Jenevieve Nelson answers “Is there a reason there had to be a 30...”

Ashley asked this question about 28 Summers:

Is there a reason there had to be a 30 minute diatribe on the "Cavandish" nominee? It totally made me uninterested in the finish of the story.

Jenevieve Nelson Wow, well first of all I'm really disappointed in how many comments here are implying that women lie about sexual assault, even in fiction. As someone…moreWow, well first of all I'm really disappointed in how many comments here are implying that women lie about sexual assault, even in fiction. As someone who has experienced a situation where I don't know what happened, it's deeply troubling how quickly women are to dismiss other women's stories of assault. This is a complicated story where the main character is a serial cheater, and your issue is with Jake's actual wife remembering a situation where a man took advantage of her? Y'all should seriously think about your priorities.

I felt it was a necessary part of the reader liking Ursula. Mallory might be the protagonist, but she's not the good guy. Ursula also has faults, but she doesn't carry on an affair for nearly 30 years behind Jake's back. It's important that by the end we see Ursula as the complicated woman that she is, and I think that humanizes her in another layer. Over the whole book Ursula has the most personal growth. She evolves from a frigid workaholic to a woman who cares deeply for her daughter and wants to see a better world for her daughter. In the beginning, she never would have voted against it because it would have impacted her professional plans. By the end, she's got the biggest conscience and pushes herself to act accordingly. (less)

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