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Quick answer: If you read Eggshell Skull, read Chanel Miller's Know My Name, then Unbelievable, Hunger, Educated and The Trauma Cleaner. All are powerful true accounts of survival, justice and how courts treat victims.
Bri Lee's 2018 memoir follows her time as a judge's associate in Queensland courts, where she saw how sexual assault cases unfolded, and her own decision to report a past assault. It is frank, thoughtful and critical of the system. Please note it deals with sexual assault. The books below offer similar powerful accounts of trauma, justice and recovery.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Know My Name | Chanel Miller | Adult | survivor memoir |
| Unbelievable | T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong | Adult | investigative account |
| Hunger | Roxane Gay | Adult | memoir of the body |
| Educated | Tara Westover | Adult | memoir of education |
| The Trauma Cleaner | Sarah Krasnostein | Adult | portrait of a woman |
| Missoula | Jon Krakauer | Adult | campus assault cases |
| Just Mercy | Bryan Stevenson | Adult | justice and courts |
| Speak | Laurie Halse Anderson | Teen | silence after trauma |
| Women Talking | Miriam Toews | Adult | women decide |
| The Choke | Sofie Laguna | Adult | rural childhood |
| Girl, Interrupted | Susanna Kaysen | Adult | memoir of hospitalisation |
| Chokehold | Paul Butler | Adult | policing and race |
| My Dark Vanessa | Kate Elizabeth Russell | Adult | trauma and memory |
| I Have the Right To | Chessy Prout | Adult | survivor memoir |
| Becoming | Michelle Obama | Adult | memoir |
1. Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Miller reclaims her story after a sexual assault case. Powerful and lyrical.
Best for: survivor memoir.
2. Unbelievable by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong
Two journalists tell the story of a young woman who was not believed and the detectives who found the truth. Gripping and humane.
Best for: investigative account.
3. Hunger by Roxane Gay
Gay writes honestly about trauma and body image. Fierce and tender.
Best for: memoir of the body.
4. Educated by Tara Westover
A woman raised off the grid teaches herself and goes to university. Powerful and moving.
Best for: memoir of education.
5. The Trauma Cleaner by Sarah Krasnostein
A woman cleans sites of death and neglect. Humane and unexpected.
Best for: portrait of a woman.
6. Missoula by Jon Krakauer
Krakauer investigates cases of rape at the University of Montana. Detailed and critical.
Best for: campus assault cases.
7. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
A young lawyer fights wrongful convictions in Alabama. Moving and widely read.
Best for: justice and courts.
8. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
A freshman who was assaulted stops speaking. Clear, tough and powerful.
Best for: silence after trauma.
9. Women Talking by Miriam Toews
Women in a colony meet to decide how to respond to assaults. Wry and powerful.
Best for: women decide.
10. The Choke by Sofie Laguna
A girl grows up in rural Australia with neglect and love. Tender and rich.
Best for: rural childhood.
11. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
Kaysen recalls her time in a psychiatric hospital. Short and haunting.
Best for: memoir of hospitalisation.
12. Chokehold by Paul Butler
Butler examines how the law treats Black men. Provocative and clear.
Best for: policing and race.
13. My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
A woman looks back at an abusive relationship with a teacher. Difficult and powerful.
Best for: trauma and memory.
14. I Have the Right To by Chessy Prout
A teenager speaks out after an assault at her school. Direct and brave.
Best for: survivor memoir.
15. Becoming by Michelle Obama
Obama recalls her childhood, career and time in the White House. Honest and inspiring.
Best for: memoir.
How to Choose
For more Lee read her other books on justice. For survivor memoirs choose Know My Name, Hunger or I Have the Right To. For investigations pick Unbelievable or Missoula. For law and justice read Just Mercy or Chokehold. For fiction try Speak, Women Talking or My Dark Vanessa. These books deal with painful topics, so take your time and reach out for support if you need it. Bri Lee has since written other books, including Beauty and Who Gets to Be Smart, so readers who like her voice can follow her work. Eggshell Skull is widely used in discussions about how legal systems treat survivors. Memoirs like this are best read with breaks and support, and many readers pair them with a lighter book in between. If you want an investigation, Unbelievable is gripping. If you want fiction on the same themes, Speak and Women Talking are strong. Audiobooks are available.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Eggshell Skull about?
Bri Lee's experience as a judge's associate and as a complainant in a sexual assault case.
Who wrote it?
Bri Lee.
When was it published?
2018.
What does the title mean?
A legal principle that a defendant takes a victim as they find them.
Is it graphic?
It discusses assault but is not gratuitous.
Is it only about Australia?
It is set in Queensland, but its themes apply widely.
Is it a hard read?
The subject is hard, but the writing is clear and humane.
What should I read next?
Try Know My Name or Unbelievable.
Is Eggshell Skull a legal book?
It mixes memoir with reflections on law.
Is it suitable for students?
It is widely used in law and gender studies, but it deals with sexual assault.
Which book here is best for memoir of education?
Try Educated by Tara Westover, which suits readers looking for memoir of education.