Lucky
Book Review

LUCKY BOOK SYNOPSIS

Rape Survivor and Victim Story
Author Alice Sebold writes a stark and bold account of her own rape and its aftermath. Sebold seeks to tell her story with glib and honesty. "The rapist murdered me on the day of my rape, now I was going to murder him back" (113). Sebold takes us through the rape, the courtroom journey, and what happens to her afterward.

QUEENIE B SAYS

Sebold is a rape survivor, no question about it. Because the story has so much raw emotion it becomes something of a cathartic masterpiece for her.

She is fiercely determined to keep the anger of her rape with her so she can trudge down the legal path she must take. Triumphant in the end, she sees her rapist get the maximum sentence and attempts to start her life over by putting it all behind her. The problem is she suffers from post traumatic stress syndrome and remains living unhealthily for a decade.

I admire her for writing this book. I believe her writing about her experience allowed her to move forward and onto writing her next book The Lovely Bones which became a national best seller. It's clear that writing this book was her way of letting go of the "rape stigma."

The courtroom trial itself was rather monotonous and boring to me as a reader. While I understand the need for her to express every detail, I feel that this book would be more interesting and helpful to other rape survivors or perhaps members of the legal system.

When all is said and read, I do enjoy Sebold's style of writing. She is quick and to the point with a true wit about her.

LUCKY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What do you find the most inspirational about Sebold's rape story?
2. Do you think the police handled her case properly and with compassion?
3. Because this happened to her, do you think it's easier for Sebold to writer about rape and murder in her fiction books?