Book
Missoula : rape and the justice system in a college town / Jon Krakauer.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780385538732 (hardcover)
- ISBN: 9780804170567 (trade paperback)
- Physical Description: xiv, 367 pages ; 25 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York. New York : Doubleday, [2015]
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Author's note -- Part One: Allison -- Part Two: Before the law sits a gatekeeper -- Part Three: Unwanted attention -- Part Four: Scales of justice -- Part Five: Trial by jury -- Part Six: Aftershocks -- Dramatis personae -- Acknowledgments -- Selected bibliography. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Rape > Montana > Missoula. Rape victims > Montana > Missoula. Trials (Rape) > Montana > Missoula. |
Available copies
- 21 of 22 copies available at Sitka.
- 1 of 1 copy available at Kimberley Public Library. (Show preferred library)
Holds
- 0 current holds with 0 total copies.
Other Formats and Editions
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Spring Island Public Library | 362.883 KRA (Text) | 33123009488975 | Non-fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
| Smithers Public Library | ANF 362.883 KRA (Text) | 35101000453469 | Adult Non-Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
| Valemount Public Library | anf 362.883 kra (Text) | 35194014236095 | Adult non-fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
| Vanderhoof Public Library | 362.88309786 KRA (Text) | 35193000304339 | Adult Non-Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
| Whistler Public Library | 362.883097 KRA (Text) | 33987001022838 | Adult Non-Fiction | Volume hold | Checked out | 2024-05-09 |
| McBride | 362.883 Kra (Text) | 35191000265542 | Adult Non fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
| Russell Library | NF 362.8 KRA (Text) | 36730000146324 | Non Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
| Stelly's Secondary School | 362.883 KRA (Text) | 21050000219683 | Non-fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
| Swan River Library | 362.88 KRAK (Text) | 33880000613782 | Adult Non Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
| Williams Lake Branch | 362.883 KRA (Text) | 33923005486042 | Non-fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2015 June #1
*Starred Review* Missoula, Montana, a college town of 70,000 people in western Montana, has made headlines in recent years for rape, both on and off the University of Montana campus, and most notably for the number of cases involving players on the University of Montana Grizzlies football team. The notoriety has spawned everything from a viral blog post ("My Weekend in America's So-Called âRape Capital,'" Jezebel) to a Department of Justice investigation. Krakauer, who most recently wrote about another scandal with a Montana connection (Three Cups of Deceit, 2011, examines the misdeeds of Three Cups of Tea author Greg Mortenson, whose Central Asia Institute was headquartered in Bozeman), tackles several highly charged cases and reminds us that rape is often not an instance of "he said, she said" but "she said, he denied, and the community refused to listen." Built primarily around the cases of Beau Donaldson, the Montana Grizzlies fullback and linebacker convicted of rape, and Jordan Johnson, the star quarterback ultimately acquitted of the charge, Missoula tells a much larger story, one that comprises multiple cases, scores of people, and a detailed time line. While the book showcases Krakauer's rigorous reporting and disciplined writing styleâhe doesn't waste a word on the sceneryâthe clinical blow-by-blow seems barely to conceal his rage. What he reveals is a clear pattern in which young women who reported being raped were not properly served by the agents of justice in Missoula. "Do you have a boyfriend?" is a question commonly asked by investigators, with the insinuation that women who regret cheating on their boyfriends regularly recast consensual sex as rape. With a few notable exceptions, the women were disbelieved, condescended to, and then expected to be understanding when prosecutors declined to vigorously pursue their attackers. Using a transcript, Krakauer re-creates one mind-blowing scene in which a detective soothes in motherly fashion the accused rapist she is supposed to be interrogating: "Don't beat yourself up more than you already have about this, okay?" What are we to make of the fact that some of those who fail the victims are women themselves? Missoula, despite its reputation as a blue oasis in a red state (a popular local saying is that Missoula is only "20 minutes from Montana"), is crazy about its football team. The raped women, their friends, family, and defenders, and even a local reporter who covers the stories, face ostracism, threats, and the accusation that they are somehow making things up in order to harm the football program. It seems little wonder when we learn how few rapes actually get reported. Krakauer is clearly angry but channels his anger into an important document that, if there is any justice in the world, will better our society's understanding and treatment of rape. Though this makes for grim reading, and the sheer volume of information can make the story somewhat difficult to follow (particularly the passages involving the defendant Donaldson, a detective named Donovan, and attorney with the last name Datsopolous), readers will be impelled forward by the sheer, heartbreaking injustice of it all. Many Missoulians will feel unfairly maligned by the book's title, which has stirred further controversy in a town that thinks of itself, with some justification, as progressive in many ways. While this book may be unique in its disquieting particularsâfor instance, the chief deputy county attorney who abruptly resigns, enters private practice, and joins the defense of Johnsonâthe problem is universal. Krakauer points out that Missoula's rape statistics are actually very much like those of other similarly sized college towns throughout the U.S. It is to be hoped that we won't need a book written for each one of them, too, before things get better. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews. - Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2015 May #1
The bestselling journalist dives into the acquaintance rape scandal that enveloped the University of Montana and members of its football team, coupled with the inability (or refusal?) of local prosecutors to convict accused rapists. In May 2012, Jezebel posted an article, "My Weekend in America's So-Called âRape Capital,' " referring to Missoula, Montana, though both the writer of that article and Krakauer (Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way, 2011, etc.) note that the rate of reported rapes in Missoula was commensurate with the rates in other college towns. Given the fanatic devotion for the Grizzlies, the university's football team, and the fact that its players were accused of both gang and one-on-one rapes, Krakauer finds in Missoula the perfect storm of scandal. (In fact, some locals like to believe that football players don't need to rape anyone because they can have sex with whomever they'd like.) The author homes in on the s tories of several victims: one whose assailant was convicted, one whose wasn't, and another whose crime was punished by expulsion from the universityâthough he was never found legally guilty (one revealing thread of Krakauer's investigations is the appalling ineptitude of university administrators when confronted with accusations of rape among their students). The author focuses on the plight of a brave undergrad who, after considerable trepidation, decided to go public with her accusation against star player Beau Donaldson. Krakauer has done considerable research into acquaintance rape, and his recounting of trials, both legal and university proceedings, is riveting. His focus on quoting from testimony means that it is harder for readers to understand the motivations of someone like Kirsten Pabst, a former prosecutor who became a lawyer for an accused football player; an interview with her could have been useful. A raw and difficult but necessary read. Copyright Kirkus 2015 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved. - Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews 2015 June #1
The subject of campus rape has undergone scrutiny lately with press coverage focusing on sensational cases of false reporting as in the Duke University lacrosse scandal and the discredited Rolling Stone story about events related to the University of Virginia. Yet as noted here, unreported crimes appear to be a more common problem. Applying an impressive array of interviews, legal and newspaper files, and government and scientific papers, veteran author Krakauer (Under the Banner of Heaven; Into the Wild) meticulously details several recent cases in the college town of Missoula, MT. The author proposes to explain why at least 80 percent of such offenses are not reported and to explore their devastating repercussions. The book is organized around the dynamics of each case, from brutal act to offender disposition, in the context of the athlete-centered nature of Missoula and a complex interplay among local law enforcement, university personnel, and the Department of Justice. Krakauer debunks myths about rape and passionately argues for reform in attitudes and the procedures employed in such incidents. Essentially a case study, this book also raises universal issues about a serious social problem. VERDICT An engrossing journalistic account with graphic details that should appeal to true crime enthusiasts and victim advocates but may shock general readers.âAntoinette Brinkman, formerly with Southwest Indiana Mental Health Ctr. Lib., Evansville
[Page 118]. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. - PW Annex Reviews : Publishers Weekly Annex Reviews
Sexual-assault victims are routinely met with indifference and incomprehension, according to this impassioned study of campus rape. Journalist Krakauer (Into Thin Air) follows a rash of rapes at the University of Montana in Missoula from 2010 to 2012, events that sparked a furor and a Justice Department investigation; Krakauer sticks with two cases in particular through agonizing courtroom dramas, spotlighting the two obstacles to justice. The first is haphazard investigation, made worse by the callousness and suspicion about the motives of women making rape allegations on the part of the university administration, the Missoula Police, and the county attorney's office. (The county's chief sexual-assault attorney quit and joined the defense in a high-profile rape case against the University's star quarterback.) The second is the counterintuitive behavior of traumatized victims, which often undermines their claims. (The quarterback's accuser failed to call for help from her nearby roommate, then sent an innocuous text message with a smiley icon and drove her alleged assailant home after the attack.) Krakauer's evocative reporting, honed to a fine edge of anger, vividly conveys the ordeal of victims and their ongoing psychological dislocations. The result is a hard-hitting true-crime exposé that looks underneath the he-said-she-said to get at the sexist assumptions that help cover up and enable these crimes. (Apr.)
[Page ]. Copyright 2014 PWxyz LLC - School Library Journal Reviews : SLJ Reviews 2015 August
Amid the opportunities offered by the newfound independence of college is the chance to make new friends. Like most freedoms, this independence involves risks. For two of the girls in Krakauer's latest, the risks seemed typical of college life: party hard and then pass out. But as these girls lay in a semi-comatose state of inebriation, they were raped. They were raped by football players. This second fact makes everything much harder, from the odds of fighting off a strong attacker to the courage it takes to make an accusation that could affect the performance of the football team. The author makes his way through this highly charged topic with typical equanimity; yes, some girls do make false accusations, and truthfully, a community will protect football players to a degree beyond reason. But the focus continually returns to the lives of the young women. Even when armed with evidence from rape kits and testimony of witnesses, they are often accused of "asking for it" by lying unconscious on a couch, or by not screaming for help. Some young men and women never quite recover from the ordeal of testifying in court and then living with the subsequent VERDICT. Krakauer evenly relates the aftermath of this horrible crime. VERDICT Recommended for male and female high school seniorsâto increase their understanding of consensual sex and the consequences of rape.âDiane Colson, Nashville Public Library
[Page 115]. (c) Copyright 2015 Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
