Compelling and heartbreaking, this is the story of what happened when a disabled white girl accuses four Muslim boys of rape. It's more than a "she said, they said" novel and is not quite like other books that have surfaced in the wake of the "metoo movement. I found it almost impossible to put down and I can't stop thinking about it since I finished.
Although the narrative shifts in point of view among many of the main characters, the two who have the strongest voices are Zara Kaleel and Jodie Wolfe. Formerly a super rock star barrister at Bedford Row, Zara now works as an independent sexual violence advisor at Artemis House on Whitechapel Road. As a Muslim woman, she has gone through a lot to escape subjugation and traditional ethnic, cultural, and religious roles. She's single, but lonely, and has a strong desire to do "good" in this job. Still, she finds this case difficult. Sixteen-year-old Jodie Wolfe is the most unlikely of accusers -- she knows the boys who attacked her and she has a disease called neurofibromatosis. This condition is a genetic mutation and results in tumors that grow in the nervous system leading to severe deformity in Jodie's situation. (Often this is inaccurately called Elephant Man Syndrome). When Jodie alleges that the 4 boys from her school assaulted her, it sets of a firestorm of community upheaval between Muslim and White. Between native Brit and immigrant. As they move to trial, Zara learns more about Jodie and fully believes her and that what they are doing is right despite personal peril once the tabloids get involved. Can Zara stay the course and help Jodie get justice despite the social climate and the fact that the boys have a lot of support and claim innocence? NO SPOILERS.
This was so good on many levels. The writing was excellent and the emotions experienced by the characters seemed genuine without being melodramatic. I really liked Zara and her struggles were very well explained. As a sort of feminist in many areas, it pains me when women are controlled -- especially when those manipulations are made by family or a particular group because I just don't understand having only limited frame of reference. I think this would make a fabulous selection for a book club and I look forward to reading other reviews to get more perspective.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.
This is apparently the first in a new series -- which I did not know until I went to review. I definitely want to read more.
Genre - legal thriller, rape, Muslim
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