For Rachael DenHollander, the 1996 victory of the USA Olympic gymnastics team was the impetus to begin gymnastics training herself. Several years later, injuries had her in the office of renowned sports doctor Larry Nassar. From the first visit, Nassar sexually assaulted her under the guise of treatment and right in front of her mother. Her final visit was an even worse—and obvious—assault.
DenHollander and her parents remained quiet about Nassar’s abuse, saying in the book, “We both knew the reality. There was nothing that could be done.” Yet Rachael lived with the results for years—shame, fear, depression, panic—as she attended college and law school, married, and had children.
Then, in 2016, DenHollander decided to speak up about Nassar’s abuse. Her decision was difficult, in part because she knew it would be an uphill climb to get justice. What Is a Girl Worth? is DenHollander’s account of the sexual abuse she experienced, its aftermath, and the arrest and trial of Nassar. Her training as an attorney shows clearly in her well-documented and organized story as she details the long journey to justice for Nassar’s victims.
This narrative shines a spotlight on the physical and emotional impact of abuse, why so many survivors are reluctant to speak out, what it means to be believed, and the supernatural power of faith and forgiveness. (Tyndale)
About the Author
Ann Byle is author of Chicken Scratch: Lessons on Living Creatively from a Flock of Hens. She is a freelance writer and author of several other books, magazine articles, and reviews. She lives in Grand Rapids, Mich.
