After
Silence:After
Silence:
Rape and My Journey Back
by Nancy Venable Raine
Hardcover -
288 pages (August 1998)
Crown Pub; ISBN:
0517706830
Synopsis
"Silence has the rusty taste of shame. The words shut up
are the most terrible words I know. . . . The man who raped me spat
these words out over and over during the hours of my attack--when I
screamed, when I tried to talk him out of what he was doing, when I
protested. It seemed to me that for seven years--until at last I
spoke--these words had sunk into my soul and become prophecy. And it
seems to me now that these words, the brutish message of tyrants,
preserve the darkness that still covers this pervasive crime. The
real shame, as I have learned, is to consent to them."
After Silence is Nancy Venable Raine's eloquent, profoundly moving
response to her rapist's command to "shut up," a command that is so
often echoed by society and internalized by rape victims. Beginning
with her assault by a stranger in her home in 1985, Raine's riveting
narrative of the ten-year aftermath of her rape brings to light the
truth that survivors of traumatic experiences know--a trauma does not
end when you find yourself alive.
Just as devastating as the rape itself was the silence that shrouded
it, a silence born of her own feelings of shame as well as the
incomprehension of others. Raine gives shape, form, and voice to the
"unspeakable" and exposes the misconceptions and cruelties that
surround this prevalent though hidden crime. With formidable power
and in intimate detail, she probes the long-term psychological and
physiological aftereffects of rape, its tangled sexual confusions,
the treatment of rape by the media and the legal and medical
professions, and contemporary cultural views of victimhood.
For anyone, female or male, who has suffered from or witnessed the
shattering effects of rape, After Silence inspires and points the way
to healing. This landmark book is a stunning literary achievement
that is a testimony to the power of language to transform the worst
sort of violation and suffering into meaning and into art.
Reviews:
Linda from Honolulu, Hawaii
, July 7, 1999 A must read for everyone!
An exceptional book on a very difficult subject. Ms. Raine captures
many of the issues and concerns that rape victims must face. Most
importantly, as a victim of rape she captures the emotional turmoil
that surrounds all aspects of this life changing experience. As a
rape victim I felt and went through many of those same experiences. I
serve as a major in the US Army and I recently published "Ultimate
Power Enemy Within the Ranks". I was raped 6 years ago by my
Battalion Commander. The process that I went through was brutal.
Recovery ... years ... continues.
During speaking engagements I encourage others to read "After Silence: Rape and My Journey Back". It serves as a useful tool for others and for victims to learn about and understand the process that women go through as they recover from rape. The most horrible aspect of being a rape victim is that you do not understand the what or why of what is happening as you struggle to recover. I believe that the education of others on that process will help victims, families, friends, and those in the work place deal with this very difficult issue and make the recovery process for the victim less painful. "After Silence ... does that and more.
I admire Ms. Raine for her courage and determination to make a difference. To say "Thank You" is not enough for her contribution to our communities in writning this book. It should be required reading in every high school.
A reader from Longview, Washington
, June 2, 1999 Finally someone put my feelings into
words!
My rape is'nt even a year old yet. I checked the book out of the
library 3 different times before I finally was able to pick it up and
read it. After that, I had it finished in 3 days. My wounds are still
very raw and reading this book often led to tears, anger and fear. It
brought to the surface the things I had been forcing out of my memory
and through reading the book, also helped me to understand those
things much better. I feel strangely better that there are other
people out there who feel like I do, who struggle everyday,
wondering..Am I crazy? Thanks aren't enough to Nancy for this
incredible book which I have passed on to those closest to me and
even some who ended up far away. Thank You Nancy! I can speak
again.
A reader from Los Angeles, CA
, March 15, 1999 well-written, thorough account of a
rape experience
Reading this book did much to illuminate the experience of rape, and
how our rape culture hampers the healing process.
A reader from New York City
, February 18, 1999 THANK YOU TO THE AUTHOR
I am grateful to Nancy Venable Raine for putting into words what so
many people who have suffered through trauma find so difficult to
talk about, even with a therapist. The most profound and helpful
aspect of this book is her attempt at thought and language around
this still taboo subject of rape and its aftermath. It is also a
profound analysis, both personal and social, of society's
disinclination to including rape in the dialectic of believable
crimes which, because it is still viewed as a sexual act, is
therefore suspect as to its true nature. How and why this results in
the tremendous shame, self-doubt and self-blame the survivors of rape
often experience, is Nancy Venable Raine's gift to her readers.
A reader from San Francisco, CA
, February 8, 1999 incredibly moving
Raine uses the word rape so many times in this book that the stigma
of it is released and it somehow has a calming effect. I felt myself
cringe a little every time I read it. I have tried to avoid that word
so much in the past few years and reading this book shook me out of
any denial that I had and forced me to see the word "Rape" for what
it is and what it means. I can now use the word freely, without shame
or embarrasment and I do not shutter at the sound of it. The book was
stunning and real and I highly recommend it. One women wrote that she
wished she could give it to all of her friends and family and I think
that I will. It helps to have others understand. Reading this book is
a good way for them to.
A reader from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, February 1, 1999 After Silence touches your soul and
helps healing begin.
This book has helped me tremendously! A friend of mine was date raped
and I desperately wanted to know and try to understand what she was
(is) going through. "After Silence" is a must for survivors, loved
ones, and friends. Nancy Venable Raine vividly brings to life her
story of survival and helps those who did not have to live through a
violation start to understand the physical, mental, spiritual,
emotional effects that ripple through survivors lives forever. Thank
you so much Nancy for having the courage to find your voice and your
strength. It has meant a world of difference to me and my friend.
A reader from Paradise Bay,
WA , January 30, 1999 The touchstone of hope for one in
four women.
Ms Raine's book broke through my memories of pain and gave me back my
memories of joy. She validated my fear, my grief, and lighted the
path I have ahead. Her memory of learning to tie her own shoes was my
memory. Her detailed research and painful healing roused my spirit as
nothing has in almost seven years. Physical therapy can heal torn
shoulders and Psychotherapy can heal post traumatic stress disorder.
It is o.k. to live and to never again be the same.
A reader from Boston, Mass.
, January 19, 1999 Exquisite account
Nancy V. Raine has produced a moving and courageous account of her
"living nightmare." Beautifully written and conceived, the book
should be read by everyone concerned with violence in our culture.
Thank you, Nancy!