Unleaving

A haunting exploration of trauma, shame, and the aftermath of assault

In Unleaving, Melissa Ostrom delves into the complexities of shame and victim-blaming that follow a sexual assault. After surviving an attack at an off-campus party, nineteen-year-old Maggie leaves her college town behind. With the expulsion of popular athletes due to her reporting of the crime, many Tigers fans are glad to see her go.

Seeking solace, Maggie moves in with her Aunt Wren, a sculptor living in a secluded cabin surrounded by woods and water. Despite her hopes to forget, heal, and hide, Maggie's trauma follows her, manifesting in flashbacks, insomnia, and a constant sense of panic. Her struggles intensify when she begins receiving messages from another student who has survived a rape on her old campus, only to have the young woman go silent just as Maggie musters the courage to respond.

In this urgent and timely novel, Ostrom explores the enduring impact of sexual assault and the challenges survivors face in the pursuit of healing and justice. Unleaving is a poignant and empowering story that will resonate with fans of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak.