round of interviews at the downtown location next to Union Station. I met several people during the interview process and remember thinking these employees were somewhat arrogant and filled with righteous self importance. Very business like and conservative in dress. Everyone rushing everywhere. I was handed several business cards. I was not selected for the position and sometimes wonder how my life would have differed had I been offered the job and taken it. All this is to say, we personally knew the atmosphere in Washington.
I applaud Christine's sense of civic duty to her country and to other women. All women benefit from her courage.
"I'd like to believe that we're in the middle of a revolution that will only be recognizable in years to come. If it takes countless survivors to tell their story despite personal risks and consequences on an individual level--all of us slowly stacking on top of one another until there is finally a collective response--I'm proud to have contributed. If my act of speaking out plays a role in an eventual paradigm shift, ending stigma around sexual assault and holding powerful people accountable for their actions, then I accept whatever personal sacrifices I had to make."
April 9, 2024
I remember finding this incident fascinating. I put on YouTube and listened to her testimony and afterwards the judge. I remember Christine was questioned a lot by a woman, but you knew she was being directed by Trump’s party men like a sort of puppet.
I could hear Christine’s tone and I totally believed her.
They tried to imply she wasn’t remembering properly or was a fantasist.
Then the judge came on. He sounded so arrogant and this sort of competitive American male. It was disgraceful how he was ever even considered for such an office, never mind elected to it.
I remember how they couldn’t stop going on about what a great Catholic he was.
I know it is one person’s word against the other, but after everything I totally believe Christine.
I read her memoir, I absolutely believe her and it.
There is nothing to say, I find the whole thing shameful.
If so many American women weren’t so divided, polarised, co-opted or somehow manipulated to ‘be submissive to your husband and the church,’ there should have been some sort of all-out mass protest movement, some really huge resistance. Even with just that sort of accusation over him, the world should have owed it to women that such a person should not have become a Supreme Court judge.
Yes it was done disgracefully purely for politics and the conservative movement, but they could have chosen a less distasteful candidate who would have been conservative. The fact they didn’t tells you all you need to know.
We can only guess, but somehow we can hope that we are seeing American Cultural Conservatives in its final rage and eventual end.
I have a lot of hope in young America.
American women should really support Doctor Christine more, because what she did was brave, but too many people did not care or have enough passion to really help her.
I feel incredibly sorry for her.
I could hear Christine’s tone and I totally believed her.
They tried to imply she wasn’t remembering properly or was a fantasist.
Then the judge came on. He sounded so arrogant and this sort of competitive American male. It was disgraceful how he was ever even considered for such an office, never mind elected to it.
I remember how they couldn’t stop going on about what a great Catholic he was.
I know it is one person’s word against the other, but after everything I totally believe Christine.
I read her memoir, I absolutely believe her and it.
There is nothing to say, I find the whole thing shameful.
If so many American women weren’t so divided, polarised, co-opted or somehow manipulated to ‘be submissive to your husband and the church,’ there should have been some sort of all-out mass protest movement, some really huge resistance. Even with just that sort of accusation over him, the world should have owed it to women that such a person should not have become a Supreme Court judge.
Yes it was done disgracefully purely for politics and the conservative movement, but they could have chosen a less distasteful candidate who would have been conservative. The fact they didn’t tells you all you need to know.
We can only guess, but somehow we can hope that we are seeing American Cultural Conservatives in its final rage and eventual end.
I have a lot of hope in young America.
American women should really support Doctor Christine more, because what she did was brave, but too many people did not care or have enough passion to really help her.
I feel incredibly sorry for her.
May 22, 2024
A straightforward, clear narrative about the sexual assault allegations relevant in the Brett Kavanaugh hearings. I perceive the author as credible. She had nothing to gain by making the allegations public, and the subsequent attacks on her are disturbing, and illustrative of why women stay silent. It seems that the senate judicial committee was wary of spending more time and money on an investigation that might not lead anywhere given a lack of evidence, and Kavanaugh’s youth at the time of the incidents. However, the Supreme Court also assumes the highest position of trust, and the events do bring Kavanaugh's fundamental character into question, especially considering his childish rants during the hearings and obvious lies related to the ”Renate Alumnus.” The takeaway for me from this narrative is that we really need to focus on teaching our youth better about sexual consent and the risks of alcohol. Where were the parents? Also, the overwhelming privilege described throughout was nauseating. Most Americans have nowhere near the resources accessible to both parties.
Lastly, I don't understand why so many reviewers are comparing her writing to Chanel Miller, who is an artist and a completely different type of writer than Christine Blasey Ford. Ford is a social science researcher and statistician, which requires a completely different writing style for professional journals and textbooks. Her story is no less important, despite style differences, and it's not a relevant comparison.
Lastly, I don't understand why so many reviewers are comparing her writing to Chanel Miller, who is an artist and a completely different type of writer than Christine Blasey Ford. Ford is a social science researcher and statistician, which requires a completely different writing style for professional journals and textbooks. Her story is no less important, despite style differences, and it's not a relevant comparison.
Read
July 27, 2024Not rating this as it is a memoir, but she has my utmost respect for taking on all that she did to tell the truth.
May 24, 2024
CBF's memoir landed at our local library. I grabbed it.
Her story is horrific. When she finally agreed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, she had no idea what she and her family were in for. Many friends, lawyers working pro bono, journalists, celebreties and untold thousands of sexual abuse survivors buoyed her spirits despite the presence (especially online) of detractors and attackers. Her family lived for years in secret locations, protected by body guards, and her livelihood as a college professor was threatened. Her husband Russell and her sons bore up as best they could.
I didn't know she was a dedicated surfer and that threaded through the book, cementing one of its key themes: once committed to a wave, you've got to ride it. Hang on to your board. There is also much to ponder about trauma, how to bury it, how to deal with it, how to live with it and not be consumed by it. Brett Kavanaugh was shielded by powerful people - not unusual for well-connected men. And his behavior and the horrific denegration of Blasey Ford gave fire to a movement that continues today.
I was continually struck by her naivete, courage, love for family, despair and retreat, and ability to recognize that she was not a liar and had choices about how to live and recover her life.
Her book is full of accurate detail, not just her musings. The price she paid is huge. Writing her truth is admirable.
At the very least, read this book to open your mind to the tremendous power that Washington DC politicians and minions wield, too often for harm, and the courage of whistleblowers of any sort and stripe.
Her story is horrific. When she finally agreed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, she had no idea what she and her family were in for. Many friends, lawyers working pro bono, journalists, celebreties and untold thousands of sexual abuse survivors buoyed her spirits despite the presence (especially online) of detractors and attackers. Her family lived for years in secret locations, protected by body guards, and her livelihood as a college professor was threatened. Her husband Russell and her sons bore up as best they could.
I didn't know she was a dedicated surfer and that threaded through the book, cementing one of its key themes: once committed to a wave, you've got to ride it. Hang on to your board. There is also much to ponder about trauma, how to bury it, how to deal with it, how to live with it and not be consumed by it. Brett Kavanaugh was shielded by powerful people - not unusual for well-connected men. And his behavior and the horrific denegration of Blasey Ford gave fire to a movement that continues today.
I was continually struck by her naivete, courage, love for family, despair and retreat, and ability to recognize that she was not a liar and had choices about how to live and recover her life.
Her book is full of accurate detail, not just her musings. The price she paid is huge. Writing her truth is admirable.
At the very least, read this book to open your mind to the tremendous power that Washington DC politicians and minions wield, too often for harm, and the courage of whistleblowers of any sort and stripe.
March 31, 2025
Finished this in less than 12 hours (including a night’s sleep). “The friends who order French fries, let you hide under your blanket, and then pull the blanket off and say, ‘We’re going on a hike.’ For as much as this story involves disappointment and dread, it’s also a story about the power of really great friends who step in when you need them the most.”
November 26, 2024
I read this book because I went to school with the author. It was interesting to hear her perspective on growing up in the same area and going to the same school that I did.
Certain aspects of the narrative seem naive but hindsight is 20/20. I can identify with her feeling like an emotional person.
I am sorry she was attacked as a teenager. I admire her for coming forward and cannot imagine the life she now leads, which swings between support and threats.
However, following the recent election, what stands out to me is that this book reflects the ongoing shift from political norms and ethics to a cult of personality in 2018. It also reflects the concerted campaign of disbelief and “gaslighting” of women that continues today.
Certain aspects of the narrative seem naive but hindsight is 20/20. I can identify with her feeling like an emotional person.
I am sorry she was attacked as a teenager. I admire her for coming forward and cannot imagine the life she now leads, which swings between support and threats.
However, following the recent election, what stands out to me is that this book reflects the ongoing shift from political norms and ethics to a cult of personality in 2018. It also reflects the concerted campaign of disbelief and “gaslighting” of women that continues today.
May 23, 2024
Really enjoyed learning about her life and understanding her journey and thought process. Beautifully written.
June 26, 2024
All women need to read this honest, heartbreaking, hopeful book. Dr. Ford’s telling of her story of sexual abuse and her path to make the difficult decision to share with the world, along with her journey of grief following her testimony (including the evil political machine behind people hating her) is difficult to read. But the hope she gained from the letters of support is uplifting. When reading the acknowledgments makes you tear up, you know that it takes all of us to take down the hate.
April 25, 2024
This is a powerful book in so many ways. First, it sets the record straight on the events around Christine’s testimony involving the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. She talks about what happened that fateful night in high school; how the assault affected her; what prompted her to speak out; how she was treated by the Senate, friends, attorneys, the press and the President; and how all of that affected her life afterwards.
One of Christine’s passions in life is surfing. I’ve never been surfing myself but I’ve always loved the hang ten surfer vibes. Christine used surfer jargon as a backdrop to describe different things that happened to her. Like when her attorneys did an about face and suggested that she not testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Christine’s response was “when you paddle out to catch a wave you don’t turn back and paddle in. You ride the wave.”
Christine’s story is an upsetting one because once again we see the person who was assaulted become attacked again, like in a thousand different cuts. Yet the perpetrator goes free. No consequences, nothing. I know there are many who supported Christine, but Kavanaugh supporters vilified her. She received death threats against her and her family. People may not like what she had to say, but there’s no reason to be so hateful and mean. Another upsetting part of this story is how badly certain members of the Senate did not take her claims seriously. I was shocked to learn that the FBI received about 4,500 complaints against Kavanaugh and none of them were given any attention. The FBI never interviewed Christine or asked to see the corroborating evidence she had. It was political theatre. I expect better in America.
I applaud Christine for sharing her story. Hopefully this book will shine a light on the need to protect, defend and listen to those who speak their truth.
Hang ten, Chrissy!
One of Christine’s passions in life is surfing. I’ve never been surfing myself but I’ve always loved the hang ten surfer vibes. Christine used surfer jargon as a backdrop to describe different things that happened to her. Like when her attorneys did an about face and suggested that she not testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Christine’s response was “when you paddle out to catch a wave you don’t turn back and paddle in. You ride the wave.”
Christine’s story is an upsetting one because once again we see the person who was assaulted become attacked again, like in a thousand different cuts. Yet the perpetrator goes free. No consequences, nothing. I know there are many who supported Christine, but Kavanaugh supporters vilified her. She received death threats against her and her family. People may not like what she had to say, but there’s no reason to be so hateful and mean. Another upsetting part of this story is how badly certain members of the Senate did not take her claims seriously. I was shocked to learn that the FBI received about 4,500 complaints against Kavanaugh and none of them were given any attention. The FBI never interviewed Christine or asked to see the corroborating evidence she had. It was political theatre. I expect better in America.
I applaud Christine for sharing her story. Hopefully this book will shine a light on the need to protect, defend and listen to those who speak their truth.
Hang ten, Chrissy!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 546 reviews