What is a Girl Worth?

What is a Girl Worth?by Rachael Denhollander (Tyndale Momentum, 2019, 352 pp. ISBN-10: 1496441338).

Book Review by Donna J. Wright

What is a Girl Worth?is a continuing refrain repeated by Rachael Denhollander as she recounted her costly fight against abuse. Accusations against a serial abuser are tough to make since a repeat offender has practice and skill in covering his tracks and making rational excuses to throw off suspicion. Nasser, the main perpetrator in this instance, was adept at choosing young victims who were under his care and could not clearly discern his criminal actions. Denhollander—I know that is correct, but I want to call her Rachael because she became like a friend as I read her story. As she related her experience, I was pulling for her, for truth, for right, for justice. Her articulate communication through the family, church, sport, civil, and criminal environments told a compelling story that everyone, male or female needs to read. 

In reading this book, Rachael shared her personal story of being victimized first as a young child, then as a teenager. Her boldness and courage to stand up to stop what she realized was a decades-long continued abuse of girls by Larry Nasser was documented in this book. 

The book set the background by explaining her home life, religious upbringing, and described the sport of gymnastics. All were included because it contributed to the foundation of the story. Initially, I wondered if all the detail was necessary but as the story continued, I saw the wisdom of including it all because it helped the reader understand better and answered the commonly-asked questions in cases like these: Why wait so long to report? Why didn’t they realize what was happening? How can it be proven if there are no direct witnesses? Why are those who complain often not believed? It has always piqued my curiosity when a well-known or respected person was arrested for a case of child molestation, that soon after, more victims came forward. This does not always occur, but it appears that when the molester held some esteem or position in the community, this was the case. Now I know why this happens.

As a somewhat sheltered child, Rachael had an early victimization in her church at the hands of a college student. She did not know all the results and ramifications of the abuse at the time due to her tender age, but it pulled her family away from her close-knit church as people disagreed on how the molestation was handled and others did not believe it happened at all. Rachael’s parents, probably due to this earlier experience were more vigilant than most in protecting their children, yet later on in her teens, an evil victimizer was still able to prey upon their daughter multiple times just feet away from her mother. The was a stark and scary reminder of the boldness of evil to operate.

This case made headlines, I even found myself looking up news stories at various times as I read to attempt to see all sides of the story. The part of the book that captured my interest and that I could relate to is that there are more than two responses to abuse. It is commonly held that people will either fight or flight. But the third reaction is “freeze,” a response from people who are not sure what to do and “shut down.” 

Bottom line, I learned from this book. I had a couple of close calls with abuse during my growing up years, but thankfully, I did not experience abuse personally. Rachael Denhollander expertly and articulately told her story. It is hers alone. I would tip my hat (if I was wearing one) to her for her courage to pursue and persevere to stop her abuser from continuing to abuse others. That was the first important lesson: just because you can stop the abuser from abusing you; it does not stop the abuse. A serial abuser will continue to victimize others. The second lesson is how many times a victim had to continue to repeat a very personal, embarrassing, and difficult story over and over again and how their motives were questioned and their needs were not considered. The accused has rights but the victims do not and often were not given attention or resources to help them. 

The most sickening aspect was the realization that Rachael was not the first to report Nasser as an abuser. He had been accused several times across two decades. Most of the time the victims were considered as misunderstanding what medical treatment had been done to them. A much younger non-gymnast had also reported abuse many years earlier--before he had set up his medical treatment method so he could repeat it on a regular basis. This victim’s parents did not believe her so while the abuse stopped for her, the abuser did not.

All of Nasser’s victims grew older, more mature, and wiser over time which became his downfall. Once Rachael’s accusation was out, others followed until they numbered in the 200’s and if the victims who did not report and those pictured in pornography are counted, they represented many more victims. Rachael, after attempting to report several times, decided to report this final time because she felt the environment was one that was right for it to be believed and taken seriously. Once a warrant was executed, 37,000 child pornographic images were seized from his home. 

In this situation, to stop the abuse would be to accuse someone she respected who also had a strong relationship with other people who were important in her life. The strength was in her telling how this impacted every area of her life including her growing up years, dating, marriage, and parenting. Unlike some other books, I never found myself skimming. I read every word. Well done.

Get your copy: What is a Girl Worth?