A Kirkus Best Book of 2024

An “impeccably researched book” (Michelle Bowdler)about intimate abuse, campus politics, and the narratives we choose to believe “gives a fresh perspective on what it means to be a survivor.” (Kirkus starred review)

In this poignant self-investigation, historian and journalist Joy Neumeyer explores how violence against women is portrayed, perceived, and adjudicated today. Interweaving the harrowing account of the abuse she experienced as a graduate student at Berkeley with those of others who faced violence on campus and beyond, Neumeyer offers a startling look at how the hotly-debated Title IX system has altered university politics and culture, and uncovers the willful misremembrance that enables misconduct on scales large and small.

Deeply researched, daringly inquisitive, and resonant for our times, A Survivor’s Education reveals the entanglement of storytelling, abuse, and powerand how we can balance narrative and evidence in our attempts to determine what really happened.

A timely memoir about intimate abuse, campus politics, and the narratives we choose to believe

In this poignant self-investigation, historian and journalist Joy Neumeyer explores how violence against women is portrayed, perceived, and adjudicated today. Interweaving the harrowing account of the abuse she experienced as a graduate student at Berkeley with those of others who faced violence on campus and beyond, Neumeyer offers a startling look at how the hotly-debated Title IX system has altered university politics and culture, and uncovers the willful misremembrance that enables misconduct on scales large and small.

Deeply researched, daringly inquisitive, and resonant for our times,A Survivor’s Educationreveals the entanglement of storytelling, abuse, and powerand how we can balance narrative and evidence in our attempts to determine what really happened.