Is Rape a Crime?, Michelle Bowdler
Is Rape a Crime?, Michelle Bowdler
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Is Rape a Crime?
A Memoir, an Investigation, and a Manifesto

Author: Michelle Bowdler

Narrator: Gabra Zackman

Unabridged: 7 hr 43 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/28/2020


Synopsis

Longlisted for the 2020 National Book Award for Nonfiction
TIME's 100 Must-Read Books of 2020
Publishers Weekly, Best Books of 2020
New York Times New & Noteworthy Audiobooks
Lit Hubs Most Anticipated Books of 2020
Starred Review Publishers Weekly
Starred Review Shelf Awareness

"Is Rape a Crime? is beautifully written and compellingly told. In 2020, we were all looking for solutions and this book was right on time. It is one we should all be reading."
—Anita Hill

"This standout memoir marks a crucial moment in the discussion of what constitutes a violent crime."
—Publishers Weekly, Best Books of 2020

She Said meets Know My Name in Michelle Bowdler's provocative debut, telling the story of her rape and recovery while interrogating why one of society's most serious crimes goes largely uninvestigated.

The crime of rape sizzles like a lightning strike. It pounces, flattens, destroys. A person stands whole, and in a moment of unexpected violence, that life, that body is gone.

Award-winning writer and public health executive Michelle Bowdler's memoir indicts how sexual violence has been addressed for decades in our society, asking whether rape is a crime given that it is the least reported major felony, least successfully prosecuted, and fewer than 3% of reported rapes result in conviction. Cases are closed before they are investigated and DNA evidence sits for years untested and disregarded

Rape in this country is not treated as a crime of brutal violence but as a parlor game of he said / she said. It might be laughable if it didn’t work so much of the time.

Given all this, it seems fair to ask whether rape is actually a crime.

In 1984, the Boston Sexual Assault Unit was formed as a result of a series of break-ins and rapes that terrorized the city, of which Michelle’s own horrific rape was the last. Twenty years later, after a career of working with victims like herself, Michelle decides to find out what happened to her case and why she never heard from the police again after one brief interview.

Is Rape a Crime? is an expert blend of memoir and cultural investigation, and Michelle's story is a rallying cry to reclaim our power and right our world.

About Michelle Bowdler

Michelle Bowdler is the Executive Director of Health & Wellness at Tufts University and, after graduating from the Harvard School of Public Health, has worked on social justice issues related to rape for over a decade. Is Rape a Crime? is her first book. She is a recipient of a 2017 Barbara Deming Memorial Award and has been a Fellow at Ragdale and the MacDowell Colony. Michelle’s writing has been published in the New York Times and her essays “Eventually You Tell Your Kids” and “Babelogue” were nominated for Pushcart Prizes.

About Gabra Zackman

Gabra Zackman began recording audiobooks when they were called books on tape, and has recorded more than 500, in all genres.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Molly on May 04, 2020

Is Rape a Crime? Michelle Bowdler’s new book is a deep and touching memoir, but also a rallying cry for our culture to change. The scope of her task is impressive, and her three distinct sections are a sound, effective structure for rooting her manifesto first in her particular story and second in t......more

Goodreads review by Jeanne on May 15, 2022

Although we might agree that rape is a crime, our criminal justice system does not take reports of rapes seriously or treat them as a crime. There are few vigorous investigations, few prosecutions, and even fewer convictions. Society often blames the victim – How was she dressed? Was she drinking? –......more

Goodreads review by Amelia on January 20, 2020

One woman’s account of a brutal rape in the 1980s and its aftermath highlights the fact that while we all might agree that rape is a crime, our criminal justice system doesn’t treat it that way. Michelle is an incredible activist and advocate for survivors. (Disclaimer: I’m Michelle’s publicist!)......more

Goodreads review by Mike on April 03, 2020

Michelle Bowdler’s story is brave and heartbreaking, well-crafted and deeply compelling. Her work holds our our society accountable, and demands change. This book is truly what the title says it is: a manifesto. Moreover, the author’s words dance on the page when she wants them to, and tread lightly......more

Goodreads review by Kristen on June 02, 2020

Bowdler's book is a series of concentric circles. The innermost, smallest circle is her. The next largest circle is comprised of the Boston police detectives who utterly failed her. The outer, largest circle is our society that ignores the felony sex crime of rape. The book opens when she's in her e......more


Awards

  • Time Magazine Best Books of the Year