Victim: A Feminist Manifesto from a Fierce Survivor

This is a story about a victim who wins.

Imagine being a carefree, independent young woman enjoying life. Your bold, adventurous spirit pulls you to travel to distant locales. Then out of nowhere, you’re abducted, assaulted, and raped. That is the terror-filled experience that Karen Moe survived almost thirty years ago.

But this is not a crime story. This is not even just a survivor’s tale. Instead, this is a manifesto. In dialogue with other feminists and through case studies from around the world, Moe uses her trauma to shine a light on how not only violence against women, but all exploitation, is a natural result of patriarchal hierarchy. Yes, this is Moe’s story of triumph over violence, but it is also a call-to-action for both men and women.

During the process of writing, Moe’s father was dying. She relates with raw candor the complex relationship between a father and a daughter where, through a cycle of abuse and forgiveness, “he groomed me as a perfect victim. And as the perfect survivor, too.”

Moe’s direct, unflinching memoir allows readers a glimpse at the adventurous but uncertain person she was prior to the assault. That narrative explodes with stunning detail as she is tricked, strangled, bound and abducted. Raped repeatedly in the horrifying span of nearly twenty-four hours, the story evolves into one of empowerment and survival as Moe tricks the serial rapist into letting her go. “As far as I was concerned, I was already dead. And, strangely enough, little did I know then, thinking I was dead was starting to give me power-I had nothing to lose.” Moe recounts the courageous lengths she went to, returning after her escape to collect evidence, putting herself in further danger. These efforts would be instrumental in putting her attacker behind bars for life.

Moe, not one to shy away from hard truths, uses her attack as a launching pad to examine the ways women are both conditioned to be victims and the excuses society makes for toxic male behavior. The ultimate goal of Victim: a feminist manifesto from a fierce survivor is to provide tools for resistance against a culture of exploitation. “In the end, what I have suffered and survived has given me a gift. Now, resistance, fighting for justice, is what I live for. My life is far bigger than myself.”

* US tour for Sexual Assault Awarness Month with part of sales proceeds being donated to Anit-Violence Non-Profits. See tour dates: www.karenmoeauthor.com

Praise for Victim: A Feminist Manifesto from a Fierce Survivor
"This book is a call to action for all of us-women and men. You will want to put it down, but you can't, because it's so compelling." -Marie McKenzie, #1 Amazon bestselling author of Things That Keep Me Up At Night.

"A tour de force true story of surviving and surmounting the unthinkable. Victim is literary nonfiction at its best."-Sally Clark, author of The Way of The Warrior Mama: The Guide To Raising and Protecting Strong Daughters.