Jeannie Vanasco has had the same nightmare since she was a teenager. It
is always about him: one of her closest high school friends, a boy named
Mark. A boy who raped her. When her nightmares worsen, Jeannie
decides--after fourteen years of silence--to reach out to Mark. He
agrees to talk on the record and meet in person.
Jeannie details her friendship with Mark before and after the assault,
asking the brave and urgent question: Is it possible for a good person
to commit a terrible act? Jeannie interviews Mark, exploring how rape
has impacted his life as well as her own.
Unflinching and courageous, Things We Didn't Talk About When I Was a
Girl is part memoir, part true crime record, and part testament to the
strength of female friendships--a recounting and reckoning that will
inspire us to ask harder questions, push towards deeper understanding,
and continue a necessary and long overdue conversation.