About this item
In a book that is both urgent and timely, Melissa Ostrom explores the intricacies of shame and victim-blaming that accompany the aftermath of assault. After surviving an assault at an off-campus party, nineteen-year-old Maggie is escaping her college town, and, because her reporting the crime has led to the expulsion of some popular athletes, many people -- in particular, the outraged Tigers fans -- are happy to see her go. Maggie moves in with her Aunt Wren, a sculptor who lives in an isolated cabin bordered by nothing but woods and water. Maggie wants to forget, heal, and hide, but her aunt's place harbors secrets and situations that complicate the plan. Worse, the trauma Maggie hoped to leave behind has followed her, haunting her in ways she can't control, including flashbacks, insomnia and a sense of panic. Her troubles intensify when she begins to receive messages from another student who has survived a rape on her old campus. Just when Maggie musters the courage to answer her emails, the young woman goes silent.
About the Author
Melissa Ostrom teaches English at Genesee Community College in Batavia, New York. Her short fiction has appeared in The Florida Review, Quarter After Eight, The Baltimore Review, and Passages North, among other literary journals. The Beloved Wild (Macmillan, March 2018) is her YA debut. Her second novel, tentatively entitled The Unleaving, is forthcoming from Macmillan in 2019. She lives with her family in Holley, New York.Visit her online at melissaostrom.com. Follow her on Twitter: @melostrom
