"Lucky"

             Lucky, by Alice Sebold, is the latest addition to my library. Let me tell you—as a woman, this book got me fired up! Learning of the author’s tragic rape made me ready to enroll in law school and go to work defending those women who are blamed and ostracized for a violent act they did not seek.

            The book is the true story of Alice Sebold, who was violently raped while walking home late one night after a study session during her college years. Most of the story shares her experiences after the rape, as she struggles to resume her life and deal with the stigma that surrounds young women who are victims of a violent crime such as this. She puts up a brave fight and eventually gets a conviction for the man who raped her. But the process nearly destroys her. My heart was captured by her struggle; I could empathize with the innocence of a young woman, destroyed by such injustice and fear. I cheered her on as she stumbled through the years, making mistakes, taking many steps backwards, but always fighting to understand herself.

            For me, Lucky is not about rape. It is about injustice and violence and a desperate need to be heard. Lucky made me angry—angry at injustice, angry at the violence that destroys innocence without cause. It triggered a passionate emotion in me such as I have not felt in a long time. A passionate need awoke in me to fight such injustices, to sacrifice my time, resources, and energy in order to make a difference. I believe in justice for the wronged, in healing for the hurting. I believe in it passionately.

Lucky shocked me awake. It woke me to a realization of truth that I had never known before. Violence and injustice is not going to stop until we do something about it. Until we get angry and until we join hands against evil, it’s not going away. But we have to get passionate, angry, motivated. So I challenge you to read Lucky for yourself and awake to the fight. And please, share your reactions with us on Her Voice Is! Let us know what you are passionate about. We are all in this together and would love to hear your stories!

-Brittany Howard

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