As in Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town, Krakauer starts with one case — in this book, the brutal murders of Brenda & Erica Lafferty — and expands from there to give the reader a full understanding of Mormonism, and its terrifying offshoot, the fundamental Mormons responsible for this violence and so much more. “As a means of motivating people to be cruel or inhumane-as a means of inciting evil, to borrow the vocabulary of the devout-there may be no more potent force than […]
“My ignorance was inexcusable, and it made me ashamed.”
Jon Krakauer began researching this book after learning that a friend of his had been sexually assaulted twice in her life, both times by “non-strangers”. Krakauer, like many people, had always pictured rapists as men with masks hiding in the bushes, pouncing on random women. In his research, he learned how incredibly often that women are raped by people they know — either closely or as acquaintances — and how seldom those rapists are brought to justice. He chose to focus his attention on a series of rapes that […]
An engrossing book about the horrific rape culture in the United States
I read an abridged version of Krakauer’s Into Thin Air soon after it was published, and was absorbed by the prose and the presentation of the story. I’m currently waiting for a copy from the e-library to make its way to me, but while I wait, I thought I would try others. My courage was high, so I checked out Missoula. Oh, mercy. Oh, mercy. The Chancellor would occasionally look over at my angry vein throbbing in my head and ask, “WHY are you reading […]
Everybody, read this.
I’m so glad my book club picked this as our next book, because reading it made me rage hardcore and I need a group of awesome ladies and mimosas to decompress with. This book was upsetting. You’re either going to be horrified at the actual atrocities done to these women’s bodies, or you’re going to rage impotently at the ineffectual, dismissive way rape victims are treated by the law, and the way our culture almost 100% stands behind rapists. Or you will have both reactions at […]
“that most of us were probably seeking above all else, something like a state of grace.”
I became a history major because I love a good story, and at its core that’s what I have always viewed history to be – a series of really great stories. These stories have larger meanings in that we are able to take our experiences and use them as a method for understanding the forces at play for, and the decisions made by, those who came before us. I’m lucky enough to be able to have the types of conversations in my work as a […]
Karma’s a Bitch, but so is Hubris
Here are a few facts about climbing Mount Everest: one in ten people die trying to get up and down the mountain; most fatal accidents happen on the descent; it’ll cost you on average between $30,000 and $80,000 excluding transportation and equipment; and once you get above camp four, you’ll be in something called ‘the Death Zone.’ Among climbers, it is also known as ‘Rainbow Valley’ because of the wide variety of coloured clothing worn by the bodies that lie strewn about. One of these, […]