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One of Us: Sex, Violence, Injustice. Resilience, Love, Hope
In this autobiographical narrative, Sandi Giver describes a harrowing experience with the military judicial system. As a civilian victim of sexual assault, she vividly brings to light the challenges of seeking legal justice when all odds are against the victim. Giver takes the reader from the night of the assault in Uganda as a Peace Corps volunteer to a Norfolk, Virginia, courtroom recounting intimate details to help protect others from a sexual predator. At a time when the Peace Corps was under scrutiny for not supporting victims of sexual assault and the military for not keeping alleged perpetrators accountable, this case was the perfect storm.
254 pages, Paperback
Published November 15, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 9, 2018
Sandi Giver was a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) in Uganda when she was raped by a member of the United States armed forces. This book is a memoir that started out as a written statement to the Naval Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS) about her rape. It took incredible courage for the author to tell her story, and she does so with a candor and attention to detail that is remarkable.
In addition to the core story of the author’s rape and participation in two military trials, she includes information about her childhood, her work history prior to Peace Corps, being physically assaulted by her landlord in Uganda, and much more. It is a very far-reaching memoir, which is impressively thorough, though at times almost painful to read.
For a description of the theme of the book, I quote Ms Giver. She states it better than I could. “Knowledge of sexual assault doesn’t make someone immune to having an incident. Just because I had worked with individuals who had been raped, it didn’t mean that I was immune to falling in the trap of a rapist. Working with a population is far different than being a part of that population.”
This book is a valuable resource that should be made available in every Peace Corps country office abroad, and in every recruiter’s office stateside! It is recommended reading for every new PCV and for other folks who work abroad, whether for the US government or an NGO.
Though well written, this isn’t a book you read just for the story, but one that you also read because you need the information, insight and inspiration it contains. If anything, the current #MeToo movement makes this book even more relevant and timely than it already was.
In addition to the core story of the author’s rape and participation in two military trials, she includes information about her childhood, her work history prior to Peace Corps, being physically assaulted by her landlord in Uganda, and much more. It is a very far-reaching memoir, which is impressively thorough, though at times almost painful to read.
For a description of the theme of the book, I quote Ms Giver. She states it better than I could. “Knowledge of sexual assault doesn’t make someone immune to having an incident. Just because I had worked with individuals who had been raped, it didn’t mean that I was immune to falling in the trap of a rapist. Working with a population is far different than being a part of that population.”
This book is a valuable resource that should be made available in every Peace Corps country office abroad, and in every recruiter’s office stateside! It is recommended reading for every new PCV and for other folks who work abroad, whether for the US government or an NGO.
Though well written, this isn’t a book you read just for the story, but one that you also read because you need the information, insight and inspiration it contains. If anything, the current #MeToo movement makes this book even more relevant and timely than it already was.
February 22, 2017
Read this book cover to cover in one sitting. I can easily relate to many Peace Corps books as there are similar experiences for all Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. Many fail to relate specifically to the challenges women face working in the field as well as living and working in post-conflict communities. This courageous story is heartbreaking of how the system fails us but brings light to those who stand in truth.
March 13, 2017
Gratitude – that is what I felt upon finishing Sandi Giver’s debut work. Through One of Us, the author bravely summons us all to experience her suffering and frustration as a sexual assault survivor seeking justice in a system that does not always deliver. At the same time, she provides us with a uniquely intimate perspective on the life-altering work that Peace Corps volunteers contribute toward marginalized communities in the developing world. Her voice is sad and rightfully angry at times, but her strength and courage shine through. Her story needed to be told, and we as readers and advocates need to ensure the world hears it. I interviewed the author in March 2017. Read about her experience writing One of Us here: http://wp.me/P8iKZE-9Y
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews