Know My Name

October 11, 2019

Miller begins her unputdownable debut memoir by introducing herself, relating her experience as both Chanel Miller and Emily Doe, two overlapping yet separate identities, during the span of 15 months as her sexual assault case went to trial--and lingered there. She describes the night of the crime at Stanford, which included being separated from her sister and friends and waking up in an unfamiliar place. Miller's writing shines as she recounts her initial efforts to find a corner of the world where she could disappear, moving from Providence to Philadelphia, all the while in a fog, feeling present but detached. For Miller, time didn't move but rather deepened. She depicts the trial day by day, along with the difficulties of navigating the legal system. As this pivotal event impacts all aspects of her life, Miller considers the influence on her family, her boyfriend, and the two students who saved her. A powerful chapter on the outpouring of support she received after BuzzFeed published her victim impact statement rounds out the book; the full piece is included in an epilog. VERDICT A much-needed memoir giving voice to those who must be heard. Miller's writing stands apart.--Stephanie Sendaula, Library Journal

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 23, 2020
Miller’s inspiring memoir grew out of her writing her victim impact statement for the sentencing of Brock Turner, a 19-year-old Stanford University swimmer who was convicted of raping her. An unconscious Miller was assaulted by Turner behind a dumpster outside a Stanford party in 2015, when she was 22 and visiting her sister, who was a student there. After laying out these facts, Miller recalls growing up in Palo Alto in a mixed-race family, her fledgling career as an illustrator, and her aspirations as a writer. The story that follows, of Miller waking up in a San Jose hospital with pine cones in her hair and an incomplete memory of the night before, is masterfully crafted by juxtaposing the details of physical evidence and accounts from witnesses with Miller’s growing awareness that her life as she knew it was over (“It is utter confusion paired with knowing”). Miller describes the toll the trial takes on her and her family, and her desire to go back to her life before the assault. After writing her victim statement, which she published to an overwhelmingly positive reception on BuzzFeed, she begins to connect her previous interest in writing with her new identity as a survivor. This harrowing memoir is a convincing testament to the healing power of writing.