Know My Name by Chanel Miller

Giving Voice to the Voiceless

We think we know the story. A young woman is sexually assaulted on a college campus. The perpetrator, a star athlete, receives a shockingly lenient sentence. The victim’s powerful impact statement goes viral. But we don’t really know the story at all—not until Chanel Miller steps forward to reclaim her narrative and her name in her searing, lyrical memoir “Know My Name.”

For years, Miller was known to the world only as “Emily Doe,” the anonymous victim in the high-profile sexual assault case against Stanford swimmer Brock Turner. Her victim impact statement, published on BuzzFeed in 2016, was read over 11 million times and ignited a firestorm of outrage over Turner’s light sentence. Now, Miller emerges from the shadows to tell her story in full—not just of the assault and trial, but of the long, painful journey of healing and reclaiming her identity in the aftermath.

A Voice That Demands to Be Heard

From the first pages, Miller’s extraordinary voice grabs you and doesn’t let go. Her writing is by turns raw, poetic, and darkly funny. She has an uncanny ability to capture the surreal absurdity of trauma – like when she matter-of-factly describes discovering pine needles in her hair after the assault: “I thought maybe, the pine needles had fallen from a tree onto my head. My brain was talking my gut into not collapsing. Because my gut was saying, help me, help me.”

Miller’s eye for vivid, specific detail brings her experiences to life on the page. We feel her confusion and fear as she wakes up in the hospital, her legs spread for photographs, “a Nikon pointed right into my spread legs.” We feel her mounting panic as she reads about her own assault in the news, learning the details at the same time as the rest of the world. And we feel her righteous anger as she endures a grueling trial where her own actions are scrutinized more closely than her assailant’s.

More Than a Victim’s Story

But “Know My Name” is so much more than just an account of assault and its aftermath. It’s a coming-of-age story, a love letter to family, an exploration of identity and belonging. Miller writes beautifully about her Chinese-American heritage, her close bond with her sister, her struggles with depression and PTSD. She reflects thoughtfully on race, class, and privilege in America.

Most of all, it’s a story of resilience—of a young woman slowly rebuilding herself and reclaiming her power. Miller doesn’t shy away from the dark moments, the times she felt hopeless or wanted to give up. But ultimately, her spirit shines through. We see her rediscovering joy through art and comedy, finding her voice as a writer and advocate.

A Seismic Cultural Shift

Miller’s case became a flashpoint in the national conversation around sexual assault, coinciding with the rise of the #MeToo movement. Her memoir provides crucial context around this cultural shift, exploring how her case both reflected and helped propel changing attitudes.

She writes compellingly about the power of survivors speaking out:

“We don’t fight for our own happy endings. We fight to say you can’t. We fight for accountability. We fight to establish precedent. We fight because we pray we’ll be the last ones to feel this kind of pain.”

Indicting a Broken System

Beyond her personal story, Miller offers a damning critique of a criminal justice system that often fails victims of sexual violence. She exposes how defense attorneys use victim-blaming tactics, how media coverage can re-traumatize survivors, how even a “best case scenario” with physical evidence and witnesses can still result in a miscarriage of justice.

Her account of the torturously slow legal process, spanning years, is eye-opening. Miller makes a compelling case for reform, arguing passionately that the system must do better by survivors.

A Writer Comes Into Her Own

One of the joys of “Know My Name” is watching Miller evolve as a writer before our eyes. Early on, she describes struggling to find words for her experiences. But as the memoir progresses, her voice grows stronger and more assured. By the end, she has blossomed into a formidable writer with a distinct style.

Miller has a poet’s gift for metaphor and vivid imagery. She describes panic attacks as “a well had been opened in my chest” and likens healing to the slow process of learning to lift a gallon of milk as a child. Her prose can be lyrical and meditative, as when she reflects on scuba diving:

“All became quiet. I opened my eyes and was hovering inside a room of luminescent blue, as if the sun had sat inside the ocean like a tea bag, diluting the water with soft light.”

But she can also be blunt and darkly funny, with a biting wit. Recounting all the inane questions she was asked in court, she quips: “Throw in my mile time if that’s what we’re doing. I’m good at cooking, put that in there, I think the end is where you list your extracurriculars to cancel out all the sickening things that’ve happened.”

A Modern Classic in the Making

“Know My Name” feels destined to become a modern classic, taking its place alongside memoirs like Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” It’s a deeply moving account of trauma and resilience that doubles as a damning indictment of rape culture. But it’s also a gorgeously written coming-of-age story and an inspiring testament to the power of words to create change.

A Call to Action

Ultimately, “Know My Name” is a rallying cry—for survivors, for women, for anyone who cares about justice. Miller challenges us to do better, to create a world where stories like hers are no longer commonplace. As she writes:

“When society questions a victim’s reluctance to report, I will be here to remind you that you ask us to sacrifice our sanity to fight outdated structures that were designed to keep us down.”

Her courage in coming forward, in baring her soul on the page, is awe-inspiring. Miller has given voice to countless silent sufferers. In knowing her name, we are called to stand with her—and with all survivors.

Essential Reading for Our Times

“Know My Name” is not always an easy read. Miller’s account of her assault and its aftermath is often harrowing. But it’s an essential book for our times—one that will forever change how we think and talk about sexual violence.

For survivors, it offers validation, hope, and the assurance that they are not alone. For everyone else, it’s a crucial education and a call to action. Miller’s voice rings out clear and true, demanding to be heard. We owe it to her—and to ourselves—to listen.

If You Liked “Know My Name,” You Might Also Enjoy:

• “Shout” by Laurie Halse Anderson
• “The Apology” by Eve Ensler
• “Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture” edited by Roxane Gay
• “The Collected Schizophrenias” by Esmé Weijun Wang
• “Heavy: An American Memoir” by Kiese Laymon

About the Author

“Know My Name” is Chanel Miller’s debut memoir. Previously, her victim impact statement was published anonymously on BuzzFeed, where it was read over 11 million times. She received her BA in Literature from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is a Hopwood Award-winning author and artist who currently lives in San Francisco, California.