CN Rape, Sexual Assault, Violence

This book offers a fictionalized version of the author's own experience with sexual assault, and you can imagine that this alone makes it a tough read at times. The story has two unique PoVs: Vivian Tan, a Chinese-American who lives in the UK, and who likes to travel alone, going on hikes. One fine day she travels to Belfast and goes on a hike there, to be assaulted by the other PoV character, Johnny, a 15 year old boy from an Irish Traveller family, Pavee, and just like Roma discriminated and prejudice against by the general populace. We get a look at his background, coming from a family where domestic violence was common.

The toughest part of course is the actual assault. We experience this in detail, and it's excruciating, painful, to experience this ordeal that Vivian, and the author both, had to live through. We also witness the trauma, the depression after the assault, and the difficult time at the trial.

The book left me pretty raw. One of the things that Johnny states in court is that because Vivian was on her own in a lonely park, hiking, she was asking for it. Because she took off her shoes and socks to cross a brook, she was asking for it. Will there ever be a time when a woman can feel safe when she's on her own? For many years I never walked or jogged in the fields because when I was 17 a car chased me into the fields and only stopped following when the path got too narrow. I never forgot this experience. I was lucky. Many women aren't. When will we ever able to feel completely safe?

I would lie if I said I enjoyed this book, but it's well-written, and very...visceral. I am glad I read it.