Commute: An Illustrated Memoir of Female Shame

“It's the monotonous and mundane tragedy of every woman you know.” No, it's not, but most women I know have experienced multiple aspects of Williams's story — and every woman will recognize the toxic culture she depicts. The one that grooms women into growing up frightened, insecure, ashamed, and willing to put up with the vilest forms of abuse from men. (Side note: I thought I knew shame and self-loathing, but nothing in my life compares to what Williams has confronted.)

This is a hell of a ride, and it's worth staying on despite its occasional disjointedness and stumbles. It's a vulnerable work, requiring courage beyond my imagining. Erin Williams the protagonist is not a likable or relatable character, but Erin Williams the writer—older, stronger—draws her that way for a reason, starkly yet with compassion. And, I repeat, with tremendous courage.

(I found myself wondering who this book was for: the kind of people who most need to read it won't, or if they do they will dismiss it. In the end I think the book is for Williams herself, and brava. I consider it a privilege to have read it, and am grateful for the opportunity, and hope to use it to become an increasingly better ally.)