Groomed: A memoir about abuse, the search for justice and how we fail to keep our children safe
The first thing I need to know,' I said to the detective, 'is has a crime been committed?'
Sonia Orchard was in her forties when she told a therapist about the boyfriend she had when she was fifteen. Sure, he had been a decade older than her, but it was consensual ... wasn't it? To her surprise, Sonia broke down in tears, then began to shake uncontrollably - an unmistakable expression of trauma that lasted for days. She was clearly not okay, but could the relationship she'd thought was loving really have been abuse? Had she been groomed?
Years later, her own daughters now teenagers and the March4Justice changing the conversation about sexual assault, Sonia tentatively called the police. As she began the gruelling journey through the legal system, she saw how allegations of child abuse and sexual assault were routinely minimised, justified and rarely brought to light. Facing her own court case, she couldn't shake bigger questions: how had we allowed this to happen, and what would it take to fix it?
In Groomed, Orchard shifts between memoir and research in an attempt to answer these questions. She delves into culture, neuroscience and evolution, unpicking the enduring narratives that fuel these issues. As she navigates her way through a legal system stacked against victims of sexual assault, the obstacles to justice become clearer and more confronting than ever.
Shocking, compelling and completely absorbing, this is an essential read from a fearless Australian writer.
1146567790
Groomed: A memoir about abuse, the search for justice and how we fail to keep our children safe
The first thing I need to know,' I said to the detective, 'is has a crime been committed?'
Sonia Orchard was in her forties when she told a therapist about the boyfriend she had when she was fifteen. Sure, he had been a decade older than her, but it was consensual ... wasn't it? To her surprise, Sonia broke down in tears, then began to shake uncontrollably - an unmistakable expression of trauma that lasted for days. She was clearly not okay, but could the relationship she'd thought was loving really have been abuse? Had she been groomed?
Years later, her own daughters now teenagers and the March4Justice changing the conversation about sexual assault, Sonia tentatively called the police. As she began the gruelling journey through the legal system, she saw how allegations of child abuse and sexual assault were routinely minimised, justified and rarely brought to light. Facing her own court case, she couldn't shake bigger questions: how had we allowed this to happen, and what would it take to fix it?
In Groomed, Orchard shifts between memoir and research in an attempt to answer these questions. She delves into culture, neuroscience and evolution, unpicking the enduring narratives that fuel these issues. As she navigates her way through a legal system stacked against victims of sexual assault, the obstacles to justice become clearer and more confronting than ever.
Shocking, compelling and completely absorbing, this is an essential read from a fearless Australian writer.
10.83 In Stock
Groomed: A memoir about abuse, the search for justice and how we fail to keep our children safe

Groomed: A memoir about abuse, the search for justice and how we fail to keep our children safe

by Sonia Orchard
Groomed: A memoir about abuse, the search for justice and how we fail to keep our children safe

Groomed: A memoir about abuse, the search for justice and how we fail to keep our children safe

by Sonia Orchard

eBook

$10.83 

Available on Compatible NOOK devices, the free NOOK App and in My Digital Library.
WANT A NOOK?  Explore Now

Related collections and offers


Overview

The first thing I need to know,' I said to the detective, 'is has a crime been committed?'
Sonia Orchard was in her forties when she told a therapist about the boyfriend she had when she was fifteen. Sure, he had been a decade older than her, but it was consensual ... wasn't it? To her surprise, Sonia broke down in tears, then began to shake uncontrollably - an unmistakable expression of trauma that lasted for days. She was clearly not okay, but could the relationship she'd thought was loving really have been abuse? Had she been groomed?
Years later, her own daughters now teenagers and the March4Justice changing the conversation about sexual assault, Sonia tentatively called the police. As she began the gruelling journey through the legal system, she saw how allegations of child abuse and sexual assault were routinely minimised, justified and rarely brought to light. Facing her own court case, she couldn't shake bigger questions: how had we allowed this to happen, and what would it take to fix it?
In Groomed, Orchard shifts between memoir and research in an attempt to answer these questions. She delves into culture, neuroscience and evolution, unpicking the enduring narratives that fuel these issues. As she navigates her way through a legal system stacked against victims of sexual assault, the obstacles to justice become clearer and more confronting than ever.
Shocking, compelling and completely absorbing, this is an essential read from a fearless Australian writer.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781923293397
Publisher: Affirm Press
Publication date: 01/28/2025
Sold by: SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format: eBook
Pages: 341
File size: 3 MB

About the Author

Sonia Orchard is the author of a memoir, Something More Wonderful, and a novel The Virtuoso, which won the Indie Award for Best Debut Fiction of 2009. She has a PhD in Creative Writing and lives in the Macedon Ranges with her husband and three children.
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews