GIRL, UNCODED

A woman reframes her life as she comes to terms with an abusive relationship with an older man in this memoir.

Dredge calls herself “Caroline” in this creative nonfiction book, in which she says that “all names have been changed, some events have been compressed, some dialogue has been recreated, and some locations, dates, and characteristics have been changed.” Caroline meets the double-named Gary Richard in Missouri in 1996, when she’s 16 and he’s 24. He’s aware that she’s underage, but they begin a sexual relationship almost immediately. Only four months later, Caroline becomes pregnant and decides to keep the baby and marry Gary Richard. From the start, their life together is plagued by his legal issues, which include a conviction for receiving stolen property, an arrest and trial for theft, and charges of sexual predation of a 14-year-old girl. They eventually have a second child together, but their financial instability and Gary Richard’s legal troubles and infidelity continue over the next five years. Then a prosecutor moves forward with a charge of statutory rape against her husband, using their son’s DNA as evidence. Overall, this memoir offers an immersive portrait of the many cycles of domestic abuse, with Caroline resolving to leave Gary Richard many times before she finally does so. With support from family members, friends, co-workers from her job as a hospital clerk, and her renewed faith in God, she’s able to find the strength to break free and build a new life for herself and her children. The emotions involved are complex, and the book tends to state explicitly how Caroline was feeling at any given time. This straightforward approach makes the text accessible, but readers may find the story to be less affecting than it might have been. The re-created conversations feel stilted at times and lack the nuance and personality that one finds in casual conversation.

An intimate exploration of survival and recovery that may appeal most to readers in similar situations who are looking for hope.