Notes on a Silencing

This book blew me away. It is not an easy listen; it is gut-wrenching and tragic, but it is so well-written and narrated that I couldn\’t stop listening. I finished it in two days. The author\’s narration was excellent; her tone and expression were perfect. The content of the book is traumatic, but anyone involved in the world of education should listen. The tale of abuse and cover-up is shocking and needs to be told. This should be required reading for all teachers and administrators, especially those at boarding schools. 34 people found this helpful

The author, fueled by righteous indignation brought on by her mistreatment at the hands of her elite boarding school, lays the whole tangled mess of her adolescence on the table for all to see. That takes real guts, and she obviously has real guts. I found the book disturbing on several levels. For one, Crawford paints an unlovely portrayal of St. Paul\’s School in Concord, NH, and the lengths to which the power elite in that school went to preserve their reputation at the author\’s expense. She was unjustly and unfairly treated by the school and its faculty and students, for reasons beyond her control. If the events in the book had happened during the MeToo era, I think things would have turned out very differently for her. Or at least I hope so. But I also found the descriptions of the toxically hierarchical system and structure of the school very disturbing, not only because they make life very difficult for the rank and file students of the school, but because they perpetuate and aggrandize concepts like entitlement and excellence and athletic prowess. I know I\’m stating the obvious here, for those who are familiar with institutions like St. Paul\’s, but I found Crawford\’s insider descriptions of the place really distasteful. On the other hand, I was grateful to get a peek inside its hallowed halls, perhaps just so I could tsk and tut and think, \”thank goodness my kids and grandkids didn\’t go there.\” But on a deeper level, it\’s upsetting and disturbing to think that the slice of American culture that holds places like St. Paul\’s School to be sacred pinnacles of educational and cultural perfection could be so misguided and wrong. It turns out to be bad for many (most?) of its kids, bad for many (most?) faculty who buy into its misguided ideals and yet molest students, and bad for society who esteem such a lopsided value system. Finally, despite respecting the author\’s courage and writing skills, I was disappointed by her treatise, and kept hoping for a broader contextual view of what had happened to her and how it had affected her and how she saw that reflected in the greater world around her. That said, I admire her for putting her righteous indignation and anger to good use. I hope that her book will encourage other girls who find themselves in the same position to come forward and tell all so that the perpetrators, be they the sexual predators themselves or the school officials who cover up acts of sexual predation, can be called to justice. 26 people found this helpful

\”Notes on a Silencing\” is the book that everyone thinking about attending St. Paul\’s should read. I was there in the 1960s. The book evokes the essence of all that SPS is, should be and might become. It calls for reformation, which we can only pray will happen. \”Notes on a Silencing\” is also the book that every mature person should read. It reveals the truth of silencing and the truth of abuse. \”Notes on a Silencing\” is a must read book for mature readers. 22 people found this helpful

This might be the post powerful and disturbing book I have ever listened to. This memoir feels so real and so painful. It is more than just a book about a girl who is sexually assaulted at her school, a boarding school in NH (St. Pauls). It is a full coming-of-age memoir that is so well written. I was drawn to this because I am a high school teacher, at a school that competes with St. Paul\’s. Lacy Crawford is an incredible writer. Her amazing prose transports the reader into her shoes, complete with the frustration, pain, and the joy of adolescence. To me, this was riveting and painful. It showed many educators at their worst, but it also showed the incredible impact of good teachers in a student\’s life. I commend the author for stepping forward and telling her important and compelling story. 21 people found this helpful

Five stars are insufficient to capture the gob-smacking genius of this book. At once brutal and gorgeous, Crawford\’s exquisite account of her experience will set every survivor\’s heart on fire; I wish that none of us had these stories to tell, but it helps so much to hear them. 16 people found this helpful

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