Aftermath

Susan J. Brison is the Eunice and Julian Cohen Professor for the Study of Ethics and Human Values and Professor of Philosophy at Dartmouth College.

"I think this is a great book--I use those words sparingly--deeply revealing and fundamentally pessimistic. It is more painful and far less sentimental than Anne Frank's diary."---Jonathan Mirsky, The Spectator --- "How do you cope with the catastrophic calamity of sexual assault and near murder if you are a philosopher dedicated to rational discourse? Those are the questions posed by [author] Brison in a poignant account. . . . A moving diary of personal trauma and recovery." --- "Brison's descriptions of the horrors of the first weeks after the assault are absorbing and perceptive. . . . [She] is no less engaging when she examines the literature of trauma, victimization and recovery. . . . [An] inspiring volume."---Mimi Wesson, Women's Review of Books --- "Brison's personal narrative and research on surviving rape will attract broad readership, and the more philosophical reflections will attract those interested in a multidisciplinary look at how individuals and society cope with the threat and reality of violence. A courageous work on how society treats trauma victims and how trauma victims can reclaim the recovery process and their lives." --- "A wise and extremely moving reflection on [individual trauma]."---Patricia J. Williams, The Nation --- "Aftermath is an affecting and spirited record of how [Brison] managed, with great difficulty, to put [her life] back together, but in new and unexpected forms. . . . [It] works as the story of a life pulled back from the brink because, at its best, it exemplifies its own arguemnt for the lasting power of narrative."---Martin Levin, Toronto Globe and Mail --- "An intellectually stimulating read. . . . Brison's reflections . . . will resonate with anyone who has experienced great pain and suffering, as well as with the people who love and care for them. . . . This is a brave and inspiring book . . . [which] goes far beyond typical memoirs of surviving dreadful circumstances." --- "An illuminating study. . . . Susan Brison charts the disintegration of identity that occurs after sexual violence, and the long and arduous journey back toward a new self. . . . Restrained, lucid, and elegant, Aftermath is a testament to endurance and, ultimately, to survival."---Jo Ann Beard, O, The Oprah Magazine