...brave and beautifully written ... These fragments of childhood pain are seen through the shifting lens of Harding’s own, less extreme, struggles with parenting, but her book is more than a heartbreakingly disturbing account of childhood abuse in the US, in the vein of Tara Westover’s Educated. A third, parallel strand explores her love for her kind, devoted father and carefully extracts moments of real happiness from the chaos of her early life. Having braced myself for misery, I found these sections the most impressive part of the book ... There is of course no simple or happy resolution to any of this. Harding doesn’t present herself as a triumphant victim who has successfully shaken off her trauma.
Some memoirs recount riveting stories. Others are notable for their masterful storytelling. Debora Harding’s Dancing With the Octopus: A Memoir of a Crime accomplishes both ... With remarkable perception, Dancing With the Octopus shows how, day by day, year by year, both her criminal assault and family dysfunction left Harding with a lifetime of consequences ... One of the book’s great strengths is how artfully Harding lays out the details of her multifaceted story, weaving in and out of time rather than relying on a chronological timetable ... unique and unforgettable.
This book is personal, deeply and bravely thoughtful, and creatively expressed. Yet it can serve as a tool for the politically engaged ... In a letter to Angela Davis in 1970, [James Baldwin] wrote: “we have been told nothing but lies" ... Harding exposes some such lies, powerfully and clearly.
... a book that is both a healing and a reckoning ... an affecting memoir, to say the least. Harding recounts the horror of her kidnapping and assault, as well as painful episodes from her childhood, with a practiced detachment and still manages an intimate writing style. Her honesty is impressive as she explores her family dynamic, its longstanding effects and how it exacerbated the ordeal she suffered at Goodwin’s hands. The greater terror, threat and betrayal by far is what came from her parents, not the stranger ... It may be odd to say that such a harrowing true story is a page-turner, but it is. Harding’s narrative is strong and compelling, well-paced and brutal. But it is not without optimism, love and, if not forgiveness or understanding, at least a willingness to attend to a variety of perspectives ... This highly recommended work of nonfiction is a gripping account of faith, family, survival and the power of self.
Harding’s compelling memoir introduces readers to her emotionally fragile family and shares how being kidnapped and brutally raped at age 14 affected her life ... Harding is completely honest ... Her unsparing and candid observations allow readers to really get to know this strong, determined survivor.
A powerful account of sexual assault and decades of lingering trauma ... A thoughtfully told story that may inspire others to find healing in the wake of savage crime.
In this intense debut memoir, Harding writes of the aftermath of a traumatic experience as a teenager ... This moving story of grit and resilience will resonate with readers long after the final page is turned.
