The #MeToo movement brought worldwide attention to sexual violence, but while the media focused on the fates of a few notorious predators who were put on trial, we heard far less about the outcomes of those trials for the survivors of their abuse. Trauma expert Judith L. Herman argues that the first step toward a better form of justice is simply to ask survivors what would make things as right as possible for them.
A beautiful, profound and important book ... Truth and Repair stands entirely on its own, but when read alongside Trauma and Recovery, it is striking to see how consistent Herman’s tone of measured, calm inquiry has been through the decades, how firm her resolve, how clear her language. Each book has immense value.
Herman combines sensitive commentary on the testimonies of particular survivors with analysis of the social, economic, and legal contexts in which their victimization took place. Also astute are the author’s reflections on the shortcomings of the American justice system ... A compelling outline of the necessary conditions of personal and collective recovery from trauma.
