Missoula

This is a powerful book and one that is–and should be–hard to read. There are a lot of graphic, detailed descriptions of rape in this. Which isn't surprising, given the subject matter, but just, you know, heads up. I had to stop reading it before bedtime and move it to daylight hours only reading.

Anyway. Jon Krakauer is fantastic at spinning nonfiction narrative out of exhaustive research, and this is no exception. He's done a great job at connecting all the disparate threads of rape in Missoula (campus police, academic deans, local police, DOJ, victims, rapists, etc etc etc) into both a big-picture story for Missoula and also a microcosm for rape culture on college campuses and towns across the US.

Krakauer admits up front that he was shocked to hear a friend had been raped and has been embarrassed to realize how much he didn't know about rape culture. So, some of the things that are shocking to Krakauer are things that I (and let's be real, most women with internet connections) were already aware of? But his research and narrative arc here are still compelling, and honestly, I think it's great that an Important White Man has written a book like this. I hope men will read it.