Dumb Girl, Heidi Yewman
Dumb Girl, Heidi Yewman
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
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Dumb Girl
A Journey from Childhood Abuse to Gun Control Advocacy

Author: Heidi Yewman

Narrator: Heidi Yewman

Unabridged: 8 hr 54 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/13/2026


Synopsis

For fans of Jeannette Walls, Jodi Picoult, and Alice Sebold, a heartening memoir about a girl who survives abuse and molestation to become a powerful advocate against gun violence in America.The inspiring memoir of a woman who overcomes the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of her early life to blossom into a gun violence prevention activist.Growing up in a toxic, male-centered household where she is repeatedly told, "Don't be a dumb girl," Heidi is abused by her dad, starting with a punch in the face at five years old, and left to fend for herself by her alcoholic mom, who neglects to protect her from either her violent father or her sexually abusive brother. For years, Heidi is traumatized and without a voice.Then comes Columbine. Thirteen years after Heidi graduates from Columbine High, this horrific school shooting rocks the nation and gives her a sudden sense of purpose. Despite her childhood wounds, or perhaps even because of them, she becomes determined to stop gun violence. Gradually, she finds her voice: organizing vigils and protests, joining the Brady Campaign Board to battle the NRA, and eventually writing a book and directing a documentary about the after-effects of gun violence. In doing so, she finds her inner strength and resolve and overcomes her fear of conflict, and learns that when you frame it the right way, even feeling "dumb" can be a superpower.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Kristin on August 18, 2025

Heidi grew up in an abusive household – from physical abuse starting at the age of 5 when she’s punched in the face by her father, to sexual abuse at the hands of her brother, and emotional abuse/neglect from her alcoholic mother, she was always told, “don’t be a dumb girl.” This would traumatize an......more

Goodreads review by ❊ maddie kay ❊ on October 09, 2025

4.5 rounded to 5 "𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 '𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭' 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭, 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭, 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭, 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐟......more

Goodreads review by Melon on August 18, 2025

I love a memoir and I am so grateful to Books Forward for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of Dumb Girl by Heidi Yewman. Heidi Yewman is a gun safety advocate and in this memoir she mixes anxiety/rage/sad experiences during her advocacy work to times in her childhood when she felt a similar w......more

Goodreads review by Angie on August 22, 2025

I just finished reading Dumb Girl by @heidiyewman and it was so good! Heidi's memoir is a dual/multi timeline about her childhood trauma, role as a gun control advocate and other challenging parts of her life such as surviving breast cancer, coming to terms with repressed memories of sexual assault......more

Goodreads review by Overly Enthusiastic Reader on August 19, 2025

SPOILER FREE REVIEW AHEAD! Wow. This was really powerful. To have gone through all she did and take that pain and turn it into power to help others and passion and empathy- it’s something really extraordinary and inspiring to me. The amount of ruthless vulnerability she shows in this memoir is perha......more