My Favorite Book of September

I’ve spent time lately lying on the sofa under my favorite blanket, smelling my favorite fall candles burning and reading a book on my iPad while my husband watches football.

Fall is not my favorite season, but I can still have a favorite book of September. I’m a summer girl who loves sunshine, sandals and water. But I do love the colors, scents and sounds of fall. It’s a great time to cozy up and read, which I seem to do pretty successfully.

I read eight books in September. The number is down from my monthly average of 12 books, but it’s still productive reading. Of those eight books, I gave one a perfect grade. It is my favorite book of September.

Is Rape a Crime?

Don’t let the title of “Is Rape a Crime?” by Michelle Bowdler fool you. Bowdler knows better than most how terrible a crime rape truly is. 

Bowdler survived a multiple stranger break-in and rape in 1984. I cried as Bowdler described her rape and how it crushed her sense of safety and self. 

Bowdler spent her career working in public health, moving from issues like addiction, sex education and HIV prevention to social justice issues related to rape and violence. She privately fought the demons being a survivor left her while helping others. Bowdler, who now serves as the executive director of Health & Wellness at Tufts University, recognized that she couldn’t fully serve others until she figured out what happened with her case.

Bowdler’s memoir, published this year, starts with her rape and details her investigation into how law enforcement handled the search for her attackers. What she learned, coupled with years of research on rape and sexual assault, is a devastating read that makes any reader want to fight for better treatment of rape survivors.

If a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it, did it fall?

If rapists aren’t punished, is rape a crime?